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.
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.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 cupCalories: 141kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 15gFat: 5gSodium: 428mgPotassium: 468mgFiber: 5gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 11IUVitamin C: 44mgCalcium: 197mgIron: 3mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!