This Vegan Egg Salad is made with firm tofu, cashews, and kala namak to get an extra eggy taste without the actual egg! Serve it with a piece of sourdough or some chips for an easy lunch.
I first made this recipe as part of a Gilmore Girls cookbook club, as a homage to Mrs. Kim’s eggless egg salad.
While I never ate eggs growing up because I was allergic, this egg salad certainly looks and smells the part!
It’s delicious piled on a crusty slice of sourdough bread. If you bring it to a potluck, it would be great with some vegan cornbread, vegan coleslaw, and BBQ tofu bites!
Ingredients
You will need these simple ingredients to make tofu egg salad:
Of Special Note
- Firm tofu works best for this recipe. Extra firm tofu can also work, but it has a bit more dense of a texture. I don’t usually press my tofu but for this recipe, it’s important to get all the moisture out of the tofu.
- Cashews create the “mayo” base, adding a creaminess to the dressing. If you’re nut-free, this recipe also works with homemade tofu mayo.
- Kala namak, also known as black salt, adds an eggy, sulfuric taste to this eggless egg salad. I wouldn’t skip out on this ingredient; it’s great to have on hand to make tofu scramble as well!
- Dijon mustard and lemon juice add to the tangy flavor of the dressing.
- Green onion adds an oniony flavor and a freshness to the salad. Regular onion and chives are also great additions.
Please refer to the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and detailed instructions.
Equipment
You will need a blender to make the eggy cashew-based dressing. However, you could make this recipe using store-bought vegan mayo if you want to.
How to Make Vegan Egg Salad
Here’s a step-by-step guide to making the best eggless egg salad:
- Step 1: Boil a small pot of water then let the cashews soak.
- Step 2: Blend together the ingredients for the egg salad dressing.
- Step 3: Roughly chop the pressed tofu into pieces.
- Step 4: Mix together the tofu with the dressing and some chopped green onions.
Top Tips
To press the tofu without using lots of paper towels, try placing your block of tofu into an airtight container that is slightly shorter in depth than the tofu. This will compress it and remove a lot of water. Then, after a couple of hours just dry off any excess liquid with a single paper towel.
Roughly chop the tofu in different directions to get different-shaped pieces. This works better than crumbling it. A combination of perpendicular and diagonal cuts works well.
Ways to Serve
- Make a vegan egg salad sandwich with a crusty slice of sourdough or bread roll.
- Add it to a leafy green salad.
- Enjoy some baked sweet potato fries on the side.
- Dip into it with chickpea chips or crackers.
- Fill your plate with more sides like vegan gluten-free cornbread and BBQ tofu bites.
Recipe FAQ
Store this tofu egg salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days.
Yes! Instead of making the dressing with cashews you could swap the cashew and water with a homemade vegan mayo base.
You’ll need about ¾ cup of vegan mayo. You can also use your favorite storebought vegan mayo.
The bulk of this recipe is tofu but you could also try using smashed chickpeas, like in chickpea chicken salad.
More Vegan Lunch Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Vegan Egg Salad
Equipment
- Blender
Ingredients
- 14-16 ounce block firm tofu pressed
- ½ cup raw cashews
- ½ teaspoon nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon kala namak black salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- ¼ cup water more as needed
- 2-3 green onions chopped
For Serving
- crusty sliced bread
- Dijon mustard
- lettuce
Instructions
- Press your tofu to remove the majority of the liquid. To press the tofu without using lots of paper towels, try placing your block of tofu into an airtight container that is slightly shorter in depth than the tofu. This will compress it and remove a lot of water. Then, after a couple of hours, just dry off any excess liquid with a single paper towel.
- Boil a small pot of water, then let the cashews soak for about 10 minutes to soften them.
- Blend together the ingredients for the egg salad dressing. Start by adding ¼ cup of the water from soaking the cashews. Add more as needed to get a smooth, creamy dressing. I usually add 2 to 3 more tablespoons of the hot water.
- Roughly chop the tofu in different directions to get different-shaped pieces. This works better than crumbling it. A combination of perpendicular and diagonal cuts works well.
- Mix together the tofu with the dressing and the chopped green onions. Taste and add more salt and pepper to taste.
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