I pinched this recipe from Food.com while looking for different ways to use tempeh. I’ll admit that I’m new to using this nutty brick – high in iron with a protein kick. The texture is actually a lot like chicken, and like chicken it will take on the taste of the sauce or spices you use. This salad was an instant hit. It took less time to prepare than I had expected and tasted impressively good. And the recipe provides a lot of flexibility. I had run out of tamari so went without; I wanted to increase the crunch so I added some pinenuts.  You can serve this salad alone, with tortilla chips or as a sandwich spread.

Time: 35 minutes                      Servings: 6 sides

Ingredients

Directions

1. Break tempeh into chunks then steam it over boiling water for about 15 minutes.

2. Set aside and allow to cool. Meanwhile, assemble the other ingredients in a large bowl. Feel free to adjust quantities to your preferences.

3. Finely crumble the cooled tempeh into the bowl and combine. For a creamier texture mash the tempeh with a fork before adding. Add the vegan mayonnaise last (see below for recipe).

4. Give it a mix up and chill before serving.

{Vegan} Mayo Recipe

This recipe is courtesy of SeriousEats although I altered it a little to reduce the fat and salt content. It’s really good with any kind of mustard and will keep in the refrigerator for two weeks.

TIP: A hand blender works best for blending mayonnaise as the blade is located low to the surface. For a more stable mayo, add a pinch of soy lecithin (available in health and nutrition stores or i-herb.com) to the tofu.