A traditional Polish side dish, very unlike my grandma used to make! The name means “misery” in Polish…perhaps because it is traditionally doused in sour cream, making vegans (and those watching their cholesterol) have to pass. Don’t let the addition of tofu detour you; it delivers the same creamy texture and tang of the original dish.
Vegan Mizeria (Polish Cucumber Salad)
3 large field cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced
1 teaspoon salt
1 batch Sour “Cream” (recipe follows)
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon agave nectar
2 tablespoons minced fresh dill
Freshly ground pepper
Sprinkle the cucumber with salt. Refrigerator for 1 hour.
Mix together the sour “cream”, vinegar, agave nectar. Mix with cucumbers. Stir in fresh dill. Season with pepper. Refrigerate until serving.
Sour “Cream”
1 12oz/340g box silken firm tofu
1 lemon
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
Put the tofu in a food processor. Add juice from half the lemon, the vinegar, and the salt. Process until smooth, then keep it running while adding the oil through the feed tube. Taste for seasonings, adding lemon and salt if desired. Refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Laurie Sadowski 