Publised on 03/06/2024. Last Updated on 21/06/2024 by Richard
These vegan boiled eggs are high protein and ideal for salads, sandwiches and ramen. Serve chilled for a firm yolk or hot for a runny yolk.
Today, I'm absolutely thrilled to share with you my game-changing Vegan Boiled Eggs. Now, before you raise an eyebrow, hear me out. These guys are a cracker (get it!?) for anyone craving that classic boiled egg experience, but you know, without the eggs.
Crafted with a bit of plant-based wizardry, these Vegan Boiled Eggs can be served with a hard or runny yolk in both hot or cold dishes. AND each half an egg contains 4g of protein, which is more than a real egg! If you've been on the lookout for a vegan egg substitute, your search ends here!
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What are Vegan Boiled Eggs?
Vegan Boiled Eggs are (in my humble opinion) a bit of a magical creation using plant-based ingredients to replicate the look, texture, and flavour of traditional boiled eggs. The egg whites are silky and firm, made from a base of tofu and set with agar agar, while the yolks are rich and creamy, thanks to the clever use of ackee (more on that below) and other vegan condiments. This concoction not only looks like the real deal but provides a tasty and nutritious alternative that fits beautifully into a variety of dishes.
Ingredients You'll Need
Before we dive into the nitty-gritty, here’s a quick run-through of what you’ll need for your Vegan Boiled Eggs. Remember, the full recipe with quantities are waiting at the bottom of this post, just scroll down if you’re in a hurry!
- Silken tofu (firm variety)
- Agar agar powder
- Water
- Corn starch
- Kala namak (also known as black salt)
- Ackee (a fruit native to West-Africa and used often in Caribbean cooking. You can find it canned and cooked. It has a surprisingly egg-like texture and neutral flavour, making it perfect for our vegan yolk!)
- Vegan butter, melted
- Dijon mustard
- MSG (optional, but it adds that umami kick!)
How To Make Vegan Boiled Eggs
Creating these beauties is simpler than you might think. Here’s a quick breakdown, but don’t forget, the full recipe with all the details is at the bottom of the page.
- Prepare the whites: Blend the tofu, agar agar, water, and corn starch until smooth, then cook over a double boiler until glossy. Pour the mixture into egg moulds, cool, and then hollow out a space for the yolk.
- Make the yolk: Blend the yolk ingredients until smooth, then fill the holes in the whites.
- Final touches: Chill until set, then trim any excess yolk for perfect vegan eggs.
How to Serve Vegan Boiled Eggs
These Vegan Boiled Eggs work so well in so many recipes. Everything from salads to sandwiches and noodles would benefit! Place a half-egg on a hot bowl of my vegan carbonara and watch the yolk melt and turn runny! Add one to my vegan bibimbap for a plant-based twist on the Korean Classic. I love this miso ramen recipe from All Veg Considered and it would look GREAT topped with one of these little beauties!
Some Helpful FAQs
Store them in an airtight container in the fridge, and they’ll keep for up to five days.
If you're going for a firm centre, then serve chilled. If you'd like a runny centre, just zap in the microwave for 1 minute at 50% power. Alternatively, just serve the egg half on a hot meal, like ramen, and the heat from the food will melt the centre.
Yes! The use of kala namak (aka black salt) which has a slightly sulphurous taste and smell, gives these eggs a real authentic "egginess".
I hope you’re as excited to try out Vegan Boiled Eggs as I was when I first perfected this recipe! They’re a true showstopper whether you're vegan or just plant-curious.
Snap a photo of your vegan culinary creations and tag @schoolnightvegan on social media—I can’t wait to see your takes!
Vegan Boiled Eggs
Equipment
- Medium Saucepan
- heat proof bowl
- High Speed Blender
- Jam thermometer or probe thermometer Optional but recommended
- Silicone half-egg mold
- Teaspoon measure or melon baller
- Plastic wrap
Ingredients
For the Egg Whites
- 300 g silken tofu use a “firm” variety, not soft
- 2 teaspoon agar agar powder
- 3 tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon corn starch
- ½ teaspoon kala namak aka black salt
For the Egg Yolk
- 80 g ackee canned, drained
- 35 g vegan butter melted
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- Pinch kala namak aka black salt
- Pinch MSG optional
Instructions
To Make the Egg Whites
- Place a medium saucepan over low heat and add around 120ml (half a cup) of water. Bring to the boil then sit a heat-proof bowl on top to create a double boiler.
- Place the silken tofu, agar agar, water and corn starch into the cup of a high-speed blender and blend until very smooth.300 g silken tofu, 2 teaspoon agar agar powder, 3 tablespoon water, 1 teaspoon corn starch
- Transfer the blended mixture to the heat-proof bowl. Heat the mixture, stirring often with a spatula, until smooth and glossy and thickened very slightly - around 5-7 minutes. If you have a jam thermometer or probe thermometer, use it to check that the mixture has reached 90 °C before removing from the heat.
- Working quickly, stir in the kala namak then divide the mixture between 6 wells in a silicone half-egg mould. Smooth the surface on top with a pallet knife and place in the fridge to set for at least one hour.½ teaspoon kala namak
- Once set firm, use a teaspoon measure or melon baller to remove a circular, yolk-sized hole from the centre of the egg white.
To Make the Egg Yolk
- Place the yolk ingredients in the cup of a blender and blend until smooth.80 g ackee, 35 g vegan butter, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, Pinch kala namak, Pinch MSG
- Carefully spoon the yolk mixture into the holes in the egg whites, deliberately overfilling slightly. Wrap the top of the egg mould with plastic wrap to stop the eggs from drying out. Return to the fridge to set for a further 1-2 hours.
- Once set, use a knife to slice off any excess yolk mixture, leaving the firm yolk flush with the edges of the holes in the egg white.
- Serve in salads, on ramen or just as a snack. When served chilled, the yolk will be firm. The served warm the yolk will be runny. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.
Aslı Küçüksezer
this is sorcery
Elizabeth
Mine are not as pretty but still taste alright. Not as firm but still ok. Instead of ackee, I used canned hearts of palm and got a good result.
Eva
Hello! Can these be chopped up to make "egg" salad?
SE
Ha ha! Those were fun to make and taste great! I need to get the egg white a little firmer next round but still, fantastic! Thanks so much for the magic 🙂
Elizabeth
Did you get your white part to firm? I still need to make the yellow part and go buy the acme. My white part has been in the fridge overnight and is still soft. Is it because my white part heated to more than 90? Recipe maker can respond too if he’d like or knows.
Mel Hardy
I can’t wait to try these. They look amazing.
V H
THESE LOOK AMAZING THANK YOU