Mock Lobster Salad

I love vegan mayo based salads, everything from potato salad, mock tuna salad to mock chicken salad. There are many mock tuna and mock chicken recipes out there so I wanted to make something more unique. Most of those salads use seitan, TVP, tofu or chickpeas as the "meat" part. I have created a mock lobster salad despite the fact that I have never eaten the real thing. Growing up in a country without seafood, I had only seen lobster salads in high-end restaurants or while traveling to Mediterranean countries. I first created the salad and then named it.

Do you like cauliflower? I do! When I first made this recipe I used raw cauliflower. The texture was not what I was looking for so I decided to boil the cauliflower first. That made a huge difference in taste and texture. This recipe is very simple and does not require a lot of ingredients. I love this salad as a spread on open-faced sandwiches.

Mock Lobster Salad

1 head cauliflower, rinsed, cored and broken into medium florets (about 7 cups)

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1/3 cup vegan mayo or unsweetened plain soy yogurt (such as WholeSoy & Co) 

1-2 Tbs lemon juice

Optional-for reddish color effect (similar to lobster) 1/3 cup shredded red radishes

Salt and black pepper to taste

In a large pot, bring water to a boil. Add a pinch of salt and cauliflower florets. Return to a boil and cook uncovered over medium heat for 10-15 minutes, or until tender-until you can easily pierce the cauliflower with a fork. Strain, rinse under a cold water and drain.

Grate the cauliflower using a handheld vegetable/cheese grater or a food processor. I used the coarse option on my handheld grater. You can grate yours finer, it will be good either way. Place the grated cauliflower into a large bowl, add the rest of the ingredients and stir to combine. Season with salt and black pepper. This salad tastes the best freshly made, but can be stored in the fridge for up to two days.