This vegan tofu scramble is a great, easy breakfast full of protein. Serve with toast and tempeh bacon or add to breakfast burritos!
While I was at it making tempeh bacon, I just had to make a tofu scramble. It's absolutely classic Vegan Food™. Tofu scramble is more than the vegan version of scrambled eggs—it's the first tofu recipe people usually try and it's the key to a vegan version of the typical American breakfast of eggs, bacon, and toast.
Tofu scramble is versatile. You can keep it simple with some chopped onion and garlic, or go all out with your favorite veggies, veggie sausage, fresh herbs, and a sprinkle of vegan cheese. On most days, I'm somewhere in the middle, so this recipe includes onions and peppers.
🧅 Ingredients
Tofu scramble has a very mild flavor, but there are a few key ingredients required to get that flavor just right. Onion, garlic, nutritional yeast, turmeric, and black salt create the base flavor of the scramble. They work together so well that you couldn't pick out just one flavor. After that, you can season the tofu scramble to your preferences.
- Olive oil
- Onions
- Garlic
- Bell Peppers
- Tofu
- Garlic Powder
- Smoked Paprika
- Nutritional Yeast
- Turmeric
- Black Salt (Kala Namak)
- Lemon
- Salt and Pepper
Tofu
It depends on your personal preferences, but I recommend using medium or firm tofu for the recipe. Soft tofu seems like the ideal candidate for tofu scrambled eggs, but it can turn to gloop pretty quickly once you're cooking. Medium firm tofu retains some texture but still has the ideal texture for a scramble. Extra firm tofu will crumble too easily and make for a very grainy scramble.
Nutritional Yeast
Nutritional yeast adds a subtle umami flavor to the tofu scramble without overpowering the flavors and also adds a bit of color. You can sprinkle a bit more nutritional yeast (or "nooch") on your scramble for an additional nutty, "cheesy" flavor.
Black Salt (Kala Namak)
Black salt or kala namak is actually pink in color and it has a unique sulfur-like flavor that can enhance the flavor of vegan "egg" dishes when used sparingly. I mean like a pinch unless you want your whole house to smell like eggs.
I've used black salt in other recipes like my Aquafaba Mayo and Fried Rice with Tofu "Egg" (the tofu egg is really a variation of tofu scramble) to impart a subtle "eggy" flavor to the recipes.
Where to buy black salt? Find it on Amazon or locally at an Indian market.
🔪 Instructions
Open the tofu package and pat dry with a towel (no need to press). Add garlic powder, smoked paprika, nutritional yeast, turmeric, and black salt, if using. Stir to combine and set aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the onions and cook for 3-4 minutes, until they start to brown.
Add garlic and bell pepper, stirring frequently, until tender.
Push the vegetables to the sides of the skillet to clear a space in the center of the pan.
Add the remaining olive oil, then crumble the tofu into the pan, keeping some large chunks.
Stir fry the tofu for 8-10 minutes, mixing the herbs and spices into the tofu as you go, gradually mixing the vegetables and tofu together.
Once the herbs and spices are completely mixed into the tofu, and the scramble starts to develop a crispy edge, add the lemon juice to deglaze the pan.
Taste and adjust seasonings, then add salt and pepper to taste.
💭 Tips
- Don't crumble the tofu too much right away. It will break up further as you cook it.
- I recommend making the tofu scramble in a cast iron pan with a metal spatula. The tofu will get nice crispy edges.
📋 Variations
Switch up the veggies
You can replace the bell peppers with any kind of veggies like spinach, tomatoes, or even broccoli.
Southwest Tofu Scramble
To make southwest tofu scramble, add a 1 chopped jalapeño in place of the green pepper and add ½ cup each black beans and frozen corn kernels when you add the veggies. Sprinkle ½ cup of vegan cheddar or pepperjack cheese in the pan right before serving.
Herbed Tofu Scramble
Add ½ teaspoon each dried oregano, sage, and thyme when you add the other seasonings to the pan.
🥞 Sides
Tofu scramble is just part of a complete vegan breakfast! Try pairing your scram with these recipes.
You can't go wrong with vegan pancakes! These ones are the good old fashioned kind, and nice and fluffy.
For an extra hit of protein and smoky salty flavor, add some tempeh bacon to your plate. Hot tip: cook the bacon in the same pan BEFORE you make the tofu scramble. The flavor and crispy bacon bits will add a little somethin' somethin' to the tofu scramble.
Bakery Style Vegan Chocolate Chip Muffins
If you really wanna go out and add a dessert moment to your breakfast, whip up a batch of these chocolate chip muffins! They have big muffin tops with crispy crunchy coarse sugar, and soft pillowy insides with melty chocolate.
Toast
Good ol' toast. There's no recipe link here. You just put some bread in the toaster for 2-5 minutes and then add some vegan butter and jam.
📖 Recipe
Easy Vegan Tofu Scramble with Onions and Peppers
This vegan tofu scramble is a great, easy breakfast full of protein. Serve with toast and tempeh bacon or add to breakfast burritos!
Ingredients
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ red bell pepper, chopped
- ½ green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 lb tofu, drained
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- ¼-½ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 pinch kala namak, (black salt), optional
- Juice of ½ a lemon
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- Open the tofu package and pat dry with a towel (no need to press).
- Add garlic powder, smoked paprika, nutritional yeast, turmeric, and black salt, if using. Stir to combine and set aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat.
- Add the onions and cook for 3-4 minutes, until they start to brown.
- Add garlic and bell pepper, stirring frequently, until tender.
- Push the vegetables to the sides of the skillet to clear a space in the center of the pan.
- Add the remaining olive oil, then crumble the tofu into the pan, keeping some large chunks.
- Add garlic powder, smoked paprika, nutritional yeast, turmeric, and black salt, if using.
- Stir fry the tofu for 8-10 minutes, mixing the seasoning into the tofu as you go, gradually mixing the vegetables and tofu together.
- Once the herbs and spices are completely mixed into the tofu, and the scramble starts to develop a crispy edge, add the lemon juice to deglaze the pan.
- Taste and adjust seasonings, then add salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
- Don't crumble the tofu too much right away. It will break up further as you cook it.
- I recommend making the tofu scramble in a cast iron pan with a metal spatula. The tofu will get nice crispy edges.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: ¼ recipeAmount Per Serving: Calories: 231Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 120mgCarbohydrates: 18gFiber: 4gSugar: 11gProtein: 14g
All nutritional information presented within this site are intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information on seitanbeatsyourmeat.com should only be used as a general guideline. This information is provided as a courtesy and there is no guarantee that the information will be completely accurate. Even though I try to provide accurate nutritional information to the best of my ability, these figures should still be considered estimates.
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