Pumpkin Curry Eggless Salad

Try this fun and tasty plant-based twist on classic egg salad.  Featuring firm tofu, pure pumpkin, and a little spice – great on a bed of greens, on toast or bagel, or as a sandwich or wrap!

I’m so addicted to this delicious eggless salad. Why? Because this is not your average or traditional eggless salad. Obviously, the title and description kinda give this away. But since you’re here, you’re obviously intrigued. I promise that this eggless salad is very different, but in a good way.

There are actually a few key variations that come together rather well in this Pumpkin Curry Eggless Salad.

First up is the mayonnaise substitute.

I’m always trying to find ways to replace mayonnaise, butter, and oil in recipes. Please don’t get me wrong. I actually adore mayo, especially my vegan Hellman’s mayo. But I don’t like how unhealthy and caloric it is. Now that I’m a lot more aware of how my food interferes with my health, I try to incorporate healthier options.

And that’s where this delicious concoction comes in. After successfully substituting pure pumpkin in the masa for my delicious Jackfruit and Mushroom Tamales, I had to try using it in other recipes. Then, one day, when I was craving an eggless salad sandwich, it occurred to me that pumpkin may or may not work in eggless salad. And I’m happy to report that pumpkin works fantastic!

But because of the appearance, it couldn’t be just any regular eggless salad. As a given, pumpkin has a very different flavor and color profile than mayo. Plus, I love pairing pumpkin with chili or curry. The flavors complement one another so well. If you haven’t already tried my Pumpkin Chili or Thai Pumpkin Coconut Curry, now would be a good time to check out these recipes.

So what do we use in this Pumpkin Curry Eggless Salad if it doesn’t contain any eggs?? Just like my Eggless Salad, the answer is Tofu. Surprise! Okay, I’m sure you were expecting this.

Tofu is an incredibly versatile ingredient as it can be used in a spectrum of foods. 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 my Eggless Salad. I’m telling you, this stuff is prodigious.

But more specifically, I recommend using the shelf-stable boxed extra firm tofu since I think it has the ideal texture for this Pumpkin Curry Eggless Salad. Though you can also use a block of firm tofu packaged in water. I’ve tried it, just to be sure. And it works well and tastes great. Just be sure to drain your tofu so that it isn’t too wet or watery.

My Eggless Salad recipe also contains my favorite not-so-secret ingredient – kala namak or black salt.  It lends a hint of that trademark sulphuric egg-like smell. But please don’t add too much since it’s somewhat pungent when it gets wet. If you can’t find it at your local Indian store or grocer, 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 my Vegan Egg Batter and Indian cuisine.

This Pumpkin Curry Eggless Salad contains a few other not-so-common ingredients like shredded carrots, green onions, and raisins. Trust me, these may sound strange, but the carrots and raisins add a natural sweetness that marries well with the pure packed pumpkin and curry flavors. And the shredded carrots and green onion give a slight flavor, color, and crunch that I enjoy.

And finally, we have the curry seasonings. Again, this is one of the primary reasons this Pumpkin Curry Eggless Salad is so very different from ordinary egg salads. For starters, we ditch all that other traditional stuff. Instead, this salad contains chopped cilantro, fresh lime juice, garam masala, garlic powder, pepper, and kala namak.

Again, these flavors don’t typically get packed into an eggless (or egg) salad. But this Pumpkin Curry Eggless Salad is next level. Well, that is, unless you don’t like curry flavors. Or pumpkin. Or Tofu. Or eggs. In that case, you probably won’t like this salad. For instance, my mother doesn’t like eggs or curry. She would probably not enjoy this. I, on the other hand, like both and I think this salad is fantastic and addicting!

Now that we’ve covered the key ingredients, 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. No kidding.

Now that we’ve got this Pumpkin Curry Eggless Salad ready to go, how will you dress it up?

You can always go with the traditional tomato, leaf lettuce, and onion on an eggless salad sandwich with chips or baby carrots. It’s classic and always satisfies. Consider serving this Pumpkin Curry Eggless Salad on a bed of fresh salad greens with a side of fresh fruit or vegetables.

I love how portable this Pumpkin Curry Eggless Salad is – it’s great for summer picnics, camping trips, road trips, school or work lunches, and so on. Simply pack in a lunch cooler bag, along with half a loaf of bread, pita bread, English muffins, or hamburger buns.  So easy and so good.

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 this Pumpkin Curry Eggless Salad on crunchy crackers. 

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

I hope you enjoy this Pumpkin Curry Eggless Salad as much as I do.  

I would love to see your results! Please leave a comment and rate it down below, tag a picture @pebblesandtoast and #pebblesandtoast on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and Facebook!   Enjoy!!

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Ingredients

• 1 box Mori-Nu Extra Firm Tofu*
• ½ cup canned pure pumpkin**
• ¼ cup grated carrots (optional)
• ¼ cup minced green onions
• 2 Tbsp raisins, chopped (or 1 tsp maple syrup)
• 2 Tbsp cilantro, chopped
• 1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1 tsp garam masala (or red curry powder)
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ¼ tsp pepper
• dash of kala namak (black salt)***
• 1-2 Tbsp unsweetened plain plant milk (only if needed)

Instructions

1. Wrap the block of tofu in a paper towels and squeeze gently to release excess fluid. 
2. Unwrap the paper towel and crumble the tofu into a small bowl. 
3. Add the remaining ingredients and stir well to combine.
4. Taste the eggless salad and adjust seasonings to taste, as desired.  (add in more salt, pepper, curry, lime juice, cilantro, milk, etc.)
5. Serve on toast, hamburger buns, bagels, crackers, or with vegetables (cucumbers) and more. 

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.

** This recipe uses pure packed pumpkin.  I typically use canned pumpkin for convenience, though you can use home-grown and cooked pumpkin if you have it.  Just be sure to puree it and drain any excess moisture to ensure it isn’t too wet. 

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