Roman feasts were incredibly lavish affairs. The idea was to be extravagant and impressive, displaying power and wealth, said NPR. For mains, there will be everything from pheasant to raw oysters to wild boar. But there was usually an appetite to begin with. And often, that appetizer was a hard-boiled egg seasoned with spices. Or, as we might call it today, a kind of deviled egg.
Yes, according to the North Carolina Egg Association, research suggests that deviled eggs can be traced back to the ancient Romans. Today, the recipe is definitely a little different, but it’s still incredibly popular.
But what if you are vegetarian? Is it still possible to enjoy this delicious seasonal treat? The answer, surprisingly, is yes – but with a few tweaks, of course. Here’s more about vegan deviled eggs and how to make them using only plant-based ingredients.
What are deviled eggs?
Typically, deviled eggs consist of shelled and half hard-boiled chicken eggs, filled with a mixture of ingredients such as yolk, mayonnaise, mustard, and vinegar, and seasoned with salt, pepper, and paprika. The ingredients often change from recipe to recipe, but it is always made with chicken eggs. And this, of course, means conventional recipes off the menu for vegans.
But if you love that devilish taste but don’t actually want to eat eggs (more on the problems with the egg industry here), here’s how to make this Roman appetizer vegan.
What are vegan eggs?
Vegan deviled eggs taste just like regular deviled eggs, only they’re made with plant-based ingredients. Small Yukon gold potatoes are a popular option, for example, because they resemble chicken eggs in shape and size. They can be stuffed with vegan mayonnaise and mustard, before being seasoned with paprika and dill, to get all the same flavor, none of the animal products.
But if you’re not a fan of potatoes, you can also use ingredients like chickpeas, avocado or tofu. And Called Kala, a type of black salt that smells and tastes like eggs, is a must. To get you started, here are some of our favorite vegan deviled egg recipes.
Vegan Deviled Egg Recipe
Daniel Keith
1 Vegan Deviled Egg Potatoes
If you’re planning your own feast and you’re stuck for an appetizer idea, these vegan egg potatoes will go down a treat. With just eight ingredients, including potatoes, vegan mayonnaise, and apple cider vinegar, these are super easy to pull together. If you want to add a little more texture, you can add vegan bacon bits or some crunchy onion toppings.
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No Sweat Vegan
2 Vegan Deviled-Egg Crostini
If you don’t bother about creating realistically shape Deviled eggs, and all you want a quick and easy recipe with the tasteThen this recipe is for you. First, make a simple tofu scramble, before combining it with ingredients like vegan yogurt, sweet pickles, and dried dill. Finally, this recipe is best served with a slice of crostini bread. However, if you want something more substantial, you can fill a baguette for a delicious and satisfying lunch.
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VGN Way
3 Vegan Deviled Wonder Eggs
If you can get your hands on vegan hard-boiled eggs (like Cratty Counter’s Wonder Eggs, for example), give this easy recipe a try. It’s not too fuzzy, and looks and tastes like a normal deviled egg, thanks to the Wonder Egg look and feel. For extra flavor, don’t forget to add more Called Kala Salt.
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eat heartily
4 Vegan deviled eggs filled with chickpeas
Although there are some vegan hard-boiled egg products on the market now, they are not widespread. So if you don’t have access to them, or you just prefer to cook with whole foods, this chickpea option is also delicious. Tomatoes take the place of eggs before being stuffed with a mixture of avocado, canned chickpeas, nutritional yeast, mustard and more. If you don’t like tomatoes, you can also serve this yummy filling on a baked potato, a cracker or crusty bread – the choice is yours!
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Planting 365
5 Deviled Avocados
Avocado on toast has quickly become a modern classic. But if you want to add a little twist to your regular recipe, why not make it devilish? All you have to do is mix the avocado together with ingredients like celery, onion, mustard and paprika, of course, to enhance the flavor. It’s great for those who don’t like the taste of eggs, no reason Called Kala In the recipe
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Sympathetic snob
6 Vegan Deviled Eggs with Tofu
If you’re after a beautiful presentation, this vegan egg recipe is worth a try. On top of the edible flowers, the “eggs” are silken tofu, agar agar (a jelly-like substance derived from red algae) and Called Kala. For the filling, you will again need tofu (hard tofu this time) and more Called Kala, vegan mayonnaise, mustard, apple cider vinegar, and turmeric. Don’t forget to use an egg mold to get that perfect shape!
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To know more about vegetarian eggs, read:
Charlotte is a writer and editor based in sunny Southsea on the south coast of England.