If you are looking for a great, quick, and fulfilling vegan lunch or snack idea, you need to try this vegan egg salad. Made with tofu, vegan mayo, and herbs, it’s great on a sandwich or on its own.
You'll be amazed at how scrumptious and delicious this is. It's become one of our favorite recipes with tofu.
On this page:
Check out our best tofu recipe collection!
What to expect
This tofu egg salad is everything you want an egg salad to be. The tofu is absolutely perfect to replace the eggs.
You can use this recipe to make a quick vegan egg salad sandwich that is ready in literally 10 minutes (or you can just spoon it out of the bowl and eat it on its own because it's so decadently good just as is).
But how can a tasteless piece of curdled soy milk (tofu) become such a scrumptious, creamy, eggy, and impossible-to-stop eating thing?
First, firm tofu and extra firm tofu actually mimic boiled eggs incredibly well. You just need to cut it into small pieces, as if you were cutting real eggs for a real egg salad. So no big tofu chunks here.
Second, crumble some of the tofu pieces with your hands. This way they'll resemble the texture of crumbled egg yolk (especially when they are coated in our creamy eggy dressing).
Third, the dressing! With a few simple ingredients (and one optional, but highly recommended secret ingredient) you'll be able to make a flavor-packed, creamy, eggy, scrumptious, taste-buds-tickling dressing that will turn your bland tofu into the best vegan egg salad recipe you've ever tasted.
If you put it in a whole grain sandwich, with 12 grams of protein and virtually zero cholesterol, it's a fulfilling, guilt-free, and quick meal for your kids, partner, and yourself.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Tofu: tofu is going to replace the texture of eggs in this vegan egg salad. We use firm tofu. Medium-firm tofu is good too, and if you like a little bite then you can even go for extra firm tofu. I would not use silken tofu for this recipe. It's a little too soft and pudding-like for my taste.
- Vegan mayo: this is used to replace regular mayo. You can use store-bought or homemade vegan mayonnaise. We have a really simple and tasty vegan mayo recipe that you can make in literally 1 minute. Check it out.
- Mustard: you can use yellow mustard or dijon mustard. It adds a tangy, almost eggy taste.
- Celery: great for crunch and a little freshness.
- Fresh dill and fresh chives: oh my, those two herbs are so delicious in egg salad. I'd recommend using both if you can find them. We just bought two small plants and planted them on our balcony so we have them always handy. We have not tried this recipe with dried herbs, if you do please let us know in the comments below. If you can't find fresh dill or fresh chives, then I'd use fresh parsley instead.
- Garlic: it adds slightly tangy notes to the dish. Finely grated is best. Also, remember to cut it open lengthwise and remove the core with the tip of a knife before grating it. It's more digestible this way. If you don't have fresh garlic, then your best bet is garlic powder or onion powder.
- Vinegar: we use apple cider vinegar. You can also use white wine vinegar. Some use lemon juice, but I actually think that vinegar is better here. It adds acidity, which is a flavor booster, opening up your taste buds to fully appreciate the other ingredients.
- Turmeric powder: we add this to give the tofu egg salad a light yellow color and make it look more appealing. You won't really taste the turmeric powder, but you'll get all the incredible health benefits as it's packed with antioxidants.
- Salt and pepper: to add taste, the pepper is best if freshly ground. In this recipe black pepper is added for flavor, but also for increasing the bioavailability of the antioxidants in turmeric, making this dish rich in antioxidants.
- Black Salt (Kala Namak): this is the secret ingredient, which is not so secret if you are already into plant-based eating. It's optional, and the salad will still taste delicious without it, but if you like an eggy taste we strongly recommend it.
Kala Namak, sold as Black Salt in most western supermarkets, is an Indian/Himalayan rock salt with a purple-blackish color, and it tastes like eggs thanks to its sulfur content. So it's a miraculous ingredient if you are cooking egg-free recipes that require that eggy taste.
Black salt has a pungent smell when you cook with it, but don't worry, its taste is mild and subtle.
I cannot recommend it enough. You can find it in most Asian grocery stores, and of course online. If you buy a package it'll last you a long time. We buy ours once every two years or so. Keep it in an airtight container (like a mason jar) to preserve its taste.
Other recipes where you can use black salt (kala namak):
Instructions
To a medium mixing bowl add all ingredients except the tofu: vegan mayo, finely chopped celery, finely chopped dill, finely chopped chives, apple cider vinegar, mustard, a finely grated garlic clove, salt, black pepper, turmeric powder, and black salt or Kala Namak for the eggy taste.
Mix and stir with a spoon till the ingredients are well combined. This is the dressing for your tofu egg salad.
Drain and pat dry the tofu with a paper towel. Then with another paper towel apply some pressure on top of the tofu to remove some of its moisture. Do this a couple of times, turning the tofu upside down once or twice.
There's no need to press it down for too long. You just have to squeeze out excess moisture.
Then cut the tofu into small dice (¼ inch, 0.6 cm). It doesn't have to be perfectly cut.
Transfer the tofu into the mixing bowl with the dressing. While you do so, crumble some of it, as if to make look like crumbled egg yolk.
Mix the tofu with the sauce until well combined, then serve in a bowl, on a toast, in a sandwich, wrap, or as a starter on cucumber slices. You can use this vegan tofu egg salad just like regular egg salad.
Note: If you want a more yellow vegan egg salad, you can add up to 1 teaspoon turmeric in total before it changes the taste of the dish. If you want it with less sodium, add only one pinch of salt.
Tips
- Black salt: as I have already mentioned, black salt (Kala Namak) is what makes this salad really taste like a real egg salad. I put this ingredient as optional because not everyone has this in their kitchen and because this tofu egg salad still tastes really good without it, and some people might actually prefer it without that eggy taste. If you love an eggy egg salad get yourself some black salt and you won't regret it.
- A little Kala Namak at a time: black salt has a pungent smell and can be overpowering if you add too much of it, especially if you just bought it. So add a tiny bit at a time and add more if you need to.
Serving suggestions
We are big fans of tofu in our family! It's a wonderful protein for an easy dinner, and fun to use in vegan appetizers. It's a delightful starter on a slice of bread, or cracker, on top of sliced cucumber, and with chopped green onions on top. You can also:
- Serve as a salad: by making this easy tomato-cucumber salad, just add a couple of servings of vegan egg salad on top.
- Serve as a healthy lunch in a wrap: for example, this Italian flatbread is perfect for wrapping the egg salad. It's even meal-prep friendly and brilliant as a lunch box recipe.
Get Ahead
This recipe is perfect to make ahead as it keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days, so you can make a batch and use it for sandwiches, wraps, and so on.
The one tip I'd give you if you make this with the intention of keeping it for a few days is to press the tofu a little longer to remove more of its moisture. As the salad sits in the refrigerator, it can get a little water if the tofu has a lot of water in it.
Questions
Yes. You can eat raw tofu straight out of the package, however, tofu has a neutral, bland taste on its own so it is advisable to either use a dressing or cook it to make it more flavorful.
Yes. Tofu egg salad is gluten-free because none of the ingredients contains gluten. However, if you are allergic to gluten, make sure to read the label of each ingredient that you're using to be 100% sure.
Also, if you make a sandwich with it, make sure to use gluten-free bread.
To scale this recipe up you can simply double or triple all ingredients. In this case, use a large bowl to combine the mixture. To scale this recipe down, you can simply divide everything by half.
Variations
Curry Tofu Egg Salad: this one is our favorite variation of a tofu egg salad. All you need to do is to add ½ teaspoon of curry powder (add 1 teaspoon if you really like curry) to the dressing and you've got a delicious oriental-tasting vegan egg salad with curry.
Vegan Egg Salad with Chickpeas: to make a vegan chickpea egg salad you can replace tofu with canned chickpeas. All you have to do is to drain and rinse a can of chickpeas. Then put them in a bowl and mash them with a fork till you have kind of a chickpea mash. Not too fine. Now mix in the vegan salad dressing, stir, and you are done.
Tofu Egg Salad No-Mayo: there are two ways to make a vegan egg salad without mayonnaise. One is to use a dairy-free yogurt. This method is also low fat. The other is to use ripe mashed avocado. If you use avocado, I would not add Kala Namak and Mustard to the dressing. Both ways are very healthy, nutritious, and creamy.
Similar recipes
If you enjoyed this vegan egg salad, have a look at our other easy tofu recipes:
- Vegan tuna salad
- Pan-fried mushroom tofu
- Lemon tofu
- Tofu cream cheese
- Tofu in pizzaiola sauce
- Scrambled tofu
- Spinach tofu pesto
- Tofu salad
- Baked juicy tofu
- Vegan potato salad
- Easy rice salad
What is your favorite way of eating tofu? We're curious, let us know in the comments below.
Storage
Store this tofu egg salad in a bowl in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, ideally covered with a lid or with a plate. Do not freeze, as this changes the texture of the tofu.
For many more tofu ideas, check out our tofu category page.
Recipe
Vegan Tofu Egg Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup vegan mayo
- ¼ cup celery finely chopped
- 2 tablespoon dill finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons chives finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- ½ tablespoon mustard Dijon or yellow
- 1 small garlic clove finely grated
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 twists black pepper freshly ground
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ¼ teaspoon black salt (kala namak) optional but recommended to get that eggy taste
- 8 to 10 ounces tofu firm or extra firm
Serving Suggestion for Tofu Salad Sandwich
- 8 slices sandwich bread
- 4 radishes
- 8 leaves lettuce
Instructions
- To a medium mixing bowl add all ingredients except the tofu: vegan mayo, finely chopped celery, finely chopped dill, finely chopped chives, apple cider vinegar, mustard, a finely grated garlic clove, salt, black pepper, turmeric powder, and black salt or Kala Namak for an eggy taste.
- Stir with a spoon till the ingredients are well combined.
- Drain and pat dry the tofu with a paper towel. Then with another paper towel apply some pressure on top of the tofu to remove some of its moisture. Do this a couple of times, turning the tofu upside down once.Cut the tofu into small dice (¼ inch, 0.6 cm).
- Transfer the tofu into the mixing bowl with the dressing. While you do so, crumble some of it, as if to make it look like crumbled egg yolk.
- Mix the tofu with the dressing until well combined, then serve in a bowl, on a toast, in a sandwich, or as a starter on cucumber slices. You can use this vegan tofu egg salad just like regular egg salad.
Video Recipe
Notes
Nutritional Values
You might also like:
Elena
I’m obsessed with your recipes. You make them so clean, easy and fun. I can’t wait to start incorporating all of these recipes. I just love them all!!!
Nico
Hi Elena, oh you're very kind - you made my day! Thanks so much for your feedback, and happy cooking! Cheers, Nico