“Tofuna,” aka tuna-style tofu salad made with baked tofu is my go-to recipe as a sandwich spread. This super-easy tofu salad recipe is as good as an at-home vegan lunch, a light dinner, and a portable midday meal. Serve over leafy greens or spread on your favorite bread for a delicious tofu sandwich that everyone will love.
If I’m having guests for lunch or brunch, I usually make a batch (or a double batch) of this no matter what else I’m serving. It practically gets inhaled, even by the staunchest of tofu skeptics. And yes, it really is ridiculously easy to make, and a great way to veganize tuna or chicken salad, for anyone still craving them.
Just 3 must-have ingredients (+2 optional)
The three must-have ingredients are baked tofu, vegan mayonnaise, and celery.
Nutritional yeast is an optional but highly recommended ingredient, as are chives or scallion. Soy Boy® Teriyaki or Smoked and Nasoya® Teriyaki (both come in 8-ounce packages) are my favorites for this particular recipe.
Spread on sandwiches or dollop on salads. Use this as a spread for sandwiches, or stuff into pita bread. Or just enjoy on its own as a protein-boosting side dish, or mounded over a green salad. Though all you absolutely need are three ingredients, the two optional ingredients are highly recommended.
Recipe adapted from 5-Ingredient Vegan by Nava Atlas
Photos of Tofuna by Hannah Kaminsky, BittersweetBlog.com
A few notes about baked tofu
Of all the varieties kinds of tofu, baked tofu is the newer kid on the block (though by no means a new product) when it comes to being stocked in conventional supermarkets. It’s one of the more tasty and versatile of tofu varieties, and the one that might most appeal to those who think they don’t like tofu.
If you can’t find baked tofu in your supermarket’s produce section, you’ll surely find it in natural foods stores. It comes ready-to-use in flavors including Thai, Italian, Teriyaki, and Caribbean, and Smoked. Soy Boy® White Wave®, and Nasoya® are brands that offer baked tofu varieties, among others.
Other uses: Baked tofu can be used as a chicken or tuna substitute in recipes like this one. It’s a good choice for stir-fries and skillet dishes as well as for adding protein to green salads. Already flavored, it doesn’t take much effort to make it taste good — it already does.
Sliced and used just as is, baked tofu is also a quick, convenient sandwich or wrap filling. Try layered it with greens, sliced tomatoes, mustard, and vegan mayo.
Explore more …
- Easy tofu recipes for every meal of the day
- “Tofuna” Vegan Tuna Melt Sandwiches
- Ways to use baked tofu
- Kale and Chickpea Salad or Sandwich Spread
Ridiculously Easy “Tofuna” Sandwich Spread

Tofuna, or tuna-style tofu salad or sandwich spread, is delicious on fresh bread, mounded over green salads, or enjoyed as a side dish.
Ingredients
- 8-ounce package baked tofu (see note)
- 1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise, or as desired
- 1 large celery stalk, finely diced
Optional ingredients
- 1 scallion (green part only), thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
Instructions
- Using your hands, crumble the tofu finely into a mixing bowl. Or, you can break the tofu into a few pieces, place in a food processor, and pulse on and off until finely and evenly chopped, then transfer to a mixing bowl.
- Add the mayonnaise and celery. Mix thoroughly. Stir in either or both of the optional ingredients. Transfer to a smaller serving container or serve straight from the mixing bowl.
Notes
Soy Boy® Tofu Lin or smoked flavor are my favorite kinds of baked tofu to use in this recipe, but it's good with whatever brand of baked tofu you have available.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
5Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 177Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 238mgCarbohydrates: 8gFiber: 2gSugar: 3gProtein: 6g
Based on 5 servings. Nutrition data is always an estimate depending on program used to calculate and exact products used.
See more easy vegan sandwiches & wraps and vegan “seafood” recipes.
Easy as advertised and delicious! Scallions make everything taste good in my opinion, and go beautifully with this tofuna recipe which I’ll be making for picnics from now on!
Thank you so much! This ridiculously easy recipe is one of my personal favorites, and one I make quite often. Glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you for this recipe! Now a solid go to. 10/10 recommend
Thank you, Meghan — it’s one of my go-to’s as well (and has been for many years)!
I make this all the time and have forced many friends to taste it, even non-vegan friends, and without exception, everyone has loved it. It’s amazingly good. I put in celery, carrot and purple onion and call it confetti tofuna. Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
Thank so much for passing on the love, Dena! And your tweaks sound delicious (and colorful) …