This vegan egg salad is deliciously creamy, satisfying, and unique! Most vegan egg salad recipes call for tofu, but this one has a secret ingredient standing in for hard boiled eggs. It might seem strange at first, but I'm SO glad I tried it and I bet you'll love it, too!
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What Makes This Recipe Different
Recently a reader emailed and asked if I had a vegan egg salad recipe on the blog. She said she really loves my vegan tuna salad and hoped I might be experimenting with a fresh take on egg salad.
The internet is full of vegan egg salad recipes made with tofu, so I wanted to come up with something different. I mean, I LOVE tofu. But similar to the reasoning behind my tofu-less vegan chocolate pie, I wanted to bring something new to the table.
So if you're allergic to soy or you just like to try new things, this recipe is for you!
Texture-wise, I suspected mushrooms could be an awesome substitute for hard boiled eggs. Since mushrooms alone wouldn't be very filling, I also added cannellini beans to give our vegan egg salad more calories and nutrition.
So I whipped up the first batch, and I have to say... it surprised me! I really didn't know what to expect from the mushrooms, and somehow, in its own new and unique way, this combo totally works!
What does it taste like?
In case you're wondering, yes, you can taste the mushrooms. The flavor is mild but definitely there. So if you hate mushrooms, you'll be better off with one of the tofu egg salad recipes.
But if you do like mushrooms, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised! It's like creamy egg salad meets mushroom pate/spread.
My taste-testers also loved it, and we gobbled it up in record time! Always a good sign.
Ingredient Notes
Like most chickpea salad recipes, this "egg" salad is versatile and open to your favorite additions. Try it with fresh herbs, capers, diced peppers, relish, and various spices.
- mushrooms - white button mushrooms offer the mildest flavor and are usually inexpensive and easy to find. You'll need about 16 ounces.
- cooked white beans or chickpeas - for simplicity I used canned beans; choose cannellini for a softer, creamier consistency or chickpeas for more texture.
- vegan mayo - try my oil-free mayo or go with your favorite brand.
- celery - the flavor and fresh crunch of celery balance out the creaminess and make it irresistible!
- dried dill - I like just a hint of dill in this recipe, but you can omit it if you're not a fan. If you have fresh dill on hand, even better!
- turmeric - this is mainly just for color; feel free to skip it.
- paprika - this also adds color and gives the spread a mild pepper-y, vegetable flavor. I used regular, sweet paprika, but smoked paprika could also taste great.
- kala namak - also called Indian black salt, the sulfur-y aroma and saltiness is critical for any vegan recipe imitating eggs. You can order kala namak online and possibly find it in well-stocked specialty stores. If you replace it with regular salt, you'll have a delicious bean and mushroom spread, but it won't taste like eggs.
See recipe card below for quantities.
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How to Make Vegan Egg Salad
This recipe is simple to prepare, especially if you have a food processor. But even if you don't it's still pretty darn easy! Here's the basic process...
- Add about 1 inch of water to a large pot, and bring to a boil. Rinse the dirt off the mushrooms and add to the pot. Cover and adjust the heat as needed to maintain a simmer. Cook for about 7 minutes, stirring once or twice.
- Line a large plate with a tea towel. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the mushrooms to the plate to drain and cool. Refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes to speed up the process.
- Next, we want to remove some of the water from the mushrooms. To do this, either wrap them up in the towel and squeeze over the sink, or just pick up 2 or 3 at a time and squeeze. The mushrooms don't need to be completely dry, just not sopping wet. After squeezing out most of the liquid, place mushrooms in a food processor (easiest method), or chop by hand.
- In a small bowl whisk together the vegan mayonnaise, dill, turmeric, paprika, and kala namak.
- Add the seasoned mayo and beans to the food processor with the mushrooms. Pulse until the mixture is as creamy as you like. I accidentally over-processed the batch you see in the photos. It was fine this way, but I actually prefer vegan egg salad with a slightly chunkier texture.
- Stir in the chopped celery or add it to the food processor and pulse to incorporate.
And that's it. Pretty easy, right? Enjoy your vegan egg salad now, or chill it for later.
Flavor Variations
Experiment with different flavor boosters in your vegan egg salad.
- mustard - just a touch of yellow mustard adds great flavor, acidity, and color. In fact, you can skip the turmeric and/or paprika.
- lemon - a squeeze of fresh lemon juice is pretty much always a good idea!
- nutritional yeast - add a couple of tablespoons for an extra kick of umami.
- spicy - add cayenne pepper or your favorite hot sauce to taste.
- green onion or chives
- fresh dill
Equipment
I use this Cuisinart 14 cup food processor. It makes prep quick and easy, and results in a creamier spread.
If you don't own a food processor, simply chop the mushrooms, mash the beans with a fork, and stir everything together in a large bowl.
Storage
Store leftover vegan egg salad in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Freezing not recommended.
Top Tip
Keep in mind, the finished dish does have a slight mushroom flavor. Imagine a marriage between vegan egg salad and creamy mushroom spread. It's unique and probably not like anything you've tried before. I hope you love it!
More Vegan Egg Recipes
Recipe
Vegan "Egg" Salad (No Tofu)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 16 ounces white button mushrooms
- 1 (15 oz) can cannellini beans or chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- ½ cup vegan mayo of choice - tap for oil-free aquafaba mayo recipe
- large pinch of kala namak (Indian black salt) - this is crucial for egg-y flavor
- ¼ teaspoon dried dill - or more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric, optional
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- 2 or 3 ribs celery, chopped - about ¾ cup
- salt and pepper - to taste
Instructions
- Add about an inch of water to a large pot, and bring to a boil. Rinse the dirt off the mushrooms and add them to the pot. Cover, reduce heat to maintain a simmer, and cook for about 7 minutes, stirring once or twice.
- Line a large plate with a lint-free towel, and use a slotted spoon to transfer the mushrooms to the plate (you can discard the water or save it for a soup). Chill the mushrooms by placing in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
- In a small bowl whisk together the vegan mayonnaise, dill, turmeric, paprika, and a pinch of kala namak. Set aside.
- Next, squeeze the excess water from the mushrooms. To do this, gather up the ends of the tea towel and hold it over the sink while you squeeze out most of the water. Or if you don't have a towel that works for this, simply pick up 2 or 3 mushrooms as a time and squeeze. The mushrooms don't need to be completely dry, just not so wet.
- After squeezing out most of the liquid, place mushrooms in a large food processor (easiest method), or finely chop by hand. Tip: If you don't own a food processor, mash the beans with a fork, and stir everything together in a large bowl.
- Add the mayonnaise mixture and beans to the food processor with the mushrooms. Pulse until the mixture is as creamy as you like. Taste for seasoning, and add kala namak, salt, and/or pepper, as desired. Add the celery to the food processor and pulse to incorporate.
- Enjoy the vegan "egg" salad now, or refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
- mustard - just a touch of yellow mustard adds nice flavor, acidity, and color
- lemon - a squeeze of fresh lemon juice makes everything better!
- nutritional yeast - add 1 to 2 tablespoons for extra umami
- spicy - add cayenne or hot sauce, to taste
- green onion, chives, or fresh dill
Estimated Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary depending on the exact amounts and specific products and ingredients used.
Sharine Borslien says
Wow, Lori, this recipe looks delicious! My husband and I love mushrooms. We're starting a 43-day road trip tomorrow, so our trailer is pretty much all buttoned up (mushroom pun intended🍄🟫). I'm going to look for kala namek when we get to the Detroit area. I'm betting that Vince & Joe's carries it. Thanks again!
SANDRA says
This is a tasty easy recipe that I absolutely love! And the broth from the boiled mushrooms made a great soup!!
Mark says
I thought this recipe looked intriguing, so I tried it! I loved it. I like mushrooms and white beans much better than eggs, so I left out the Kala Namak and still enjoyed it A LOT!
Brian says
I like horseradish in my egg salad,so........
Trina says
This eggless salad is very very good. I used little mustard, green onions, fresh dill, kosher dill pickles which I diced finely and squeezed out the juice. We all ate it and decided we prefer this egg salad recipe!
Thank you,
Trina
Stacey says
Another hit as usual! For me, even with the black salt, I wasn't getting full egg salad vibes but I was here for the curiosity factor anyway. I'm down for anything mushroom. I might add more black salt as I have it throughout the week but honestly I think it's perfect tasting more mushroomy anyway. I made your oil free mayo with the canalleni bean water & it's delish! My first time trying a vegan mayo and yours didn't disappoint. Made this for my week lunches and I'll have it as lettuce wraps. Tasty and I will make it again! Thanks Lori💗
Stacey says
Ok I want to edit my comment. I added way more black salt and voila egg salad vibes. I didn't want to overdo it and ruin it but I was curious why I didn't think it was Egg salad-ish. After more than a dash of it, I can say this is an excellent replacement. Everything you make is 5 stars!
Sharon says
I tried this and I LOVE it. I didn’t use a food processor though. I mashed up the beans with a potato masher, and cut up the cooked mushrooms with a knife. I also put dill relish instead of dried dill. Now, if I didn’t know better I would swear it was real egg salad. I appreciate this!
Bev says
I'm looking forward to trying this!
Don't throw out the mushroom water, though. Save it for broth, gravy, and soup!
Sherry Considine says
I’m excited to try this recipe! The link for the oil free Aquafaba recipe isn’t working.
Lori says
Thanks for the heads up! Adding that link now. Hope you enjoy the recipe!