This is truly the best Vegan Egg Salad Sandwich ever. The secret ingredients are black salt and the chunky ‘egg whites,’ which make it taste just like the real deal. This eggless salad is as close to perfect as it gets, and if you’ve missed this as a vegan, you must try it! It’s perfect for school or work lunches, picnics, or any other time you want a delicious, creamy, protein-packed salad or sandwich.
I grew up thinking my dad made the best deviled eggs and egg salad sandwiches ever and luckily, I still have those recipes in my handy little Minor Cookbook that my parents gave to us one year for Christmas. All I had to do to make it vegan was swap a few ingredients and make a couple of test batches.
In my first attempt, I excluded mayo and used two types of tofu instead, one silken and one firm. However, it wasn’t as good without mayo and ended up a runny mess. My next few attempts were with tofu and mayo as the main ingredients, but I still felt the texture was off. Then, during my experimenting, I made a batch of deviled eggs using this recipe from 86eats. Our daughter, who had never even had real deviled eggs, couldn’t get enough of them! These stuffed vegan eggs immediately inspired me to incorporate the ‘egg whites’ into our vegan egg salad while still using tofu for protein and, of course, the creamy salad classics like mayo and mustard. With this addition, I must say, the perfect vegan egg salad was born, and I’m so happy to share it with you all here!
Secret Ingredients for Vegan Egg Salad
There are TWO secret ingredients that you’ll need for this recipe:
- Agar Powder – a naturally gelatinous powder derived from marine red algae. This is used to make the vegan egg whites. Make sure to use powder and not flakes. Agar-agar can be found in Asian markets, health food stores, and online. Living Jin is my favorite.
- Black Salt aka Kala Namak – pink (not black) rock salt with a ‘sulfur-like’ taste. This is what makes it taste just like the real eggy deal. You won’t want to skip this essential ingredient!
Other Ingredients
- Medium or Firm Tofu – Pressed to drain excess water out.
- Vegan Mayo
- Pickle Juice
- Almond Milk – I tried using soy once and it didn’t work as well. I’d recommend a thinner plant-based milk if not using almond.
- Yellow Mustard – Some recipes use dijon. I just prefer regular mustard but feel free to swap.
- Green or Red Onions – For flavor and crunch.
- Celery – Optional for more crunch. You could also add chopped dill pickle.
- Turmeric – For a yellow color
- Dill – Use any other spices or herbs you’d like.
How to Make Eggless Egg Salad
Start by making your ‘egg whites’
- In a small saucepan, whisk together almond milk, agar powder, and black salt. Heat the mixture over medium heat, gently whisking, until it comes to a simmer, then remove from the heat immediately. If it’s foamy from whisking, spritz with a little cooking spray to help dissolve.
- Let the mixture cool to almost room temperature for about 15-20 minutes, gently whisking every 5 minutes to prevent separation.
- Once the mixture has cooled, pour into egg molds, a deviled egg serving tray, or any other shallow glass container and transfer to the fridge. After about 30 minutes, they should be hard enough to slice.
- Slice your ‘egg whites’ into different sizes and set aside until ready to mix with the remaining salad ingredients.
Combine the rest of the ingredients
- In a blender or food processor, add half of the pressed tofu, mayo, mustard, pickle juice, black salt, turmeric, and sugar (optional). Blend or process until creamy.
- In a separate mixing bowl, add the other half of your tofu and mash with a fork. This will mimic the egg yolk from hard boiled eggs.
- Add celery, green or red onions, dill, chopped ‘egg whites’ and the creamy tofu/mayo mixture to the mashed tofu. Stir this together and make yourself a sandwich!
There’s really no compromise when it comes to vegan food. It’s better for us, for the animals, and for our environment, so make these egg-free salad sandwiches and share them with someone you love – whether they’re vegan or not!
If you make this recipe, let me know! Please leave a comment, rate it (once you’ve tried it), and be sure to tag me. And, make sure to follow MNVegHead on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest!
Lots of love, Allison
More Recipes
Vegan French Toast BLT with Maple Aioli
Chunky Dill Pickle and Potato Soup
Vegan Pub-Style Wild Rice Burgers
Vegan Egg Salad Sandwich with ‘Egg Whites’
Ingredients
Egg Whites
- 1 Cup Almond Milk
- ½ tablespoon Agar Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Black Salt aka Kala Namak
Egg Salad
- 1 Block Medium or Firm Tofu Pressed to release excess water
- ¾ Cup Vegan Mayo
- ¼ Cup Celery Diced
- ¼ Cup Green or Red Onion Diced
- 3 tablespoon Yellow Mustard
- 2 tablespoon Pickle Juice
- 1 teaspoon Dill
- ½ teaspoon Black Salt aka Kala Namak
- ¼ teaspoon Turmeric
- 1 tablespoon White Sugar (Optional)
Instructions
Egg Whites
- In a small sauce pan, whisk together almond milk, agar powder, and black salt. Heat the mixture over medium heat, gently whisking, until it comes to a simmer, then remove from the heat immediately.
- Let the mixture cool to almost room temperature for about 15-20 minutes, gently whisking every 5 minutes to prevent separation.
- Once the mixture has cooled, pour into egg molds, a deviled egg serving tray, or any other shallow glass container and transfer to the fridge. After about 30 minutes, they should be hard enough to slice.
- Slice your 'egg whites' into different sizes and set aside until ready to mix with the remaining salad ingredients.
Egg Salad
- In a blender or food processor, add half of the tofu, mayo, mustard, pickle juice, black salt, turmeric, and sugar (optional). Blend or process until creamy.
- In a separate mixing bowl, add the other half of your tofu and mash with a fork. Add celery, green or red onions, dill, chopped 'egg whites,' and the creamy tofu/mayo mixture. Stir this together and make yourself a sandwich!
Rachel Jones
I have been vegan four years and it never occurred to me to make the egg salad like this. The mixture texture was a replica of what I remember an egg salad feeling like and tasting like. 10/10 I’m making this again and will be a staple in our house. Your recipes never disappoint!
MN Veg Head
Thank you, Rachel! I’m so glad you like it. The stuff actually does taste like the real deal!!