Tofu Egg Salad

Last Updated on September 4, 2025 by Heather Reseck

This Tofu Egg Salad recipe highlights one of my go-to ingredients for a quick meal–tofu. It’s precooked and provides a blank canvas for a wide variety of flavors.

The Key to the Best Tofu Texture

Here’s the key to the best texture and flavor: press out the excess moisture.

The Easiest Way to Press Tofu

What’s the easiest way to press tofu?  For this simple process, you’ll need two plates and a weight. Remove the water-packed tofu from the carton and drain the liquid. (Don’t use aseptic pack or shelf-stable tofu. It won’t hold up.) Place the block of tofu on a large rimmed plate. Place a second plate on top of the tofu. Top with some weight–about a pound or so. It could be a small stack of cereal bowls, a can of tomatoes, or a cookbook.

Let stand for 5-10 minutes, or up to 30 minutes, depending on how much time you have and how much liquid you want to press out. When you’re ready to use the tofu, remove the weight. Hold the tofu that is sandwiched between two plates in your hands and drain the excess liquid into the sink. If you need the tofu to be extra dry, you can then wrap it in a towel, but usually, that will not be necessary.

Ingredients for Tofu Egg Salad

• firm tofu, drained
• vegan mayonnaise 
•  black salt  or sea salt
• chopped dill pickles, optional
• pinch of turmeric for color

See the recipe card for specifics

The Secret to Eggy Flavor for Tofu Egg Salad

If you miss egg salad and desire your tofu wanna-be egg salad to taste more “eggy,” you will want to try Indian black salt–kala namak. It is a dark-colored salt with a high sulfur content, which gives the characteristic egg smell and taste. You can find Indian black salt–kala namak–at Indian stores or online at Amazon.com.

The eggy flavor dissipates when heated, so add it just before serving when using it in heated dishes.

Tip for Tofu Egg Salad

For more textures, cube or chop some of the tofu and set aside. Mash the rest. Stir in the cubed tofu.