If you no longer eat eggs but have a craving for the retro classic, deviled eggs, you’ll really enjoy these deviled tomatoes — a completely vegan rendition. The combination of chickpeas, nutritional yeast, and vegan mayo add up to a fairly egg-like flavor and consistency. And these are even easier to make than the originals. Though these are somewhat spring-y (for instance, they’d be a lovely vegan Easter appetizer) they can be a treat any time of year for brunch, as an appetizer, or even to pack into the lunch box in a container. These are rather addictive, and with no worry about cholesterol, be prepared for them to disappear quickly! Photos by Hannah Kaminsky.
- 15- to 16-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- ⅓ cup vegan mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons yellow mustard, or more, to taste
- 1 teaspoon curry powder, or more, to taste
- Pinch of ground cumin, or more, to taste
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped chives or scallion
- 8 to 10 ripe plum (Roma) tomatoes or other small tomatoes
- Paprika for topping
- Shredded romaine lettuce or baby greens, optional
- Combine the chickpeas, mayonnaise, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, mustard, curry powder, and pepper in a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Pulse on and off until the mixture is nicely melded, but don't puree—leave a little texture.
- Add the chives or scallion through the feed tube and pulse on and off a few times to whirl in.
- If you don't have a food processor, simply mash the chickpeas well in a bowl, and stir in the mayonnaise, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, mustard, curry powder, pepper, and chives.
- Cut the tomatoes in half and scoop out the seedy center with a spoon. You'll be left with a neat shell (save what you've scooped out for another use, such as blending into a juice or sauce).
- Stuff the tomatoes generously with the chickpea mixture. Sprinkle with paprika. Arrange on a platter atop a bed of lettuce or baby greens.
Variations:
Add a tablespoon or two of pickle relish.
Use black salt (kala namak — which is actually pink —available in Indian groceries) instead of regular salt; it adds a distinctive egg-like flavor.
- Here are more tasty vegan appetizers.
- Explore more of VegKitchen’s easy, festive vegan brunch recipes and menus.
33 Comments
Linda
April 22, 2011 at 3:40 pmNava,
This looks like a wonderful recipe! I can’t wait to try it. The Deviled Tomatoes will be a cute alternative to my next girlfriends lunch!
Jennifer Arent
April 6, 2012 at 7:54 pmOMGoodness! I just made these and they are WONDERFUL!!! I doubled the curry powder and mustard and added salt. This is one of my new favorites!!!!! Thanks so much!
Hareen
April 7, 2012 at 2:31 pmCan the yeast and mustard be replaced with something eles?
Hareen
April 7, 2012 at 2:38 pmNvr mind I found the yeast. 🙂
Barb Njos
April 8, 2012 at 3:15 pmI too just made these & they are wonderful. I lined the plate with spinach & the color contrast was beautiful. I printed it & it definitely will be made over & over.
Nava
April 12, 2012 at 10:06 pmGlad you enjoyed these, everyone! This is a fun dish and quite a crowd-pleaser, it seems.
Jessica
June 7, 2012 at 8:51 amThese are AMAZING! I have made them several times since Easter and all my vegan friends love them and make this recipe too now!
Beth
October 13, 2012 at 11:20 amI teach a hands-on cooking class at a community based cancer center and this recipe has become one of our favorites. We usually double the curry and add a little more mustard. It’s easy to make and for anyone trying to eat more plant based meals this one is a winner! I love your website and passion for healthy food!
Nava
November 4, 2012 at 6:02 pmHi Beth, sorry for the delay in responding to your comment. How lovely that this recipe has become a favorite at your cancer center. It really is fun and easy; and adapting seasonings to taste is always recommended. I hope you’ll be back for more healthy ideas, as we’re always adding new recipes and articles to the site!
Dawn Acero
June 30, 2013 at 2:28 pmI recently went 100% vegan when diagnosed with gestational diabetes. I have been enjoying new flavors and dishes. This one is next, for a late lunch! Looks delicious and satisfying! Perfect timing to find it on Face Book. Thank you very much!!
Nava
June 30, 2013 at 4:45 pmDawn, I’m glad this looks appealing to you, and I wish you the best of health for the remainder of your pregnancy. Please visit the site and the FB page for lots more easy, everyday fare!
Kimberly Lipscomb
December 15, 2013 at 11:13 pmI can’t wait to try this. I think my three year old daughter will like this. She likes garbanzo beans with nutritional yeast as a seasoning so I’m sure she will like this.
Nava
December 19, 2013 at 6:35 pmKimberly — I hope your daughter — and you— will enjoy this. Odds are in your favor, if she already enjoys garbanzos (chickpeas) with nutritional yeast.
Heather
February 3, 2014 at 9:49 pmI made these at Christmas and they were a huge hit! Thank you!!
Nava
February 3, 2014 at 10:43 pmSo glad you and yours enjoyed these, Heather. I need to make it again myself soon …
Jenniffer
April 20, 2014 at 9:34 amThis recipe looks excellent, thank you! Do you have any alternate suggestions for the vegan mayo? I am a whole food eater, and have yet to find a vegan mayo I feel comfortable with.
Nava
April 20, 2014 at 9:39 amJenniffer, I use Follow Your Heart reduced-fat mayo, the first 5 ingredients of which are water, safflower oil, tapioca starch, olive oil, and apple cider vinegar. You could also make your own tofu mayo with silken tofu, or a cashew cream. Hope that helps!
Michelle
February 2, 2015 at 9:19 amThese are soooo good 🙂 Perfect protein-packed veg snack, already planning to make again!
Nava
February 2, 2015 at 9:27 amThanks, Michelle!
BZ
April 4, 2015 at 9:06 amCan I make thse the night before (specifically tonight! lol) These look and sound wonderful!
Nava
April 4, 2015 at 9:55 amI would say to make the filling tonight, but cut and fill the tomatoes in the morning. Tomatoes get mushy when refrigerated. Enjoy!
Martijn
April 5, 2015 at 4:54 amGood stuff. Just made these but i replaced the vegan mayonaise with a mixture of silken tofu, vinegar and some of that no-egg stuff. Vegan mayo is not that easy to get over here. Happy easter.
Nava
April 6, 2015 at 3:41 pmSounds like a great homemade alternative to vegan mayo, Martijn. Hop you enjoyed this!
Kerry
April 5, 2015 at 1:46 pmI just made these for Easter and put them in a traditional Easter deviled egg pan to make them look festive. I sprinkled the paprika and then tossed some chopped chives on them. They look and taste fantastic and I can’t wait to share them at our family Easter dinner tonight!
Nava
April 5, 2015 at 2:47 pmThanks, Kerry! I hope your family enjoys this; have a wonderful holiday dinner.
Lauren
April 7, 2015 at 8:18 pmGreat recipe! I actually do something very similar in a potato. The addition of black mineral salt adds an ‘eggy’ taste to the mix. Thanks Nava for all your inspiration.
http://ediblemusings.com/appetizers-sides/deviled-potatoes/
Lisa Walters
January 22, 2016 at 6:46 pmWhen I first became a vegetarian, 30 years ago, my dad gave me a copy of your “Vegetariana”. I still use it. So glad to have found this site. The deviled tomatoes will be great for my daughter’s birthday party. Thanks Nava for all of the wonderful recipes!
Nava
January 25, 2016 at 5:08 pmHi Lisa — thanks for your kind thoughts and for being a reader for all these years! I hope your daughter and friends will enjoy the deviled tomatoes.
fran
March 24, 2016 at 1:18 amjust wondering if I can omit the nutritional yeast for this recipe? Is it necessary?
Nava
March 24, 2016 at 8:04 amFran, since there’s only 2 tablespoons of it in this recipe, you can leave it out. It adds a nice subtle flavor, but it’s absence won’t be a deal breaker — these will still be plenty tasty!
Laura
April 15, 2017 at 12:10 amThese are very good! I doubled the mustard and onions and added more Veganaise for a creamier consistency and a bit more curry, then salt and generous fresh ground pepper. I plan to serve them as appetizers for Easter dinner. Thank you!
Michele
April 1, 2018 at 7:58 amThese were so good!!! I made them for an Easter gathering last weekend and all my NON-vegan family loved them! So much so that a couple of them even asked for the recipe! Im making them again today.
Nava
April 6, 2018 at 10:08 amThanks, Michelle! So glad these were a hit.