Goodness Bakeshop has named my Vegan Egg Salad as #12 in her List of Top 50 Vegan Recipes, and it tops her list for lunch choices! Click on the link and check out her delightful virtual bakery.
Note that her link to my recipe will take you to my old site, but if you’re reading this, you know where to find me now!
Yield: approximately 2 cups
As a vegetarian, one of my all-time favorite old-fashioned sandwiches has to have been fluffy egg salad. Once I became a vegan, I figured they were a thing of the past. Happily, that turned out not to be the case. However, all tofu egg salad recipes are not created equal. I have made recipes and tasted purchased varieties that didn’t satisfy the craving. But this creation made the grade.
Feel free to adjust proportions to suit your taste, but do keep in mind that, while it is an indispensable ingredient to an authentic taste, celery seed is a little bitter, so avoid over-doing it. Also, if you don’t eat sugar, you may leave it out. I found, though, that because boiled eggs are ever-so-slightly sweet–at least according to my best recollection–the sugar is a necessary addition if authenticity is your goal. Similarly, I use apple cider vinegar for its subtle sweet note but, by all means, use white vinegar if you have it on hand or even dill or sweet pickle juice.
14 ounces firm tofu, drained (not Silken–a test proved it to be unsatisfactory)
1 1/2 teaspoon black salt (available at Indian markets or online) or sea salt or to taste
2 stalks of celery, trimmed, sliced vertically into 4 strips and sliced thinly crosswise
3 tablespoons vegan mayonnaise
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/2-1 teaspoon yellow mustard
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon dried dill weed or 1 tablespoon fresh minced dill
1 teaspoon natural sugar
salt, freshly ground black pepper and sugar to taste
Mash tofu with salt in a medium-size bowl using a potato masher or a fork. Don’t worry about over-mashing, as the texture seems to improve with additional mashing. Fold in celery with a fork. Whisk together all remaining ingredients except additional salt, black pepper and sugar. Pour over tofu mixture and mash until dressing is completely incorporated. Adjust seasoning with salt, pepper and sugar if needed. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
March 16, 2012 at 11:27 pm
BEST vegan egg salad I have ever made. Never knew about black salt before this, and all the spices made it so wondeful. It is now one of my fav recipies. thanks!!
March 21, 2012 at 4:26 pm
Haviva, this was such a nice message to come home to. Thank you! Sorry for the delayed response. We’re nursing a 14 year old dog recuperating from a broken toe, and my online time has been limited, though you think it wouldn’t! Anyway, I’m just thrilled that you love it. I am humbled at the thought of it being a favorite recipe. I missed egg salad quite a bit when I became vegan, so when I created this recipe first without the black salt–because, like you, I didn’t know about it–it was a happy day. I also miss pimento cheese, but I have an unusual idea that I think just might be special enough to go onto both of our lists of faves in the comfort food department. Stay tuned!
May 15, 2014 at 11:52 am
Came across this recipe on pinterest and I have to say my 3 and 4 year old girls LOVE this recipe. I am trying to incorporate more vegan recipes into our lifestyle and this is perfect!
May 15, 2014 at 5:05 pm
Yay for you, Caroline, and yay for your young adventurous eaters! Thank you so much for sharing!
May 16, 2015 at 8:23 pm
I looked at several different Vegan Egg Salad recipes online & I finally choose this one- I am so glad I did! Such great flavor from this recipe! My 12 year old daughter is NOT a Tofu fan, but she just couldn’t stop eating this Egg Salad! I just wanted to say Thank You for this recipe! I would have never guessed to use many of these ingredients myself. The only thing I added was Lemon Juice and Kala Namak (Indian Black Salt). This is something I will be making again & again.
Namaste & Blessed Be!
Dex (Veganpaganyogi)
May 17, 2015 at 6:53 am
You are more than welcome and I really appreciate your taking the time to let me and others know, Dex! If it passed muster (or mustard!) with a 12 year old, it must be good! Funny you should mention the black salt. Sometime after the original recipe was chosen as a “Top 50,” I discovered black salt, posting the recipe again but with that addition and calling black salt “the dark secret.” You can find it here: http://www.thebloomingplatter.com/vegan-salads/the-dark-secret-to-perfect-vegan-egg-salad. I think I add it to the post you found as well, as I never make it without it. Cheers!
August 3, 2016 at 6:47 pm
[…] Eggless Egg Salad. This is THA BOMB. Surprisingly, the kids eat this too and it’s great to take on a picnic. We have definitely done that 😀 It tastes great, and uses no eggs, but you really wouldn’t be able to tell because the texture is similar enough to egg salad. […]
August 12, 2016 at 8:40 am
Thank you so much! It thrills me when people love a recipe, not to mention taking the time to share their feedback.
October 12, 2016 at 1:43 pm
So you need to cook the tofu first? I’ve never used raw tofu before.
October 29, 2016 at 8:49 am
I am SO sorry I am just now seeing this. No, no need to cook the tofu. Tofu is ready to go when taken out of the box!
July 26, 2017 at 11:22 am
Looooooove this! I was an egg liver at one time, and egg salad was one thing I thought I would really miss… Not anymore! Thanks a bunch for sharing this awesome recipe!
July 26, 2017 at 3:28 pm
Thank you soooooo much for letting me know. 😉 I am so thrilled at your response to this recipe. I felt “egg-zactly” the same about egg salad when I became vegan. It’s not exactly low-cal, but I love “egg” salad on a vegan croissant–if you can find them–with some bibb lettuce. However you eat it, enjoy. It is my pleasure to share.
August 23, 2017 at 11:00 pm
I tried this recipe today and can’t even describe my ELATION to have egg salad sandwiches back in my life! Great recipe. I didn’t have any black salt on-hand but after reading about its merits, it’s now on the top of my grocery list. Now … on to that pimiento cheez recipe 😉
August 24, 2017 at 4:26 pm
RuthAnn, I can’t describe MY elation at hearing about yours. I was so sad thinking I would never have an egg salad sandwich that tasted anything close. I’m glad you share my love of this particular blend of ingredients. And wait until you try it with the black salt. Oh, my, my. I used to order egg salad on a croissant with butter lettuce at a local cafe and, when I find vegan croissants, I will indulge in that guilty pleasure again without the guilt. Please let me know your opinion of the black salt if you think of it and have time. I hope you love it.
August 30, 2017 at 7:09 pm
I just made this! It was way too salty for me so next time i will cut the black salt in 1/3! I ended up rinsing the whole thing in a colander, but it was still absolutely delicious!!! Definitely making again with my own tweek!!
August 30, 2017 at 9:13 pm
I am so glad you enjoyed it. Every palate is SO different. I don’t like, e.g., potato chips, as I find them too salty, but this is just right for me…hence the “or to taste.” 🙂 Sorry you had to rinse, but now you know. The recipe calls for garlic and onion powders and some folks may think that garlic and onion salt is the same thing. But if the latter is used, the recipe definitely will need less salt. Ditto if your mayo is on the salty side. Thanks for taking the time to reply and cheers!
November 3, 2017 at 2:34 pm
This is absolutely amazing! It is really delicious and so very easy! I did not have the black salt on hand and it was still great! (going to try it again after I find some!) Thanks so much!
November 3, 2017 at 2:38 pm
Also, after randomly finding the recipe on Pinterest it’s cool that you are also in Virginia Beach! I graduated from Cox High School! =)
November 18, 2017 at 7:50 am
Kim–hello from somewhere down the street! SO glad to “meet” a fellow VA Beach resident. I teach at PAHS. Really delighted that you approve of the egg salad. It’s about my most popular recipe because it is tricky to replicate the “chicken egg” version. Order some black salt, if you like, try it, and let me know what you think. It is rather miraculous to me.
June 8, 2018 at 10:41 am
Ce matin, je voulais tellement mangé un oeuf! Puisque je suis vegan, je cherchais donc une recette qui allait me procurer un gout pareil et meme meilleur qui allait m’enlever ce craving d’oeuf hahaha! Celle ci est au dela de mes attentes Trop bon !
June 9, 2018 at 7:12 am
Grâce à toi, ma journée est réussie!