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    Home > Vegan Breakfasts

    Realistic Vegan Egg Salad (No Mayo!)

    By My Pure Plants on 05/12/2022 - May contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure.

    Jump to Recipe Print Pin

    This 15-minute vegan egg salad is made of tofu and cashews to give you a creamy, protein-packed, and delicious breakfast sandwich. We skipped the high-fat vegan mayo and any other packaged products and opted for only whole foods plant-based ingredients. 

    Two vegan egg salad sandwiches on top of each other with arugula and spinach leaves

    Are you looking for more savory breakfast recipes? Check out our popular vegan chickpea flour frittata, our easy vegan breakfast casserole, or our hearty vegan breakfast hash recipes.

    Table of Contents hide
    1. The best substitute for eggs
    2. Ingredients
    3. How to make vegan egg salad?
    4. Top tips to make it perfectly
    5. Flavors and toppings
    6. What to eat with it?
    7. FAQs and substitutions
    8. More vegan tofu recipes
    9. Healthy Vegan Egg Salad

    The best substitute for eggs

    To make classic egg salad you need diced boiled eggs and a creamy dressing made of mashed boiled egg yolks, mayonnaise, dijon mustard, and spices. So is it hard to make this dish vegan? No, since there is a perfect ingredient to use.

    The best vegan egg substitute that mimics the unique texture of eggs is definitely TOFU! Boiled eggs have a very similar spongy texture to firm tofu. There is really nothing else out there that has such a spongy texture. I even dare to say that one of my favorite ways to enjoy tofu is in a vegan egg salad sandwich recipe. 🙂

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    Ingredients

    Making a vegan egg salad is even quicker and easier than making the original one. Apart from tofu, you need 9 ingredients and at most 15 minutes to make a creamy, tangy, egg-like dressing. We added all these ingredients to make sure that this vegan egg salad recipe is the closest to the one we remember and the healthiest it can be.

    • Tofu -> We recommend using medium-firm tofu or extra-firm tofu since you need their texture to mimic boiled egg whites.
    • Cashew nuts -> It is there to avoid vegan mayonnaise.
    • Dairy-free milk -> Use unsweetened milk. Sometimes store-bought nut milk can be quite sweet even if the packaging says unsweetened. Therefore, we recommend using homemade cashew milk for instance.
    • Onion -> White or red onion since they are white. Maybe shallots. But any other type will compromise the color.
    • Nutritional yeast
    • Freshly squeezed lemon juice -> You can use apple cider vinegar if you don’t have lemon at hand.
    • Mustard -> Can be dijon mustard or plain mustard
    • Turmeric -> While mustard helps with the color, you need a bit of extra help from turmeric.
    • Black salt (aka Kala Namak) -> This is a must-have not so secret ingredient to make tofu taste and smell like eggs. You can read more about what black salt is here. The moment you open up its packaging you can smell right away what I am talking about. You really only need a pinch, but it is totally worth it.
    • Garlic powder
    • Black pepper
    • Salt
    All ingredients of this healthy vegan egg salad recipes is show in small glass bowls

    How to make vegan egg salad?

    Prepare the ingredients

    • Soak cashews overnight or for 5-10 minutes in boiling hot water.
    • Peel and chop a small onion.
    • Squeeze some lemon juice.
    • Unpack and drain your tofu. Press it to get rid of excess moisture and cut it into small cubes.

    Pressing tofu

    Use firm tofu and press it. We used our trusted TofuBud*, but you can choose any DIY method or tofu press. For more information, tips, and steps, read our guide to pressing tofu, including an honest review of TofuBud.

    Making a creamy dressing

    1. Take a tight but tall container and add soaked cashews, nutritional yeast, dairy-free milk, chopped onion, lemon juice, mustard, and spices.
    2. Blend them with a hand blender until smooth and creamy.
    3. When your eggy dressing is ready, take a bowl and mix it gently with the small tofu cubes. That was all! The best vegan egg salad is ready!
    Step photos to make tofu egg salad showing a tall container with cashews and spices, then with a hand blender. Finally a glass bowl with yellow tofu cubes.

    Top tips to make it perfectly

    • Creamy or creamier – Depending on the batch you make and the size of your kitchen appliances, you can use a food processor, a hand blender, or a high-power blender to make the eggy dressing. We used our hand blender to make a 4-serving vegan egg salad and the result was creamy enough for our taste buds.
    • Don’t skip black salt – There is a huge difference between using it and not using it. If you make this vegan tofu egg salad without it, it will still taste yummy but it will not be realistic. So if you are looking for an exact copycat recipe, you should use this ingredient.
    • Don’t use silk tofu – Silk or soft tofu is for sauces, dressings, or cheesecake. If you use this instead of firm tofu, you will get a spread and not an egg salad.
    Wooden bowl lined up with lettuce leaves, filled with yellow tofu cubes and topped with green onions. A hand is holding a spoon and taking some from the middle.

    Flavors and toppings

    The most common and popular add-ins are definitely

    • spring onion, green onion, or chives,
    • fresh herbs like dill or parsley

    However, there are other things you can try if you feel like spicing it up a bit. We were thinking of…

    • diced avocado
    • chopped celery
    • chopped radish
    • finely grated horseradish
    • chopped pickles
    • chopped olives
    • shaved carrots
    • hot sauce

    Let us know in the comments what is your favorite flavors and topping!

    Close-up of two vegan egg salad sandwiches on top of each other with spinach, arugula leaves and yellow tofu cubes.

    What to eat with it?

    You can eat this mayo-free eggless egg salad like any other spread and add simple ingredients like leafy greens or other veggies.

    • breakfast sandwiches – I love a good old egg salad sandwich with lettuce or other leafy greens like spinach or arugula. I also like to add tomato or avocado slices to make it even more veggie-packed.
    • vegan tea sandwiches for brunch – Tiny, thinly sliced crustless bread with egg salad and chives.
    • finger food or appetizer – Stuff raw tomatoes with egg salad or use thick cucumber slices instead of bread and you have yourself the perfect appetizer.
    • tortilla roll-ups – Spread a generous amount of egg salad on a tortilla wrap and add leafy greens and chopped spring onion or chives and tightly roll them up and eat it or slice them into pinwheels.

    Let us know your favorite combination in the comments!

    A spoon full of yellow tofu cubes topped with green onions. In the background there are two sandwiches on top of each other with more yellow tofu cubes and green leaves.

    FAQs and substitutions

    Why do you need to soak cashews?

    First, it breaks down the phytic acid and enhances nutrient absorption for better digestion. Second, easier to blend and work with. If you have a high-power blender, you only need like 5 minutes in hot water to soften them up a bit. – source

    Can you use roasted and/or salted cashews?

    Yes and yes. Roasted cashew tastes awesome. If you have only salted cashews on hand, no worries wash the salt off with a sieve or strainer and you are good to go.

    How to store it?

    You can easily store it in the fridge in an airtight container for up to a week without any problem.

    Can you freeze it?

    We don’t recommend freezing tofu as it will change the texture significantly. Tofu is only worth freezing if you were to use it as a vegan meat substitute since it will firm up into a sturdy, chewy texture that is closer to meaty and further from eggy.

    Wooden bowl lined up with lettuce leaves, filled with yellow tofu cubes and topped with green onions. A spoon is left in it. There are two sandwiches next to the bowl.

    More vegan tofu recipes

    You can browse through all recipes using tofu or check out

    • 5-minute Tofu Cream Cheese
    • Vegan Spinach Lasagna (with tofu ricotta)
    • Pad Woon Sen (with tofu scramble)

    Healthy Vegan Egg Salad

    My Pure Plants
    This 15-minute vegan egg salad is made of tofu and cashews to give you a creamy, protein-packed, and delicious breakfast sandwich. We skipped the high-fat mayonnaise and any other packaged products and opted for only whole foods plant-based ingredients. 
    4.9 from 8 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Total Time 15 mins
    Course Breakfast, Salad, Side Dish
    Servings 4 servings
    Calories 174kcal

    Equipment

    • Immersion hand blender with 20 fl oz container
    • Simple tofu press
    • TofuBud (pressing tofu in 15 minutes)

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 10.5 oz Firm tofu -> gluten-free tofu brands
    • ½ cup Cashew nuts
    • 1 Onion (small)
    • ¼ cup Dairy-free milk (homemade cashew milk)
    • 1 tsp Nutritional yeast
    • ½ tsp Turmeric
    • ½ tsp Black salt
    • ½ tsp Garlic powder
    • ½ tsp Lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
    • 1 tsp Mustard
    • 1 Spring onion or chives optional
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    Instructions
     

    Prepare ingredients

    • Soak cashews overnight or for 5-10 minutes in boiling hot water.
    • Peel and chop a small onion.
    • Squeeze some lemon juice.
    • Unpack and drain your tofu. Press tofu for 10-20 minutes to get rid of any excess water. Finally, cut your tofu into cubes.

    Make a creamy dressing

    • Take a tight but tall container and add soaked cashews, nutritional yeast, dairy-free milk, chopped onion, lemon juice, mustard, and spices and blend them with a hand blender until smooth and creamy.

    Make vegan egg salad

    • When your dressing is ready, mix it gently with the tofu cubes. Add your favorite toppings and flavors (see recommendation in Notes). 
    • Take two slices of bread. Place lettuce or leafy greens on one of the slices. Then spread the egg salad evenly on it. Top it again with lettuce or leafy greens. Then cover it up with the other slice. Enjoy!
    Tried this recipe? Can we see it?Please share a picture with us by uploading an image to Pinterest below ours.

    Notes

    Flavors and Toppings
    • spring onion or chives
    • fresh dill or fresh parsley
    • diced avocado
    • chopped celery
    • finely grated horseradish
    • chopped pickles
    • chopped olives
    • shaved carrots
    • hot sauce
    FAQs and Substitutions
    Why do you need to soak cashews?
    First, it breaks down the phytic acid and enhances nutrient absorption for better digestion. Second, easier to blend and work with. If you have a high-power blender, you only need like 5 minutes in hot water to soften them up a bit. – source
    Can you use roasted and/or salted cashews?
    Yes and yes. Roasted cashew tastes awesome. If you have only salted cashews on hand, no worries wash the salt off with a sieve and strainer and you are good to go.
    How to store it?
    You can easily store it in the fridge in an airtight container for up to a week without any problem.
    Can you freeze it?
    No, it will change the texture of tofu.

    Video

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Facts
    Healthy Vegan Egg Salad
    Amount Per Serving (1 serving)
    Calories 174 Calories from Fat 99
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 11g17%
    Saturated Fat 2g13%
    Polyunsaturated Fat 3g
    Monounsaturated Fat 5g
    Sodium 318mg14%
    Potassium 191mg5%
    Carbohydrates 10g3%
    Fiber 2g8%
    Sugar 3g3%
    Protein 11g22%
    Vitamin A 59IU1%
    Vitamin C 3mg4%
    Calcium 128mg13%
    Iron 2mg11%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    UPDATED: This recipe was originally posted in March 2020. It has been rewritten with more info, tips, and serving suggestions, and republished in May 2022.

    545 shares

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    1. Jon R

      April 29, 2020 at 1:22 pm

      5 stars
      I’ve been looking for a good WFPB egg mayo recipe. I used to make it with vegan mayo but just way too much oil etc. This recipe is amazing. I didn’t expect it would be so good. Very happy to have found this. Your other recipes look great, will def give them a try. Great job. Thanks.

      Reply
      • My Pure Plants

        April 30, 2020 at 4:56 pm

        We are so happy you liked the vegan egg salad recipe. Thanks for letting us know.

        Reply
    2. Mary

      April 12, 2020 at 7:24 pm

      5 stars
      I am not a vegan but was curious how this would taste (I love egg salad). I made it earlier today and ate it for lunch with my husband. It’s delicious!

      Reply
      • My Pure Plants

        April 12, 2020 at 7:37 pm

        Hi Mary, thanks for being interested in trying vegan recipes. We are so glad you liked our egg salad recipe.

        Reply
    3. Rita

      April 07, 2020 at 5:23 pm

      5 stars
      This was the best vegan egg salad I have had d since becoming vegan 5 years ago.
      Thank you so much!

      Reply
      • My Pure Plants

        April 07, 2020 at 6:00 pm

        We are so happy you loved it. Thanks for trying our recipe.

        Reply

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