Years ago we featured the winners of a big Tofurky Leftovers contest. Time passed, and though the dishes remained beloved, they were buried in our news section! So I’m shifting the post to our recipe section and featuring the Grand-Prize orzo salad winner for using up remaining slices of that Tofurky roast from your big Thanksgiving Feast.
For the Thanksgiving Tofurky Leftovers Contest, a panel of six testers devoured and rated the submitted vegan recipes of about 40 Tofurky Home Chefs. The Grand Prize went to Laureen Pittman of California with her Curried Tofurky Orzo Salad (recipe below). This dish, with subtle curry flavor, a rich orzo base and comfort ingredients, is easy to make, attractive to serve and very delicious.
Laureen reports that, “I always enjoy experimenting with different Tofurky products. My husband is a vegetarian, but my two sons are definitely meat-and-potato kids. But, they are adventurous enough eaters to try different type of food.”
Special Diet Notes: Curried Tofurky Orzo Salad
By ingredredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, peanut-free, vegan / plant-based, and vegetarian.
For a nut-free orzo salad, omit the almonds or use sunflower seeds in their place, and ensure the Tofurky leftovers are safe for your needs.
- 1 ½ cups uncooked orzo
- 2 cups mayonnaise*
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons good quality curry powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- Dash or two of cayenne pepper
- 1 ½ cups cooked Tofurky®, cubed
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 2 ribs celery, chopped
- ½ medium red onion, chopped
- ½ cup blanched, slivered almonds
- ¼ cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
- Cook the orzo according to the package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water. Pour into a large serving dish or storage container.
- Whisk the mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard, curry, garlic, coriander, cardamom, salt, and cayenne in a medium bowl until smooth.
- Fold the dressing into the cooled orzo. Add the Tofurky, cranberries, celery, onion and parsley. Stir gently until combined well.
- This orzo salad can be made up to a day ahead of time and actually benefits from some time spent in the refrigerator. If making the salad ahead of time, be sure to toss it gently before serving. Add salt to taste.