Chicken-Style Tofu Salad Sandwich
A copycat version of Panera’s Harvest Chicken Salad Sandwich, using tofu in place of the chicken! With juicy grapes, walnuts, and a tangy mayo dressing.
This tofu salad sandwich is as much for you as it is for me. Before I stopped eating chicken, one of my favorite sandwiches was a harvest chicken salad sandwich. Well, this is my tofu version.
‘ve experimented with no less than a dozen different chicken salad replacements, and they are all good, but never the level that I want them to be.
I’ve tried tempeh, chickpeas, raw tofu, cooked tofu, seitan, fake chicken strips. If it’s been used as a meat substitute, I’ve probably tried to make it into a chicken salad sandwich.
I had almost given up hope. Almost. Then, I saw a friend prepare tofu this way: baked with broth, soy sauce, sage, and thyme. She then tore the tofu strips instead of chopping it to create chicken-like nuggets. One bite and I knew this was going to be the base for my vegan chicken salad sandwich.
Ingredient Notes
- Mayo: For a vegan mayo, I prefer either Veganaise, Just Mayo or Hellman’s vegan mayo
- Celery: The thinly sliced celery adds nice crunch and texture, especially with the contract os the chewy tofu.
- Grapes: The red grapes are such a nice addition to this tofu salad sandwich! They are juicy and just sweet enough. I think red grapes are superior here as green grapes are too tart.
- Extra-firm tofu: The extra-firm tofu is firm enough to be torn and baked in the soy sauce and broth without crumbling. I do press it first.
- Thyme and sage: This is what gives the tofu the chicken flavor!
The chicken salad I grew up on only contained chicken, mayo, celery, salt & pepper. I tried that version and it was good, but I knew it could be better. So I added some walnuts for crunch and some grapes for sweetness.
And then I dived right into that bowl and didn’t stop until I had licked it clean because it was so, so good.
How to Serve
I’ve made this tofu salad sandwich roughly a dozen times since that first tinkering, and each time, I swear I love it more.
Toasted bread, arugula (spinach will work!) and a few slices of juicy tomatoes. Crack a bit of freshly ground pepper on top, then place the other slice of bread on and eat. It’s messy, it’s delicious, it’s perfectly southern.
I can’t wait for you to make this and then tell me what you think. Isn’t it the best vegan chicken salad sandwich you’ve ever had?
More Sandwich Recipes
- Tofu BBQ Sandwich with Slaw
- Impossible Smash Burgers
- BBQ Jackfruit Sandwiches
- Chickpea Salad Sandwiches
- Impossible Sloppy Joes
- Smoky Miso Maple Tofu Sandwiches
If you try this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, and tag your Instagram photos with #delishknowledge . I absolutely love seeing your creations. Happy cooking!
Video
Harvest Tofu Salad Sandwiches
Equipment
- Baking Pan
Ingredients
- 1 package extra-firm tofu
- 1/4 cup vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon dried sage
- 1/2 cup mayo, I prefer either Just Mayo or Hellman’s vegan mayo
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced celery
- 1/3 cup sliced, or halved seedless red grapes
- 1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Press the tofu using a tofu press or by rolling it in paper towels and pressing a heavy object on top.
- Slice tofu into 4 slabs, then cut those into 8 slabs so you have thin strips. Add tofu to a glass baking pan along with vegetable broth, soy sauce, thyme, sage and a few cracks of fresh ground pepper. Bake for 25 minutes until tofu is golden brown, then set aside to cool.
- Once tofu is cool, tear into bite sizes pieces. I find that tearing creates better chunks rather than chopping into cubes, but do whatever is easiest for you. Let cool.
- Toss the cooled tofu chunks with mayo, celery, grapes and walnuts, then season to taste, if needed, with salt and pepper.
- To serve, start with toasted bread, layer with lettuce (butter lettuce is my favorite here) and thin slices of tomato. Top with a scoop of salad and another piece of toasted bread. Enjoy immediately! Leftover tofu salad will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days.