Easy Vegan Tofu Egg Salad Sandwich – nothing tastes eggier than the black salt in this gluten-free pressed tofu salad sandwich recipe! And nothing will take you to your happy place faster than your first taste of this simple eggless vegan salad sandwich recipe. 

Vegan tofu egg salad is gluten-free without trying. The ingredients in this vegan salad sandwich recipe are mainly tofu and a bit of mayo. We’ll discuss mayo options in just a bit. Yes, when the ingredients are so few, so the mayo matters!

But back to keeping this vegan salad sandwich recipe gluten-free. All of the ingredients for this vegan tofu egg salad itself are already gluten-free. So, provided you score the right bread, you’re well on your way to enjoying a delicious gluten-free egg salad sandwich!

If gluten is not an issue for you, use whichever whole food plant-based bread you like!

In our photos, we show an organic and gluten-free millet bread we buy from DeLand Bakery. DeLand Bakery is just a few miles away from our hometown. Of course, we realize that not everyone has a gluten-free bakery nearby.

The good news: DeLand Bakery accepts online orders!

Ingredients List to Make a Vegan Tofu Egg Salad Sandwich

tofu
mayo
lemon juice
Dijon mustard
onion powder
garlic powder
ground turmeric
black salt
bread of choice

What is Black Salt?

Black salt is an ingredient that will challenge everything you know about salt.

Saltiness, in the traditional sense of the word, is the second thing that Indian black salt, also known as Kala Namak, brings to the flavor party.

The first thing that you’ll notice is not so much a taste but a smell. Black salt smells like sulfur and, therefore, it adds a wonderfully eggy taste. It’s nothing less than wild and tastes way better than it sounds – lol!

Another name for Indian black salt is Indian volcanic rock salt. Black salt also sometimes goes by the name Himalayan black salt, Sulemani Namak, or Kala loon.

Here’a an interesting fact about the black salt that we use in this recipe for vegan tofu egg salad. Once ground, black salts tend to look a little purple or pink rather than black. 

If you ever happen to find yourself searching for it in a grocery store, that’s nice to know!

When making a batch of vegan tofu egg salad ahead, some of the egg aroma may get lost. If you revisit a batch that’s been made ahead, the black salt may need a boost. To be honest, that is not what we’ve experienced with our recipe. Our black salt held up well when we made ours ahead. Still, it’s something we wish to convey, given that it’s a possibility. 

Why Are There So Many Different Types of Tofu?

No matter the particular variety of tofu a recipe may suggest, we encourage you to use tofu clearly labeled as both organic and non-GMO.

If you have ever shopped for tofu and found it confusing, you are not alone. The good news is that it’s easier than it looks to find the right tofu for the dish you’re creating. The main varieties of tofu are silken, firm, extra-firm, or super-firm tofu.

Silken Tofu

Though some recipes use softer tofu, such as a silken variety in their egg-like dishes, we prefer to use extra-firm tofu rather than super-firm in our vegan tofu egg salad recipe. We’ve found that silken tofu becomes a little too runny for our taste when it comes to using it in an egg salad. 

We like to use silken tofu in dressings and sauces. This creamy oil-free gingery dressing uses silken tofu, and has a gorgeous yellow color. This sunny yellow dressing is one of our favorites to drizzle on roasted carrots!

Super-Firm Tofu

Though not our first choice, super-firm pressed tofu will also work in this recipe. Super-firm tofu saves a few minutes in the kitchen, too.

Super-firm describes a pressed tofu sold in thicker looking solid blocks that don’t require any further pressing to remove excess liquid. Because the super-firm variety is previously pressed tofu, it’s also a bargain because you aren’t paying for the excess water weight. We use it often and love how well it works in our recipes for Vegan Tofu Lobster Rolls.

Extra-Firm Tofu

But sometimes easier, faster and cheaper is not the best means to the desired end. For this recipe, we think that extra-firm tofu is ideally tender and egg-like. So even though it adds the step of pressing to remove excess water before using in our gluten-free egg salad, we think the texture is worth the effort.

What is a Tofu Press?

While writing, we thought that we should call this section What is a Tofu Press and What is the Meaning of Life? Ha! We say that because, when we first transitioned to a vegan lifestyle, a tofu press sounded like some sort of alien torture device.

So, while we won’t be covering the meaning of life in this post, we will attempt to clarify the innocence of a tofu press.

If you’re new to a veggie-eating lifestyle, you may be wondering if having a tofu press is necessary. Good question. Once you know what a tofu press does, you can decide for yourself. We’re betting you’ll want one.

A tofu press is easy to use, simply made, and a relatively inexpensive kitchen tool used to release the extra liquid in blocks of tofu. The basic design is one of two boards that can be gradually moved closer to the other by turning knobs located on the two ends of the top plank.  It’s not rocket science, but, wow does it ever do the trick!

We’ve been using our tofu press for years and imagine it will likely last forever. But we have been undeniably eyeing a press made of sustainable bamboo. This bamboo model sports a nifty drip tray to catch the liquid from the pressed tofu – nice!

If you do not wish to purchase a tofu press, wrap a clean dish towel around a block of tofu and pile heavy objects on top. It sounds funny, and it’s a little clumsy, but it works. We share detailed directions in step two of this recipe for a vegan hard-boiled eggless egg crumble.

Useful Kitchen Tools and Gadgets to Make Vegan Tofu Egg Salad

While we’re on the subject of kitchen tools and gadgets, another handy tool we use while preparing this recipe is a lemon squeezer juicer.

As you read our recipes, you have likely noticed that we put the squeeze on lemons often. In fact, we squeeze lemons every day, and for nearly every recipe we share.

So, if you use freshly squeezed juice even half as often as we do, you need this squeezer. We have gone through a couple of other models that broke – this one is well worth the price!

We also use a potato masher similar to this one to mash the black salt into the tofu.

The wooden handled masher we use belonged to my Mom, so using it brings an extraordinary level of joy. You can also use a fork to distribute the black salt. That important step is described in the recipe instructions below.

What Does the Pressed Tofu in a Gluten-Free Egg Salad Sandwich Taste Like? 

Nothing connects you with favorite sandwich memories as quickly as your first tender bite of this, downright delicious, gluten-free, Vegan Tofu Egg Salad Sandwich! And with this recipe, we’re providing you the opportunity to enjoy egg salad as a whole food plant-based vegan. 

True, we’re discussing an eggless, pressed tofu, vegan salad sandwich recipe. And since it’s so simple, you might be thinking that the flavors are ordinary. It’s merely a combo of pressed tofu that you season to taste with a special salt. But here’s the thing, the black salt is magical.

So, it’s the magical black salt that brings the egg taste. And when you swirl in a dollop of our oil-free mayo -oh, my! Then, if you go all out and add a touch of sweetness with maple, or not, you make this recipe match your fondest egg salad sandwich memories!

How Do Vegan Tofu Egg Salad Sandwiches Make Your Plant-Based Lifestyle Easier?

By the way, one batch of pressed tofu gluten-free egg salad makes about two cups worth of egg salad. Two cups worth is plenty to make about four hearty sandwiches. If you would like this recipe to make life easier, just double the recipe!

We like to double the recipe and make enough to cover four lunches during the days to come. That’s one of the ways we ensure eating healthy. We have a habit of making extra, always. So on days when we do cook, we cover meals for when time is limited. Having plant-based vegan food choices ready to go when you need them makes plant-based vegan and gluten-free eating choices doable.

If You Like This Easy Vegan Tofu Egg Salad Sandwich Recipe, You’ll Love These Egg-citing Dishes!

The adventure of creating this delicious vegan egg salad sandwich recipe made us want to dig in and explore all sorts of “egg-citing” plant-based possibilities!  

In the list below we share tofu egg-like dishes from talented and inspiring bloggers mixed in with a few of our recipes. This list includes creative methods to accomplish eggless egg-i-ness.

If there are ingredients processed more than you like, sub it out. If a suggested recipe selection is not clearly gluten-free, and you need it to be, sub in something that works. Ingredients in this list can be swapped out easily or we would not have included the recipe.

One Dozen Egg-less Egg-like Vegan Recipes:

• Vegan Breakfast Casserole is an eggless take on the iconic breakfast gathering classic perfect to serve a hungry crowd!
• 1-Bowl Pizza Frittata fills your home with the aroma of a freshly baked pizza using no refined oils or processed cheeses. It’s one of those dishes where it’s hard to believe that it’s egg, dairy and gluten-free!
• Veggie Breakfast Scramble is everything you crave in a satisfying plant-based breakfast. Just a sprinkle of black salt transforms the dish towards eggy heaven without using a spec of tofu.
• Vegan Eggs Florentine with tofu, spinach, and dairy-free hollandaise sauce – it’s a recipe ideal for a festive, special occasion, breakfast.
• Cheesy Vegan Broccoli Quiche is a brunch classic of broccoli, onion, and a sprinkle of nutmeg perfect for a savory breakfast, lunch, or dinner!
• Vegan Hard-Boiled Egg Crumble is a make-ahead no-cook topping to add a nice bit of protein to your big salad along with our famous, mess-free, Fakin’ Bacon!
• Tofu Breakfast Burritos are freezer friendly, which means you can make these ahead to make your mornings a little easier.
• Vegan French Toast is an eggless take on proper french toast, meaning it’s going to come out golden, crusty, and utterly delicious!
• Easy Tofu Egg Scramble is a go-to scramble that uses a handful of ingredients and lands its’ tasty self on your plate in a quick minute.
• Vegan Custard Tart With Granola Crust is a creamy pie lover’s dream come true, complete with a crunchy and nutritious crust for balance.
• French Toast Bruschetta is a savory take on the sweet breakfast classic that uses so few ingredients we’re expecting it to become a go-to!
• Chickpea Omelet Mix is a beautiful way to have premixed vegan “eggs” ready to go when you crave them!

Thank You For Being Here

As repetitive as this section may seem if you are one of our faithful readers, to us, it’s the most important! Without you, there is no us. And so, though it goes without saying, we appreciate that you take the time to visit and check out the plant-based vegan recipes we share. 

We want you to feel as welcomed as a dear friend at our dinner table while you browse through our pages. And if there is ever anything we can do to assist you in preparing delicious veggie-loving food, just ask!

Happy eating!