Chunky Faux Egg Salad (gluten, grain, dairy, soy, egg and sugar free; raw; vegan; SCD legal)

I’ve been eating raw “egg” salad for years. When I lived in Dubai and traveled constantly, I’d often return home from a long business trip in the wee hours of the morning starving and to a near-empty frig. This was one of the few satisfying dishes I could whip up quickly with some basic ingredients on hand in my pantry. I was never convinced it really tasted like egg salad, but it was delicious nevertheless.

The thing is, my mother always made her egg salad very chunky, with large pieces of egg white in it, and to this day that’s how I like it. Most popular recipes for raw egg salad more closely resemble a smooth bright yellow pâté; mine always did. But recently I ran across a number that add chopped young Thai coconut to substitute for the look and texture of cooked egg white and I realized I’ve been missing the boat all these years. 

Here’s my new and improved recipe for raw egg salad, now with chunks – great on lettuce, crackers, wrapped in raw nori or between sheets of roasted seaweed. Feel free to dress it up to suit your tastes, adding fresh dill, chopped celery, pickle relish or even wasabi powder. It’s hard to go wrong.

1½ cups raw cashews, soaked at least three hours, rinsed well and drained*
1/3 cup water
1T lemon juice
1/2 to 1T raw apple cider vinegar
1 large clove garlic, core removed**
1/2 tsp onion salt
1/2 tsp celery salt
1 tsp ground mustard seed
1 tsp turmeric powder
Meats of 2 large young Thai coconuts, coarsely chopped
3T finely minced sweet onion, red onion or scallions (optional)
1T dried parsley or 2 sprigs fresh, chopped
Coarsely ground black pepper to taste

Place liquid ingredients in the bottom of a Vita-Mix or other high-speed blender, then add remaining ingredients on top with the exception of the coconut meat, minced onion (if using), parsley and black pepper. Blend at high speed until smooth.

Place in a bowl and stir in remaining four ingredients. Refrigerate and serve atop salad, crackers, roasted seaweed snacks, in a traditional sandwich or any way you wish. Makes about 2 cups. Best after refrigerated overnight, as it allows the flavors to mingle.

* If you’re pressed for time as I often was and don’t have time to soak the nuts, this recipe will still work; however, if you have the luxury of planning ahead, you should definitely go to the trouble of soaking. It makes the cashews easier to blend, reduces phytic acid levels, neutralizes enzyme inhibitors and enhances digestibility.
** To remove the core from garlic, slice clove in half lengthwise and, using the tip of a paring knife, pry the long spindly center away from each side of the clove.

This post is linked to Savory Sunday, Melt in Your Mouth Monday, Meatless Mondays, Mangia Mondays, Mouthwatering Monday, Made From Scratch Tuesday and Gluten-Free Wednesdays.