Creamy, refreshing macaroni salad This weekend I was in the summer spirit (probably due to the 100-degree heat wave) and decided to make a macaroni salad to go with my Tofurkey Italian Sausage and corn on the cob. As mayo is the main ingredient in a macaroni salad, I was a little hesitant about the flavor, but this salad came out GREAT and I think if you brought it to a family bbq no one would know the difference.
Macaroni Salad (Serves: an entire family reunion, this makes A LOT of pasta.)Ingredients
Baked Tofu:- 2 packages extra-firm tofu;
- 2 teaspoons black pepper;
- 6 tablespoons olive oil;
- 6 tablespoons lemon juice;
- 1 tablespoon liquid smoke (give or take depending how smokey you want your tofu); and
- 6 tablespoons soy sauce.
Macaroni Salad:
(This is a recipe you can modify based on what you have in your pantry, i.e. if you don't have peas, use carrots or corn, if you don't have tofu, use fake chick'n or potatoes.)
- 1 box macaroni, cooked and cooled (I added a pad of earth balance to my pasta as it cooled to prevent sticking.)
- Half a bag of frozen peas;
- 1 red onion, diced- small;
- 4 stalks of celery, diced- small;
- 1/4 heaping cup of sweet relish;
- 1 heaping cup Veganaise;
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder;
- 2 tablespoons cajun seasoning;
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast;
- 1 teaspoon celery seed;
- 1 tablespoon pickle juice; (I used spicy pickle juice to add a bit of kick- this ingredient is optional but I liked the relish flavor and was trying to add to it.)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice.
This salad is broken down into 3 steps: Tofu, Macaroni, Dressing.
1. TOFUPre-heat your oven to 400 degrees.- Cut your drained tofu into even slices.
- Mix all the marinade ingredients together and marinate your slices in a shallow dish for at least an hour (flipping occasionally).
- Once they are marinated, lay them out on a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil. DO NOT DISCARD THE LEFT OVER MARINADE- you will use it later.
- Bake the tofu slices about 10 minutes on each side (depending on how thick they are and how well you drained the tofu- mine took about 12 a side).
After they are done, set them aside to cool, then cut into small pieces for the salad.
2. MACARONI- Cook the entire box of macaroni per the package.
- Drain, add Earth Balance and place into LARGE bowl (this recipe makes a lot so make sure you have a bowl with enough space).
- Add the peas and place in the fridge to chill.
- Once it has chilled, add the red onion and celery.
3. DRESSING
- In a small bowl, mix the remaining ingredients: Veganaise, left over tofu marinade, garlic powder, creole seasoning, nutritional yeast, celery seed, relish, lemon juice and pickle juice.
- Stir well to get out all the clumps and ensure the spices are incorporated.
- Once all the components are ready, pull out your big bowl of macaroni from the fridge and mix in the dressing.
Once the pasta in coated, add the tofu last and you are done! I recommend refrigerating your salad overnight or at least a few hours to let everything set.