Eggless Salad

A tasty plant-based twist on the classic egg salad – great with crackers, on a bed of greens, and makes a fantastic sandwich!

Do you like eggs? Or egg salad sandwiches?

I used to eat quite a bit of both. But I acknowledge that not everyone likes eggs. As an example, my mom hates eggs. I mean, she really hates eggs, and always has. But as a kid, I had no idea that she had aversion to eggs at all. She made all sorts of egg-based dishes for us, including french toast, scrambled eggs, quiche, and egg salad sandwiches. After all, that’s how I learned how to make egg salad.

But my mom can’t even stand the smell of cooked eggs. I’ve never minded the smell. In fact, I use a special ingredient to give this Eggless Salad that trademark sulphuric egg-like smell. It’s Kala namak or black salt.

Kala namak is an incredible ingredient specifically used in recipes to mimic the smell of eggs. But please note that you don’t need much since it’s somewhat pungent when it gets wet. If you can’t find it at your local grocer or health food store, you can get it online. I purchased a big bag on Amazon a couple years ago and just keep refilling a recycled spice jar. I use it in so many dishes, including Indian cuisine.

Now that we eat a plant-based lifestyle, I don’t buy eggs at all; but that doesn’t mean I can’t still enjoy this delicious salad slathered between two pieces of sprouted whole grain bread. I like to getting sprouted bread at Aldi. It’s healthy, tastes good, and is affordable.

So what is the key ingredient in this Eggless Salad if it doesn’t contain any eggs?? The straight answer is Tofu.

To be more specific, I recommend one block of firm tofu. However, I can’t take credit for this invention; though this is my egg salad recipe. You see, I can’t remember where I first saw tofu as an egg replacement since it was a few years ago. And to be honest, when I first saw the tofu technique used, I was worried it would disgusting. I have this thing about texture, color, and flavor. I remember wondering how I could make an egg salad without eggs that tastes good, looks good, and maintains the right mouth-feel?

Turns out tofu is way more versatile than I imagined. Before transitioning to a plant-based lifestyle, I don’t think I had actually ever eaten anything with tofu in it. My husband had ordered sofritos at Chipotle a couple of times, so I knew what it was – I just didn’t see the point.

A few years later, I am a true convert… I believe!!

Tofu is an incredibly versatile ingredient as it can be used in a spectrum of foods. Since then, I’ve used it in my Creamy Chocolate Fudge Pie, Ginger Tofu Dumplings, Sour Cream for Super Nachos or Crunchy Bean Tostadas, Incredible Breakfast Bowl, The Ultimate Breakfast Sandwich, and of course this Eggless Salad. I’m telling you, this stuff is prodigious.

I highly recommend using a teeny bit of turmeric, which adds a nice pale yellow hue to this Eggless Salad. If you use a little, it’s not detectable – which means you shouldn’t taste it in this recipe. What’s interesting is that the color sometimes deepens over time. So the following day, you may find that the color comes into its own and looks more appealing.  However, if you add too much turmeric, your egg-less salad can turn a bit neon – not exactly the look we’re going for here. (I may be speaking from experience)

Now that you have the Kala namak, firm tofu, and turmeric, it’s pretty straight forward from here. Simply crumble your tofu into a bowl, add in the remaining ingredients and enjoy. It’s that easy.

I love how portable this eggless salad is – it’s great for summer picnics, camping trips, road trips, school or work lunches, and so on. I can not tell you how many times I have packed this eggless salad in a lunch cooler bag, along with half a loaf of bread, pita bread, hamburger buns, or crackers.

That way, when we get hungry while traveling, we either pull into a rest area and enjoy a picnic outside; or if we aren’t able to stop, the passenger makes the sandwiches. Just scoop out a spoonful onto the sandwich, then add lettuce, tomato, and onion before capping with another slice of bread or the top of your bun.

What do you like to add on your eggless salad sandwich? And what do you like eating with it?

I like adding a thick slice of tomato, leaf lettuce, and onion on my eggless salad sandwich. My husband makes his plain. He also likes taking chips with him to work. But I like serving these sandwiches with fresh fruit or vegetables: baby carrots, celery sticks, cherry tomatoes, grapes, and so on. All are great accompaniments with this Eggless Salad sandwich. I try to eat the rainbow every day. And having ready-made foods allow us to make healthier food choices when we travel.

Granted, you can always make the sandwiches ahead of time. My husband makes his sandwiches in the morning whenever he packs them for work. I just prefer to keep the bread separate so it doesn’t get soggy. (I may have a thing about soggy bread.)

You can also serve this Eggless Salad on toast – as mentioned earlier, I like using Aldi’s Knock Your Sprouts Off sprouted whole grain bread with lower sodium. It is such a simple and easy breakfast, lunch, or snack. And oh so delicious!

What’s even better than a sandwich? Crackers. Sometimes, I like to dig into this Eggless Salad with crunchy Triscuits or whole grain crackers. I love the creamy texture of the egg salad on crunchy crackers.

Every time you take a bite, there’s a little party in your mouth.

Ingredients

• 1 package Firm Tofu*
• 2-4 Tbsp vegan mayonnaise
• 2 Tbsp plant milk
• 1 Tbsp dijon mustard
• 1 Tbsp dill pickle relish
• 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 tsp white wine vinegar
• ½ tsp Italian seasoning
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp onion powder
• ¼ tsp dill weed
• ¼ tsp turmeric (for color)
• ¼-½ tsp kala namak (black salt)**
• ¼ tsp pepper

Instructions

1. If necessary, drain the excess water out of the tofu – you can use paper towels or a tofu press. You do not want to make it super dry though, just enough to remove any excess water. 
2. Crumble the tofu into a bowl. 
3. Add the remaining ingredients and stir well to combine.
4. Serve on toast, hamburger buns, bagels, crackers, and more. 
5. Store in the refrigerator.

Notes

* I have seen Firm Tofu in two forms – 12.3 ounce shelf-stable box or 14 ounce water-packed plastic package.  When you drain the water from the package, you end up with roughly the same amount of tofu. Both types of tofu work extremely well in this Eggless Salad recipe.

** Kala namak is also called black sea salt.  It lends a sulfuric scent and eggy flavor to foods.

If you follow a gluten-free diet, simply use gluten-free bread or gluten-free crackers. Super easy, satisfying, and absolutely delicious.

I usually use Hellman’s or JUST vegan mayonnaise. But I’ve successfully used pureed beans and plant milk in my potato salad dressing; though I have not calculated the ratios yet.

Regarding the turmeric, it is used for color only.  You can’t taste it in this recipe. A quarter teaspoon of turmeric lends a nice pale yellow tint to this egg-less salad.

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