Vegan Egg Salad: An Egg-free Alternative
You know, being a vegan is really not as difficult as it sounds. Most people get all distracted with the idea of giving up meat, eggs, milk and cheese. OK, when you say it like that it can sound a little over the top, especially for people who are used to eating these things. But once you get past that, you discover all the delicious, clean ingredients you can cook with and you’re hooked. For example, today’s recipe for Vegan Egg Salad is a great example. If you’re nervous about trying tofu, don’t be. Check out my Tofu Buying Guide for additional information.
As you may already know by now, I have a thing for vegan sandwiches. There’s my Vegan Chickpea Tuna Salad Sandwich. This is one of my favorites and I make it day in and day out. I also have a Vegan Sweet Potato Veggie Burger sandwich. Should I go on? 🙂
I had someone ask me once why a lot of vegan recipes mimic recipes from the more traditional American diet. It’s a good question. My answer?
Because we can!
And most vegans grew up eating the standard American diet, so we enjoy recreating those recipes from our childhood. We get all the enjoyment of these comfort foods without the guilt!
Besides, there’s not only one way to eat a vegan diet, if you ask me. That’s why I wrote a post on 10 Ways to Be Vegan. If you’re intimidated by the idea of going whole hog vegan (that just sounds terrible, I know), then you might find an alternative that works for you.
We first found a recipe for Eggless Egg Salad in the book, How it all Vegan! by Tanya Barnard and Sarah Kramer. We, of course, adapted it for our own tastes and it resulted in the recipe below.
Shawn knows I have trouble following recipes. I just love improvising!
Why You’ll Love this Vegan Egg Salad
The main ingredient is tofu. Does that scare you a little? I couldn’t even pronounce tofu when I first went into the store to buy some. Now I use it all the time. So, if you’re thinking tofu is outside your comfort zone, just hang with me here a minute. Give me a chance to convince you how great it is!
The beautiful thing about tofu is that it takes on the flavor of the things its cooked with. In this recipe, the tofu is replacing the egg and the final product is a sandwich that is quite reminiscent of egg salad sandwiches…without the gas! (Uh-oh. Maybe that was just a personal problem). I know you can take beano to help, but this recipe avoids the need for that!
We loved this recipe so much we made a video for you!
Besides, tofu has a lot of amazing health benefits. Tofu is loaded with calcium, protein, selenium and even some Omega 3 Fats! Check out the link to see some of the other phytonutrients found in tofu.
We hope you love this Eggless Egg Salad as much as we do. If you make it, take a photo and share it with us using #namelymarly on Instagram or Twitter. We love seeing your photos!
- 14 oz pkg extra firm tofu drained & mashed
- ½ cup egg-free mayo
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tablespoons chopped green onions
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¾ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon thyme
- 1 ½ tablespoon yellow mustard
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Drain the tofu by taking it out of the container and covering both the top and bottom of the tofu with a clean absorbent towel (a dish towel works fine or you can use paper towels too). Press on the top of the tofu or set something heavy to help speed up the process of removing the excess liquid. (This is a lot easier than boiling eggs if you ask me!)
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Use your hands to crumble the tofu into small bits into a lidded bowl.
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Combine the remaining ingredients in a bowl. Stir to combine.
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Pour the mustard mixture in with the crumbled tofu. Stir to combine. Chill before serving to let the seasonings settle in.
* Use a gluten-free bun to make this sandwich gluten-free Note: This recipe was adapted to read "egg-free" mayo. You can find several varieties of egg-free mayo, like Just Mayo, Earth Balance, and others in the health food section of your grocery store. Just Mayo is sold in Target and Walmart as well.
Enjoy!
Jeanne
This sounds so delicious! I am always amazed at how versatile tofu is. I don’t use it very often, but I really should start experimenting with it. Thanks for the inspiration!
Marly
I was a little nervous about it before I started using it too. But it really is fairly easy to work with. Let me know how it goes!
Stella
Hey Marly, I love egg salad, but I’m really trying to eat less and less animal product. This version sounds really great. I don’t normally recommend things unless one asks, b/c I think it’s obnoxious (smile). But have you tried your exact mix above but with partially mashed (still a bit chunky) chick peas as the protein-yummerz it is!
I going to try it your way when Cauldron Boy is back in town later this week…
Marly
I love the idea of trying chick peas! I have used chick peas in other recipes too. Believe it or not, I use it to make gravy. It is yummy! I’ll have to post that recipe too. We have a fresh batch of this eggless egg salad so I’ll have to try the chick peas next time. Thanks for the idea. Let me know what Cauldron Boy thinks!
Matea
It’s amazing how many different ways you can use tofu! I typically only use it for stir-fries, but now I see I’ve been underestimating it’s ability 🙂 Can’t wait to try this!
Adam Bennett
Tofu and eggs, amazing combination 🙂 You gave me great new idea for lunch. Thank you
Bethany
For a vegan sandwich it looks pretty delicious!
Smol Egg
It’s not very eggless if it contains mayo….
Smol Egg
Also, all mayo is dairy-free. It’s made from oil, egg-yolks and vinegar.
Marly
You raise a great point, Smol. I’ve been in so many situations where they refer to dairy as both milk and eggs, but technically speaking, eggs are not in the dairy camp. The recipe has been edited to note this. Thanks for your comment!
Marly
Well, since we’re getting technical, the very first mayo wasn’t actually made with eggs, but I know most people today assume mayo has some form of eggs in it. However, now there are several varieties of eggless mayo on the market, including Just Mayo and others. I understand Hellman’s may even be working on an egg-free version of Mayo as well!
Michael Powers
I live in knoxville, and have just recently become vegantarian, as we call it, and actually tried this stuff at 3 rivers market, and was blown away, so i saw this and immediately whipped up a bowl, and OMG, out of this world! Great job!
Marly
This is great, Michael! So glad you like this recipe. I’ve been to Knoxville. One year I took my daughter to space camp in Huntsville, AL and decided to drive around during the week. I stayed a night or two in Knoxville. It’s a great place. So scenic! Michael, I have a recipe coming up you’re gonna love. I’m making a vegan deviled ham spread. It’s SOOO good. We should have it up on the site soon.
Donna Manierre
Could you add a little Kala Namak?
Marly
Absolutely! In case others are curious, Kala Namak is also referred to as black salt. I find it has a very strong salty flavor so add only a little, but it does add a nice eggy flavor!
Stacey
This is amazing. My favorite Eggless Egg Salad recipe to date! Thank you.
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Jamie
Hellman’s now has a Vegan Mayo – and it’s delicious! Going to use it to make this egg salad recipe later.
Marly
Yeah to Hellman’s! We tried it and it was pretty good. Between you and me, I still like Just Mayo better, but Hellman’s Vegan is pretty, pretty good! 🙂
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