Here at Yum Vegan HQ, we are all about turning old classics into vegan masterpieces.

I did use to love making crab salad in my omni days so it was awesome to create this very realistic vegan crab salad that is so full of incredible flavours.

Back in those days, we used dressed crab that always had a smoky flavour, it was a very flaky meat that was also soft so it took a little bit of work to find the perfect way to imitate these flavours.

Vegan Crab Meat Shredded

That said, this recipe only takes a matter of minutes to make. After checking out a variety of recipes, I finally came up with my own take and one awesome ingredient that really makes this work.

This vegan crab salad is quite versatile in the sense it can be used as a starter, a sandwich filler and is a perfect make ahead lunch. You can make it super fancy by loading it into little gem lettuce as an appetizer.

Likewise you could make it into canapés in small quantities, either in lettuce cups or bite sized sliders. If you prefer it in a sandwich for your lunch, it’s also super nice!

I Just love that its fancy enough for any occasion.

Make sure to check out our vegan lunch ideas.

To make this recipe, you only need a handful of ingredients. Namely:

3 blocks of firm smoked tofu
2 tbsp of capers
1 tsp of white pepper
1 stick of finely chopped celery
2 -3 spring onions finely chopped
Vegan mayo
2 tbsp Hot sauce ( or to taste depending on your tolerance of spice)
The juice of 1/2 a squeezed lemon
1 tbsp of Old Bay Seasoning( if you can’t get this use paprika instead)

Although Old Bay is an amazing seasoning to use for this recipe due to it’s flavours, it is not entirely necessary. Old Bay is predominantly made up of dried celery, mustard powder, paprika, chilli and all spice.

As you can imagine this is incredibly flavoursome but the fresh celery, hot sauce, paprika and white pepper can help with replacing this punch. I have tried it with and without Old Bay and both are good! If you decide not to use Old Bay be sure to replace with some paprika.

Vegan Mayonaise

I am a big fan of making my own mayonnaise since it’s so simple to do so. Of course, if you prefer to preserve your time, just use a shop bought option and skip onto the next section of this article.

Alternatively if you like the idea of making your own vegan mayonnaise, all you need to do is simply soak a cup of cashews overnight.

Strain the water off and add to a blender with 1/4 cup of aquafaba, 1 tsp of black salt, 1/2 tsp of mustard, 1 tbsp of apple cider vinegar and 1 tbsp of lemon.

Blitz until smooth, refrigerate in an air tight container and there you have your very own homemade, clean eating vegan mayo!

Vegan Crab Meat

To make vegan crab meat, all you need to do is press the smoked firm tofu to thoroughly drain the excess liquid. You can use a tofu presser or something homemade to press the liquid out.

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Once you’ve thoroughly strained it, you will need a grater to shred the tofu. Grate the entire 3 blocks and add to a mixing bowl.

All you need to do is literally add all of the ingredients to the bowl and mix it up with a fork. Try not to mash it too much as you mix it or it could loose some of it’s texture.

Serving Ideas & Suggestions

To serve this vegan crab salad, I suggest refrigerating for up to 30 minutes before serving. Load it into baby gem lettuce and dress with water cress or dill for presentation.

Another great option is to fill small warm bread rolls with the salad as a canapé, packed lunch or picnic. Infact this crab salad is the perfect make ahead sandwich filler.

Another great option is to fill small warm bread rolls with the salad as a canapé, packed lunch or picnic. Infact this crab salad is the perfect make ahead sandwich filler.

This particular recipe could also be used like a dip if it is mashed / blitzed together. It does not need to be completely smooth to make a vegan crab dip. Serve it with crackers or crunchy vegetable sticks

Storing The Vegan Crab Salad

Make sure to keep the salad in an air tight container and store in the fridge. This yummy salad will keep really well for 3 to 4 days.

Yield: 6

Vegan Crab Salad

Name: Vegan Crab Salad
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 3 blocks of firm smoked tofu; 2 tbsp of capers; 1 tbsp of old bay seasoning or 1 tsp paprika; The juice of half a lemon; 1 tsp of white pepper; 2 finely chopped spring onions; 1 stick of finely chopped celery; Fresh water cress for presentation (optional); 3 tbsp of vegan mayonnaise; 1 tsp of hot sauce

Get ready to have your mind blown with this delicious vegan crab salad, light, full of flavour & a perfect as a canapé, salad or sandwich filler. Ideal make ahead lunch or fancy starter. Here at Yum HQ we love that this salad can be perfect for any occasion or simple lunch.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

3 blocks of firm smoked tofu
2 tbsp of capers
1 tbsp of old bay seasoning or 1 tsp paprika
The juice of half a lemon
1 tsp of white pepper
2 finely chopped spring onions
1 stick of finely chopped celery
Fresh water cress for presentation (optional)
3 tbsp of vegan mayonnaise
1 tsp of hot sauce

Instructions

Squeeze all of the excess fluid from the blocks of tofu. Finely grate the tofu.
Prepare the celery and spring onion by finely chopping.
Add the tofu to a mixing bowl along with the vegan mayonnaise, capers, lemon juice, finely chopped celery, finely chopped spring onions and white pepper.
Add hot sauce to your own taste and desire. A tsp is plenty if you do not want the mix to be too spicy.
You can add Old Bay seasoning or paprika if you cant find Old Bay. Both work perfectly well.
Mix the ingredients with a fork without mashing.
Once the mix is ready, refridgerate for 30 minutes.
Serve loaded in baby gem lettuce or bread rolls.

Notes

If you prefer to make your own mayonnaise all you need to do is simply soak a cup of cashews overnight. Strain the water off and add to a blender with 1/4 cup of aquafaba, 1 tsp of black salt, 1/2 tsp of mustard, 1 tbsp of apple cider vinegar and 1 tbsp of lemon. Blitz until smooth, refrigerate in an air tight container and there you have your very own homemade, clean eating vegan mayo!
Serve this dish as a sandwich filer, with a salad, as a canapé or appetizer.
You will for sure find smoked tofu in some of the health food stores if you are struggling to find it else where. Soy Boy is one to look for in the U.S. Or if you are in the uK smoked 'TOFOO' is widely available. Using smoked tofu is key to getting this recipe right.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 127Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 456mgCarbohydrates: 9gFiber: 2gSugar: 6gProtein: 8g