No-Egg Salad for One

When my older brother went off to kindergarten, my mother and I made a special trip once a week, just the two of us, and had lunch at Woolworth’s lunch counter. I thought it was sooooo elegant and grown-up to have egg salad sandwiches on white bread! Now, as a vegan, I find that I still want those sandwiches to remember my mother and those happy times.

For the “Whites:”

¼ cup almond milk (or other non-dairy milk)

¼ teaspoon agar agar

Pinch of Himalayan black salt

For the “Yolks:”

4 TBLSP firm tofu

½ teaspoon yellow mustard

1 ½ teaspoon vegan mayonnaise

1 ½ teaspoon olive oil

Splash of rice vinegar

Pinch of salt

Pinch of Himalayan black salt

1/8 teaspoon turmeric

For the Salad:

½ TBLSP vegan mayonnaise

½ stalk celery, diced

½ slice yellow onion, diced

1 TBLSP parsley, diced

¼ dill pickle, diced (or a TBLSP pickle relish)

3 black olives, cut into circles

1 green olive, cut into circles

Garlic powder

Salt and pepper to taste

Make the “Whites:”

1. In a small saucepan, heat the milk, agar agar, and black salt until it boils. Watch it closely and stir it constantly as it will suddenly froth boilingly way up high. Take it off the heat and pour it into a couple of cupcake liners or other flexible mold.
2. Place in the refrigerator for half an hour.

While the “whites” are in there firming up, make the “yolks” and chop up the salad fixings.

Make the “Yolks:”

1. Place all yolk ingredients in a food processor or blender and whirl until it’s very very smooth. You may want more turmeric to get a stronger yellow color, but be careful! It has a strong flavor.

Make the Salad:

1. Put the salad ingredients into a small bowl and glop in all or some of the “yolk” mixture.
2. Take the firm “whites” from the refrigerator and chop them up. Mix them into the salad.

Serve on a bed of lettuce, fill a sandwich with it, or stuff an avocado or celery stalk. Yummy!