Tofu Egg Salad
Tofu Egg Salad is packed with plant based protein and veggies and is the perfect sandwich filling or topping for chopped salad or crackers. This plant based egg salad quick to make and super flavorful with great egg-like texture and crunch from the fresh veggies.
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I’ve made a lot of classic deli-type salads in the whole food plant based style, so when I became obsessed with tofu egg salad recently, I decided I had to add it to my growing collection!
Some of my favorites include: Oil-Free Pasta Salad, Whole Food Plant Based Potato Salad, Healthy Chickpea Tuna Salad, and my Healthy Plant Based Broccoli Salad. I’m also working on a Chimichurri Potato Salad (coming soon)!
But let’s talk about this amazing Tofu Egg Salad. It’s creamy and it really does have an egg-like flavor, though that’s easily omitted if you’re not a huge fan of the flavor of eggs (I never liked them before going vegan, so I often make them more mild in egg-flavor).
And this tofu egg salad is so versatile!
It’s great on bread like Ezekiel sprouted whole grain bread, or I really enjoy it on my High Protein Bagels! You can also spread it (or use it as a dip) on oil-free crackers, such as Mary’s Gone Crackers, Wasa Light Rye Crispbread, brown rice crackers, or rice cakes.
But maybe my favorite way to enjoy it is to load it on top of chopped romaine lettuce hearts (for crunch!), and then add fresh chopped grape tomatoes, scallions, and a little garlic sauerkraut (it’s good but feel free to skip if it weirds you out!)! I swear it’s so good, and you can call it a Tofu Egg Salad Salad because it’s salad on salad!
Okay, I’m done being a dork (not really).
This particular tofu egg salad is loaded with veggies, but you can definitely reduce or omit them if you want it to be a bit softer or to enhance the egg like texture.
Ingredients
See the recipe card below for the full ingredients list (with amounts) and instructions.
- Extra Firm Tofu: Firm tofu will also work! Try to buy organic non-GMO tofu. You do not need to press the tofu for this recipe; only drain it. Silken tofu is a little too wet for this recipe.
- Plain Unsweetened Vegan Yogurt or Tofu Mayo: This is to make our plant based egg salad creamy without adding vegan mayo (store bought vegan mayo is high in fat from oil). You can use Tofu Sour Cream or Tofu Mayo, or use my Tofu Cream Cheese (works very well). Plain unsweetened vegan yogurt works well (you can even use my homemade Instant Pot Soy Yogurt!). Just don’t accidentally use the vanilla flavor! See substitutions below for a quick tofu cream that will work as well.
- Lemon Juice: This brightens and adds an acidic component to the the flavor profile. If you don’t have fresh lemon juice, I really love the taste of this Italian Volcano Bottled Lemon Juice.
- Dijon Mustard: This is a must in vegan egg salad for me! It adds a little much-needed zing to the flavor profile.
- Nutritional Yeast: This does NOT make the tofu egg salad taste cheesy. It adds a savory and delicious flavor that I can’t quite describe. Don’t leave it out unless you can’t have it!
- Spices: I use granulated onion, granulated garlic, ground turmeric, fresh cracked pepper, salt. If not using salt, 2 teaspoons of white miso paste dissolved in 1-2 tablespoons warm water works VERY well in this recipe. And finally a tiny pinch of black salt (aka kala namak) gives this tofu egg salad an egg-like flavor. I also like to add dried dill in this plant based egg salad!
- Veggies: I like to add celery, bell pepper (orange, red, or yellow), and red onion (or use green onions for less spiciness) to my tofu egg salad. See substitutions section below for other options.
Substitutions
- Tofu: I’m assuming that because you are on a tofu egg salad recipe, you can have tofu. I often buy this fava bean tofu (marketed as Soy-Free Tofu) that I think would work well in this recipe, if you’d like to try it. Otherwise, the best types of tofu for this recipe are extra firm tofu and firm tofu. Soft tofu should also work, but I’m not sure if silken tofu works.
- Plain Unsweetened Vegan Yogurt or Tofu Mayo: If you’re making this recipe quickly and don’t have much on hand, there’s a few quick things you can whip up in the blender to use in place of this ingredient. Try blending up silken tofu by itself (or with a little salt and lemon juice). Or you can blend up raw cashews or raw sunflower seeds with a splash of water (you may want to soak these in boiling water for a bit to make the blend smoother). Blending up white beans with a little water is also a good option. You can even just use tahini in a pinch! It will affect the flavor, but I’ve used it before and find it to be a pleasant addition.
- Lemon Juice: Apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar can work in a pinch, but lemon juice is better in this recipe in my opinion.
- Dijon Mustard: I know some people use yellow mustard in classic egg salad, but I personally don’t like that kind of mustard and I can’t see it working. Feel free to use it if that’s what you prefer!
- Nutritional Yeast: I feel this adds a lot to the flavor of the tofu egg salad, but if you can’t eat it, just leave it out.
- Spices: Feel free to experiment with the spices and use the amounts you enjoy.
- Veggies: The red onion definitely gives it a hefty bite, so if you do not like raw red onion, you can use chopped green onions, finely diced sweet onion, or simply leave it out. You can always add a little bit more granulated onion too! You can use any other raw veggies that you like here. Grated carrot might be nice! And if you like spicy veggies, try very finely chopped radish.
How to Make Tofu Egg Salad
Watch me make this recipe or follow the step-by-step instructions below.
- Prepare Tofu Egg: Drain the excess water from the package of tofu and use clean hands to crumble it into a large bowl. You can use a fork or spatula to do this, but I honestly find it faster and much more effective to use my hands. I like to leave some chunks slightly larger than a cherry tomato to mimic traditional egg salad, but any huge chunks will get broken up when we stir in the other ingredients anyway.
- Add Wet Ingredients and Spices: Add the tofu mayo or plain vegan yogurt, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, nutritional yeast, and spices except dill. Mix well (with an implement you don’t mind potentially getting stained from the turmeric, though I’ve had luck sun “bleaching” these out on the deck!) until the mixture becomes light yellow and no specks of spices remain.
- Add Veggies and Dill: Add the veggies and dill to the bowl and stir the vegan salad once again. If you want the mixture to be even more cohesive, you can add more tofu mayo or plain vegan yogurt. I really enjoy it as is, so that’s why I wrote the recipe as I did.
- Chill and/or Serve: This plant based egg salad can be enjoyed right away or chilled ahead of time. You can use it as a spread on a sandwich, on crackers, or serve on top of bed of crunchy lettuce and top with chopped tomatoes for a tofu egg salad… salad (my favorite way to eat it!). Enjoy!
- Store: Refrigerate leftover tofu egg salad in an airtight container for up to 4-5 days.
Serving Suggestions
As I mentioned above, my favorite way to eat tofu egg salad is as part of a larger salad. Mine usually contains 1-2 romaine lettuce hearts chopped up, quartered grape tomatoes (or cherry tomatoes), fresh chopped green onions, and garlic sauerkraut. Sometimes I add a little Simply Lemon California Balsamic Vinegar (not sponsored, just love them!) and more fresh cracked pepper too.
Another way I love to serve this vegan egg salad is on top of my High Protein Bagels. Paul also enjoys the salad on top of toasted Dave’s Killer Bread, and Ezekiel Sprouted Whole Grain Bread is also a great option.
You could use the tofu egg salad as a dip or spread on crackers as well. My favorite crackers include Mary’s Gone Crackers, Brown Rice Crackers, Wasa Light Rye Crispbread, and rice cakes.
More Great Plant Based Recipes to Try
- Kale Salad with Blueberries and Grapes
- Oil-Free Pasta Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Pizza Flavored Savory Oats
- Whole Food Plant Based Potato Salad
- Golden Beet Beans and Greens
- Healthy Chickpea Tuna Salad
- Butter Bean Scramble
- Kale Sweet Potato Salad
Tofu Egg Salad
Equipment
- 1 Spatula (you don't mind getting stained potentially, though I've had luck sun-bleaching mine!)
Ingredients
- 16 Ounces Extra Firm Tofu, drained (Firm Tofu also works well)
- ¼ Cup Plain Unsweetened Plant Based Yogurt, or Tofu Mayo (see Notes below for substitutions)
- 1-2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice, to taste
- 2 Teaspoons Dijon Mustard
- ¼ Cup Nutritional Yeast
- ½ Teaspoon Granulated Onion
- ½ Teaspoon Granulated Garlic
- ½ Teaspoon Salt, to taste, (see Notes for substitution)
- ½ Teaspoon Ground Turmeric,
- ¼ Teaspoon Fresh Cracked Pepper, to taste
- Tiny Pinch Black Salt, AKA kala namak (less than 1/8 teaspoon)
- 2-3 Ribs Celery finely chopped, to taste
- 1 Medium Red, Orange, or Yellow Bell Pepper, diced
- ½ Small Red Onion, finely diced or used fresh chopped green onions for less spice
- 1 Teaspoon Dried Dill, optional (can also use 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill instead)
Instructions
- Prepare Tofu Egg: Drain the excess water from the package of tofu and use clean hands to crumble it into a large bowl. You can use a fork or spatula to do this, but I honestly find it faster and much more effective to use my hands. I like to leave some chunks slightly larger than a cherry tomato to mimic traditional egg salad, but any huge chunks will get broken up when we stir in the other ingredients anyway.
- Add Wet Ingredients and Spices: Add the tofu mayo or plain vegan yogurt, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, nutritional yeast, and spices except dill. Mix well (with an implement you don't mind potentially getting stained from the turmeric, though I've had luck sun "bleaching" these out on the deck!) until the mixture becomes light yellow and no specks of spices remain.
- Add Veggies and Dill: Add the veggies and dill to the bowl and stir the vegan salad once again. If you want the mixture to be even more cohesive, you can add more tofu mayo or plain vegan yogurt. I really enjoy it as is, so that's why I wrote the recipe as I did.
- Chill and/or Serve: This plant based egg salad can be enjoyed right away or chilled ahead of time. You can use it as a spread on a sandwich, on crackers, or serve on top of bed of crunchy lettuce and top with chopped tomatoes for a tofu egg salad… salad (my favorite way to eat it!). Enjoy!
- Store: Refrigerate leftover tofu egg salad in an airtight container for up to 4-5 days.
Video
Notes
- Extra Firm Tofu: Firm tofu will also work! Try to buy organic non-GMO tofu. You do not need to press the tofu for this recipe; only drain it. Silken tofu is a little too wet for this recipe.
- Plain Unsweetened Vegan Yogurt or Tofu Mayo: This is to make our plant based egg salad creamy without adding vegan mayo (store bought vegan mayo is high in calories and fat from the oil). You can use Tofu Sour Cream or Tofu Mayo for this recipe, or use my Tofu Cream Cheese (works very well). Plain unsweetened vegan yogurt works well (you can even use my homemade Instant Pot Soy Yogurt!), just don’t accidentally use the vanilla flavor! If you’re making this recipe quickly and don’t have much on hand, there’s a few quick things you can whip up in the blender to use in place of this ingredient. Try blending up silken tofu by itself (or with a little salt and lemon juice). Or you can blend up raw cashews or raw sunflower seeds with a splash of water (you may want to soak these in boiling water for a bit to make the blend smoother). Blending up white beans with a little water is also a good option. You can even just use tahini in a pinch! It will affect the flavor, but I’ve used it before and find it to be a pleasant addition.
- Dijon Mustard: I know some people use yellow mustard in classic egg salad, but I personally don’t like that kind of mustard and I can’t see it working. Feel free to use it if that’s what you prefer!
- Nutritional Yeast: This does NOT make the tofu egg salad taste cheesy, it adds a savory and delicious flavor that I can’t quite describe. Don’t leave it out unless you can’t have it!
- Salt: I have added a little bit of salt back into my diet to optimize my blood pressure readings and personally have seen success with it. If you are avoiding salt, this recipe works VERY well with miso paste as I have made it many times with that instead of salt. Simply dissolve 2 teaspoons white miso paste (or however much you like) into 2 tablespoons of warm water and add when you add the liquids to the tofu egg salad. You can of course also use any salt substitute you like, such as a potassium chloride salt substitute or, what was one of my favorites before using salt again, Benson’s Table Tasty.
- Black Salt: This ingredient is what makes it taste like eggs and it is VERY strong. Use only a tiny pinch (I filled my ¼ teaspoon maybe a quarter full or less!). If you do not like the taste of eggs (or are sensitive to sulphur smells), you can just omit this ingredient. I rarely use it, honestly, since I never really liked the taste of eggs and am sensitive to strong smells.
