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This Vegan Egg Salad is the best, thanks to 2 secret tricks! Full of plant-protein, it’s a great breakfast or lunch recipe.
Do you like Egg Salad? I would guess that you do, since you’re reading this blog post.
I loved Egg Salad as a kid, and would pack it for lunch frequently (much to my classmates’ chagrin). I can’t say that I’ve regularly missed it since I went Vegan, simply because I found new foods to try and enjoy! However, recently I had a hankering for an Egg Salad Sandwich. I whipped up this easy plant-based version for myself and it was so good that I knew I had to share with you all too!
Now, let’s be real here. There are a LOT of tofu-based copycat Egg Salads out there on the internet. However, I’m still convinced that mine is the BEST. I didn’t want to make something that just looked like Egg Salad, I wanted something that actually tasted like it too.
I did some research, recalled those countless Egg Salad Sandwiches of my childhood, and experimented in the kitchen until I was completely and totally satisfied.
The Texture Issue
Tofu can be a great substitute for Egg Salad. However, not all Tofu is created equal! I *literally* sat in my kitchen with a spoon and sampled several different types of plain tofu. Not the most fun I’ve ever had in my life, but I did learn that Medium-Firm Tofu has the best egg-like consistency.
Silken Tofu is too soft, and Firm tofu is just too dense, almost “mealy”. After pressing my Tofu I decided to roughly chop it, instead of crumbling it. Normal Egg Salad is not crumbly — so this Vegan version shall not be either!
The Taste Issue
While Tofu + Vegan Mayo + Turmeric looks like Egg Salad, it just tastes like…Tofu, Mayo, and Turmeric. No surprises there!
The secret to making Vegan Egg Salad taste like the real dang deal is to use Black Salt. Also known as Kala Namak, this rock salt is often used in Southern Asian cooking and has a sulfur-like taste to it. Which, if you didn’t know, tastes almost exactly like Hard Boiled Eggs. I purchased a bag of Black Salt online for a pretty affordable price, but you may be able to find it at specialty grocery stores as well.
Side Note: Don’t ask me why it’s not actually Black…because I have no idea.
Combining the Black Salt with a variation of my homemade Vegan Mayo creates a Egg-like, Mayo-like “dressing” that takes this Vegan Egg Salad recipe to the next level. Plus, my Mayo is also Oil and Refined Sugar-Free!
You can serve this Egg Salad however you’d like; I enjoyed it most over toast and a bed of greens, but you can’t go wrong with a classic sandwich either! If you’re feeling extra fancy you can also add in some finely diced Celery or Red Onion to the mixture, for an extra crunch.
A Few Final Thoughts:
- If you have a Nut Allergy, please see the recipe notes. You can substitute a portion of the dressing ingredients with store-bought (nut-free) Mayo instead!
- Kala Namak (or Black Salt) is significantly less salty than traditional Table Salt. Please taste the recipe as you go, but do not be alarmed with the amount of Salt. Similarly, if you are using Table Salt instead of Black Salt, please see the recipe notes.
If you like this recipe, you’ll also love this Easy Vegan Quiche and these Chickpea Salad Sandwiches!
Finally, if you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @FromMyBowl + #FromMyBowl! I love seeing your delicious recreations 🙂
PrintThe BEST Vegan “Egg” Salad
This Vegan Egg Salad is the best, thanks to 2 secret tricks! Full of plant-protein, it’s a great breakfast or lunch recipe.
- Prep Time: 20 Minutes
- Cook Time: 0 Minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4-5 Servings 1x
- Category: Entree
- Method: No Bake
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 2 blocks Medium-Firm Tofu, pressed*
- 1 cup Cashews, soaked for at least 4 hours
- ½ tsp Nutritional Yeast
- 1 tsp Lemon Juice
- 2 tsp Dijon Mustard
- 1 tsp Distilled White Vinegar
- 1 tbsp Fresh Chives, chopped
- 1 ½ tsp Kala Namak (Black Salt)*
- ¼ cup Filtered Water
- Black Pepper, to taste
- ¼ tsp Turmeric (Optional, for color)
Instructions
- Remove the Tofu from its package and press for 10-15 minutes. Then, the Tofu to a clean, dry towel and wrap it up while you prepare the “dressing.”
- To make the Mayo “dressing”, add all of the remaining ingredients, except for the Chives, to a high-speed blender and process until thick and creamy.
- Uncover the Tofu and use a knife to roughly chop it; I cut mine into thin strips, then on random diagonals to make a variety of chunks. Gently press another clean towel on top of the chopped Tofu to remove any excess moisture, then transfer to a bowl. Add in the Chives and dressing, and fold until well incorporated.
- Add more Black Salt and Pepper to taste, then serve as desired. Refrigerate leftovers for up to 7 days; this recipe will not freeze well.
Notes
- If you are not familiar with pressing Tofu, see this tutorial here.
- For a Nut Free Version, substitute the Cashews for store-bought Vegan Mayo. Instead of the “dressing” above, simply blend 1 1/2 cup Vegan Mayo with 1 tsp Dijon Mustard and 1/2 tsp Kala Namak Salt.
- If you are not using Black Salt in this recipe, start with 1/2 tsp of Fine Salt and add from there.
- If you’d like to add some crunch to this recipe, add ¼ cup finely diced Celery or Red Onion!
Want to save this Vegan Egg Salad for later? Pin the recipe to your Pinterest boards:
Awesome recipe! I didn’t really like eggs, but I think I am going to try this one. 🙂 If I leave out kala namak, will it taste different? Anyway, I love your blog and instagram, you are so talented! 🙂
I also shared your recipe on my blog! 🙂
It won’t taste as eggy, which you may prefer! 🙂
What size tofu blocks are you using?
Standard 14 oz tofu blocks!
This was absolutely delicious and so easy. I went with the vegan mayo because I had some and I’m lazy, but it still came out amazing. Thank you so much. This will definitely be one of my go-to dishes when I want something fast and delicious.
Love hearing that it’s getting added as your go to, thanks!
Being familiar with black salt, the moment I read your recipe I knew you had the perfect recipe. Genius. Deliciously genius!
It works so perfect, doesn’t it? Thank you!
I just made this for our annual company picnic. Holy crap it is amazing! I can’t wait to see what others think of it on Sunday!
Yay! I hope everyone enjoys it – thanks Suz!
Absolutely delicious! Used onion instead of chives and Helmans vegan mayo instead of cashews. It was delicious! Only problem is our RV smells gross now! Haha!
Haha! The black salt definitely has an odor, that’s for sure!
This is the best vegan ‘egg’ salad I have had! Thanks for the recipe.
You’re very welcome, Carla!
I really am speechless. I used to LOVE egg salad and haven’t eaten it in over a year now. I was craving it really badly yesterday and knew you had a recipe that I honestly had been hesitant to try because I’m always nervous about vegan “egg” recipes.
I only had one block of tofu and it was a little softer but I supplemented for a second block with mashed chickpeas instead and used store bought vegan mayo because I dont have any cashews on hand right now and I am still blown away. My boyfriend and I both loved it so much and this is bound to be a new staple for us. Thank you so much!!
That’s awesome to hear! Thanks for the review Selina 🙂
Where did you get the bread from?
From my local grocery store!
This was great. Thank you.
You’re welcome!
I’ve tried this recipe 10 times by now… and I love it! Thank you soooooo much! My personal small observation is that the salad tastes even better when kept in the fridge overnight 🙂
Yes, I agree! Thanks for the review, Dag!
WOWOWOW! I just made this and I am so shooked how it taste and smells like egg! Thank you!
You’re welcome! 🙂
This recipe is amazing! Tastes like the real thing. I added finely diced celery and carrot for a little crunch. Delish! ???? Thanks for a great recipe. My husband already asked me to mak it again.
Yum! I’m glad you both enjoyed it 🙂
Just tried it for the first time it was amazing… I took a risk because I didn’t really ever liked the egg salad ( don’t like the taste of eggs) but I loved this one!!! Thank you so much , definitely top choice for easy lunch on the go from now on…
Perfect! Thanks for the review, Maria 🙂
Best egg salad I have ever tasted!
Thanks, Judy!
Just made this, and OMG IT IS ONE OF THE BEST THINGS IVE EATEN.
I am definitely going to make this all the time!
I tried to blend the sauce in my big vitamix which didn’t work because there wasn’t enough so I added in a bit of the tofu and it worked. I also used green onions instead of chives. I only had one block of medium tofu so I used one block of extra firm as well. Still delicious but I prefer the smooth, more egg like texture of the medium tofu.
Anyways, thanks so much for bringing this recipe into my life!
You’re very welcome, Yani!
Great idea Yani – to add tofu to the sauce because I was having a hard time blending the cashew sauce as well. There was not enough of the sauce for the Vitamix to adequately blend. What do you do Caitlin?
I use a smaller “bullet” style blender for this recipe!
Haven’t ever used tofu, but don’t you have to cook it
No, it can be eaten as-is from the store
This is a great recipe! You can really do ANYTHING with tofu. While I am not normally a huge egg salad person, I would love to try this dish. Nutritional yeast and black salt, of course, are the best flavor enhancers for a vegan kitchen too!
I think you made a spelling error on your click on links for cashews…you put cashes..
Thanks for letting me know! Just updated the post 🙂
If you do not have cashews i can give you a tip to use caneolli beans or White beans instead. Works Great!
Curious what other recipes you use black salt with?
Hi, Holli! I like to use Black Salt wherever there is a savory “egg” component – tofu scramble, hollandaise sauce, pad thai, quiches, etc! The trick is to add the salt at the end of the cooking process, as some of the flavor is lost once heated
For a new vegan, would you be so kind as to clarify what size a “block” of tofu is? Trader Joe’s comes in a 32 oz whole block in a package and Whole Foods comes in two 16 oz blocks in one package.
A block of tofu is just that package of the 16 oz!
Thank you for that. I made the egg salad and it’s so delicious. My husband refused to taste it at first, and then I convinced him to try it and he was so impressed that it tastes exactly like egg salad. Caught him snacking on it when I wasn’t home. It’s really amazing.
Love it! Glad you were able to get him to try it!
Your recipe calls for 2 blocks of tofu. I see tofu in 19 oz blocks, 16 oz. blocks and 2 blocks to a 16 oz. package. How much tofu should I use? A measurement in ounces mwould be helpful min this recipe.
I would like to know this as well.