Vegan Egg Salad Sandwiches
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There are some things that I make as a vegan that I am nostalgic about even though I rarely ate the non-vegan versions. I began my vegan lifestyle in 2008, at the tender age of 25…before I really had a taste for many foods (or I didn’t have access to them, living in West Virginia at the time). Egg salad was definitely something that was on my radar - I’d seen it at picnics and in my grandma’s fridge, but it wasn’t something I ate often. I honestly wasn’t a big fan of eggs in general, and aside from the odd quiche or super-hard-boiled egg or for baking, I didn’t mess with them much.
So why, I ask the Universe, do I sometimes get a hankering for egg salad sandwiches? Tuna salad I understand. I loved tuna. But egg? It’s a mystery. Still, the craving hits when the craving hits, and when it does, I turn to tofu.
It makes sense that tofu is an egg-cellent (had to, not sorry) substitute for eggs. We vegans use it in a scramble to accomplish much the same effect. This application is even more simple, as it requires no cooking! Firm tofu is squeezed of its excess water and crumbled, then mixed with a variety of veggies, spices, and herbs. What results is a fancier version of egg salad than I’ve ever seen on a non-vegan’s sandwich, but sometimes it’s fun to complicate things just a little bit. Or a lot. Fresh tomatoes, pillowy and crisp leaf lettuce, and soft bread is a must. Unless you feel like eating it on crackers - it’s great that way too. I’ve also eaten this tofu egg salad in an actual salad - no extra dressing required. It’s versatile like that!
Recipe Tips
Firm or extra firm tofu will work fine here - gently tear of handfuls off the block straight from the package and give them a gentle squeeze to drain the water, then crumble it directly into the bowl.
Black Salt (or Kala Namak) is an Indian salt that lends this tofu salad a sulfurous element, which is what makes it most reminiscent of eggs salad aside from the texture. You can find it in some well-stocked grocery stores with the other fancy salts, or a specialty grocer that sells Indian ingredients. Or of course, you can buy it online!
This dish gets better as it sits in the fridge, so try to make it at least an hour before you want to eat it. I personally think it tastes best on about day three!
I think that Castelvetrano olives are just the bees knees when it comes to green olives, but if you prefer a different green olive (or if you can’t access Castelvetranos) then just sub whatever green olives you want!
Recipe
Vegan Egg Salad Sandwiches
14 oz firm tofu, drained and crumbled
1 large carrot, grated
2 stalks celery, finely diced
2 scallions, thinly sliced
⅓ cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
¼ cup Castelvetrano olives, chopped
½ cup vegan mayo
2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1 lemon, juiced
2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp black salt
¼ tsp turmeric
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
To Serve:
Soft sliced bread
Fresh sliced tomatoes
Leaf Lettuce
Combine all ingredients with a fork in a large bowl, and then refrigerate for at least an hour before enjoying.
