Tofu salad served as a sandwich in whole-wheat pita bread.

Jodee Jernigan | Contributor

In the summer time I find myself hating to cook. Not only do I not want to heat up my kitchen, I also crave refreshing cold foods that require little time to prepare.

Fresh salads become a staple in the warm summer months, and I make good use of the abundant salad greens my family receives in our CSA share from Tantre Farm. But sometimes I want to eat something more filling than a green salad. Those are the days I like to prepare a favorite standby recipe in our household — tofu salad.

Years ago, in the early days of the Internet, I copied this recipe from a post on a vegetarian message board. Intrigued by a mix of ingredients I love (green and black olives? cashews!), as soon as I tried I was hooked on the flavors. The olives add a ton of flavor, and the cashews and celery add some crunch to the texture.

It has become one of those things I can throw together easily without even consulting the recipe. Feel free to alter suggested amounts here — it all works!

You can tuck this salad into pita bread for a sandwich or just serve on top of salad greens to make a large and filling meal. And because it is egg-free, you can easily take this to picnics without worrying about spoilage. We have also find this a great dish for kids; it is easy to scoop up with a spoon, and my toddler daughter loves it.

The recipe calles for Vegenaise, and although you could use any vegan mayonaise here, I find Vegenaise to be the best-tasting. It's available in the refrigerated sections of specialty grocery stores and health food stores. (I usually buy mine at Whole Foods.) I actually think it tastes better than "real" mayonnaise!

I use it to make creamy salads like this one, as well as vegan cole slaw. It's also delicious served on vegetarian "chicken" patty sandwiches or veggie burgers. And it's a great ingredient to provide a creamy vegan element to sauces. One of my favorite uses is to blend Vegenaise with ketchup and a bit of Clancy's Fancy hot sauce to make a delicious dipping sauce for sweet potato fries!

While I prefer the texture of the baked tofu in this dish, you can also make this with regular tofu: simply take a block of drained and pressed extra-firm tofu, dice, and toss with tamari or soy sauce for seasoning.

Tofu Salad

• 2 packages baked tofu, diced small (I use Trader Joe's Savory flavor)
• 2 celery stalks, chopped finely
• 1/4 cup green pimiento-stuffed olives, chopped finely
• 1/4 cup black olives, chopped finely
• 1/4 cup cashew pieces, chopped finely
• 2 scallions, minced
• Vegenaise (enough to coat; about 1/4 cup)
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Salad greens
• Pita bread (optional)

Combined diced naked tofu with chopped celery, olives, scallions and cashews. Stir in just enough Vegenaise to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. You can either eat immediately or refrigerate for later use. Serve alone, on top of salad greens, or inside pita bread.

Jodee Jernigan writes about vegan and vegetarian food for AnnArbor.com. She's a mom, a pop culture junkie and starting this fall, a grad student at the University of Michigan. You can reach her at jodee.jernigan@gmail.com.