This Vegan Japanese Egg Salad Sandwich or tamago sando is filled with a creamy tofu “egg” salad tucked between two slices of soft white bread. This sandwich is protein rich, easy to make, and holds up well in a packed school or work lunch. You can find this popular snack item at convenience stores across Japan or you can easily make this vegan version at home with just a few ingredients.
What is Tamago Sando?
Tamago Sando translates to “egg sandwich” in Japanese. In Japan an egg sandwich is their version of an egg salad sandwich.
The key to turning this into a vegan Japanese version is to use tofu, vegan mayo, a bit of sugar, nutritional yeast, and vegan chicken broth powder. And then add this filling on top of soft white bread with the crusts cut off to resemble the iconic Japanese egg salad sandwich.
This tofu ”egg” salad filling tastes so good and is pretty darn close to traditional egg salad. It blows my mind how medium firm tofu cut into small pieces can mimic the texture of hard boiled eggs. Since going vegan I never thought I would be able to enjoy egg salad again but this recipe tastes heavenly and brings me right back to my childhood. It’s definitely my favourite sandwich that I make again and again!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Perfect make ahead for school or work lunch
- Packed with high quality plant protein from the tofu
- Easier to make then the traditional version (no boiling/peeling eggs)
- Creamy fluffy tofu “egg” salad that tastes heavenly (even eaten by the spoonful on its own)
- Super easy and ready in under 20 minutes
With all that being said I know this quick and flavourful recipe is going to be a repeat in your home.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Tofu – Medium firm is best in this recipe as it provides the perfect texture to resemble an egg like consistency. I like using the Canadain brand called Sunrise. Firm tofu is too heavy and silken tofu is too mushy.
Vegan Mayo – Adds creaminess, I like to use store bought Hellmann’s vegan mayo.
Nutritional Yeast – Adds a depth of umami flavour.
Granulated Sugar – For that hint of sweetness that Japanese tamago sando is popular for and is what makes this so delicious.
Vegan Chicken Broth Powder – Adds a subtle, rich salty chicken flavour. I like to use the Luda brand of No Chicken Vegan Broth.
Turmeric – This adds that familiar eggy yellow colour.
Salt & Black Pepper – To season and enhance the other flavours in this recipe.
Fresh Parsley – Adds freshness and colour, feel free to leave them out if you’re not a fan.
Bread – Use your favourite soft white sandwich bread. I highly recommend your bakery’s fresh white bread or try to find the fluffiest and softest white bread that your grocery carries.
Butter – I used softened vegan butter or margarine to spread on the sandwich bread. This adds extra flavour and acts as a barrier so that the bread doesn’t become soggy.
Step By Step Instructions
- In a large bowl add the vegan mayo, nutritional yeast, sugar, vegan chicken broth powder, turmeric, salt, black pepper and parsley.
- Mix using a spoon or whisk until well combined.
- Drain and pat dry a block of medium firm tofu with a paper towel. Slice the tofu into thin strips and then in the opposite direction cut the tofu into small cubes.
- Gently pat dry the tofu cubes with a paper towel to absorb any extra liquid.
- Add the cubed tofu to the mayo mixture.
- Gently stir/fold until combined. You can enjoy immediately or cover and let chill until ready to serve.
- To assemble your sandwiches, spread butter on each slice of bread and then add the tofu “egg”filling on one slice of bread and then top with another slice of buttered bread to make the sandwich.
- Trim the crusts and then cut the sandwich in half and it’s ready to enjoy.
Recipe Tips & Notes
- Adjust ingredients and season to your taste. If it tastes a bit bland add a bit more salt to enhance the flavours as needed. (Tofu is plain so you must season it well)
- If it’s not creamy enough for your tastes, try adding an extra tbsp of vegan mayo and to make it sweeter and more sugar to taste.
- This tofu “egg” salad can be made ahead of time. Store covered in an air tight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. If it looks watery give it a stir to recombine.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes you can, start by adding 1/2 tsp of kala namak and then taste it and add more if you want a more eggy flavour. I chose not to add this in my recipe because I’m not the biggest fan of the eggy flavour but I love the nostalgic of egg salad. If you’re not familiar with kala namak it’s an Indian Himalayan black salt that has a flavour profile of boiled eggs.
The difference is that the Japanese egg salad sandwich consists of a smooth, creamy filling with no vegetables and the American egg salad often includes chopped vegetables like pickles and celery.
In Japan their sandwiches are often crustless because the filling is so fluffy, smooth, and heavenly that the chewy outer crust distracts from the overall texture and flavour.
Yes, once you have assembled the sandwiches, if not eaten right away wrap well in saran wrap and place in fridge for 1-2 days. These are great for packed school or work lunches as well as for bringing on picnics.
MORE ASIAN RECIPES I LOVE:
- Stir-Fried Garlic Chili Udon Noodles (Additively delicious and made in 15 minutes)
- Crispy Vegetable Kakiage Tempura (Fried crispy veggie fritters in a light batter)
- Udon Carbonara with Pecan Bacon (Rich carbonara sauce with bouncy udon, so slurpable)
DID YOU MAKE THIS VEGAN JAPANESE EGG SALAD SANDWICH?
I’d love to hear your feedback. Please leave a comment/star rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below. And of course be sure to tag me on Instagram as I love seeing photos of the recipes you guys have made.
Vegan Japanese Egg Salad Sandwich
Ingredients
- 1 block (454g) package medium firm tofu
- 6 tbsp vegan mayo
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1/2 tsp granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp vegan chicken broth powder or to taste
- 1/4 tsp turmeric
- 1/4 tsp salt or more to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
To make the sandwiches:
- 8 slices of white bread
- 2 tbsp vegan butter/margarine, softened
Instructions
- In a large bowl add the vegan mayo, nutritional yeast, sugar, turmeric, vegan chicken broth powder, salt, black pepper and parsley.
- Mix using a spoon or whisk until well combined
- Drain and pat dry a block of medium firm tofu with a paper towel. Slice the tofu into thin strips and then in the opposite direction cut the tofu into small cubes.
- Gently pat dry the tofu cubes with a paper towel to absorb any extra liquid.
- Add the cubed tofu to the mayo mixture.
- Gently stir/fold until combined. You can enjoy immediately or cover and let chill until ready to serve.
To assemble your sandwiches:
- Spread butter on each slice of bread and then add the tofu “egg”filling on one slice of bread and then top with another slice of buttered bread to make the sandwich.
- Trim the crusts and then cut the sandwich in half and it’s ready to enjoy.
Video
Notes
- Adjust ingredients and season to your taste. If it tastes a bit bland add a bit more salt to enhance the flavours as needed. (Tofu is plain so you must season it well)
- If it’s not creamy enough for your tastes, try adding an extra tbsp of vegan mayo and to make it sweeter and more sugar to taste.
- This tofu “egg” salad can be made ahead of time. Store covered in an air tight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. It it looks watery give it a stir to recombine.
I would definitely add some black salt / Kala Namak for an eggy flavour.
Thank you so much Angela for your feedback. I updated the post in my FAQ section about adding kala namak (black salt) in this recipe 🙂
Excellent use of tofu in this recipe. I could not find the black salt suggested in the last comment but I added smoked sea salt and smoked paprika which helped give a boost in flavor. Made for a tasty lunch.
Thank you so much for the feedback Christina! Adding smoked salt and smoked paprika sounds delicious! Glad you enjoyed the recipe.
such a yummy breakfast to start off the day!
Thank you Andrea! This sandwich makes the perfect breakfast! I love making these the night before to enjoy the next day.
This is AMAZING!!!! I am addicted! You would never know this wasn’t a real egg salad sandwich. I used 1/2 teaspoon black salt and omitted the regular salt. This takes me back to the egg salad sandwiches we had in the 1970s. Not a bunch of other stuff in it, just simple. Wonderful comfort food!
This looks delicious and is genius. I will be trying this out with a variation for sure. Brilliant! It’s simple yet the presentation is very good, yet I’ve never thought to try this. Much appreciated!