Tofu Egg Salad

Louise and I have made this vegan egg salad recipe more times than we can count. It’s one of our go-to lunches at home. It’s our simple, tasty twist on the traditional egg salad, but made with tofu instead.

We’ve cooked with tofu for years, and it’s one of our favorite ingredients (you’ll find it in a lot of our recipes, including our 50 easy tofu dishes).

In this salad, tofu takes center stage. It has a soft, eggy texture, and when you cut or crumble it just right, it looks a lot like chopped boiled eggs.

Tofu doesn’t have much flavor on its own—that’s what makes it so fun to cook with. We mix it with a creamy, flavorful dressing made with mustard, garlic, fresh dill, chives, and a splash of vinegar.

The result? A rich and zesty egg-free salad that’s perfect for sandwiches, wraps, or just eating by the spoonful.

This recipe is not only delicious but also super healthy. Tofu is full of plant protein, so it keeps you full and energized. Plus, it has no cholesterol and almost no saturated fat.

For more fun egg-free ideas try our vegan frittata, chickpea muffins, and even vegan pancakes!

Quantities are in the recipe box at the bottom of the page.

• Firm tofu: Replaces eggs with a similar texture and plant-based protein. Use firm or medium-firm tofu. Extra-firm is okay if you like a chewier bite. Avoid soft or silken tofu—it won’t hold together.

• Vegan mayonnaise: Store-bought or homemade (try our easy 5-minute vegan mayo). Optional: Add 1 tbsp tahini for extra creaminess and umami.

• Mustard: Adds a rich, savory, eggy flavor. Use yellow, American, or Dijon mustard.

• Celery: Finely chopped for crunch and freshness to balance the creamy dressing.

• Fresh dill & chives: Adds herby flavor and aroma. Substitute parsley for dill if needed, or use ½ tsp dried herbs to start.

• Garlic: Finely grated fresh garlic boosts flavor. Or use red/green onion, garlic powder, or onion powder (start with 1 tsp).

• Vinegar: Apple cider vinegar works best. Sub with white vinegar or lemon juice for tang.

• Turmeric: For that classic yellow egg salad color—mild in flavor, rich in antioxidants.

• Salt & black pepper: Season to taste. Pepper also helps your body absorb turmeric’s benefits.

• Kala Namak (optional): Also called black salt, it adds a sulfurous “eggy” flavor. Great for authenticity, but still tasty without. A small jar lasts years—store in an airtight container.

US cups + grams measurements in the recipe box at the bottom of the page.

To a mixing bowl, add all ingredients except the tofu: vegan mayo, finely chopped celery, finely chopped dill, 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 until 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.

Cut the tofu into small dice (¼ inch, 0.6 cm). It doesn’t have to be perfectly cut.

Transfer the tofu to the mixing bowl with the dressing.

While you do so, crumble some of it with the tip of your fingers to make it look like crumbled egg yolk.

Mix the tofu with the dressing until well combined. Taste and adjust for salt and acidity.

You can use vegan egg salad like you’d serve a classic egg salad.

It’s a meal-prep-friendly recipe, brilliant as a lunch box idea.

For example, have it as part of a quick and healthy breakfast or lunch with lettuce leaves, on toast, in a sandwich with some relish, or a wrap.

You can also have it as a starter on canapés, crackers, or cucumber slices.

• Tofu egg salad (no mayo): There are two ways to make a vegan egg salad without mayonnaise. One is to use dairy-free yogurt. This method is also low in fat.
  The other is to use ripe mashed avocado. I would not add Kala Namak and Mustard to the dressing if you use avocado. Both ways are very healthy, nutritious, and creamy.

• Curry tofu egg salad: This one is our favorite variation of a tofu egg salad. Add 1/2 teaspoon of curry powder (add 1 tsp if you like the curry flavor) to the dressing, and you’ve got a delicious oriental-tasting vegan egg salad with curry.

• Chickpea egg salad: 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 until you have a chickpea mash. Not too fine. Mix in the vegan salad dressing, stir, and you are done.

Make ahead: This recipe is perfect for meal prep as it keeps well in the fridge for up to 3 days, so you can make a batch and use it as needed.

If you make this with the intention of keeping it for a few days, the one tip we’d give you is to press the tofu a little longer to remove more of its moisture. As the salad sits in the refrigerator, it can get soggy if the tofu has a lot of water.

Refrigerator: Store tofu egg salad in a bowl or an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. We don’t recommend freezing this as the salad can get watery as it thaws.

More Creamy Salads

Get more creamy and lunch-friendly salad inspiration. You can make all with vegan mayo or regular mayo:

• Coleslaw
• Vegan chickpea tuna
• Vegan potato salad
• Curry chickpea salad
• Broccoli salad
• Dill potato salad
• Creamy pasta salad

If you tried this tofu egg salad or any other recipe on our blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let us know how it goes in the comments. We love hearing from you!