Chicken-Less Salad

This amazing salad has fooled some of the biggest chicken salad fans. It has all the ingredients that make a great chicken salad, except the bird! It’s great served on a bed of fresh, crisp greens, as a hearty sandwich or a side dish.

Makes 4 servings

Ingredient List:

• 1 (1-pound) brick organic extra-firm tofu
• Organic soy sauce
• Spring or filtered water
• 3 celery stalks, diced
• 1 small red onion, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, roasted over a flame, peeled, seeded and diced
• ½ teaspoon each basil, sage, rosemary and oregano
• 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
• 1 to 1½ cups vegan mayo

Step By Step Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400F (205C). Lightly oil a baking sheet. Cut tofu into ¼-inch-thick slices. Place slices in a shallow dish and cover with a mixture that is one part organic soy sauce to four parts water. Allow tofu to marinate 10 minutes. Place tofu slices on prepared baking sheet and bake 30 to 35 minutes, until deep, golden brown and crispy on the outside, turning the slices of tofu once midway through baking to ensure even browning. You can ‘finish’ the tofu in a hot broiler after baking to create crunchy edges.

Remove tofu slices from oven and allow to cool until you can handle them. Then, shred the tofu slices with a sharp knife, creating irregular, angular pieces similar to shredded chicken. Mix with vegetables, herbs, paprika and veggie mayo until ingredients are coated. Chill thoroughly before serving.

COOK’S TIP: You may use prepared baked tofu that you can purchase in any natural food store.