I have never liked chicken eggs. Not once. Those slimy, gooey, bubbly things some people call breakfast are just not for me. I used to eat them along with everyone else and pretended to enjoy them, while really hiding them under my leftover toast.
Gone are the days of eating what I don’t want to eat! I have one friend who said if she went vegan, the hardest thing for her to give up would be eggs. I simply do not understand this. They’re gross!! But you know what’s not gross? Tofu. Shhhhh… I can hear the rants coming from anti tofu-ers all over the world.
Hear me out! Tofu comes from a bean. A soybean. Yep. Why people have such aversion to tofu, but not to chickpeas, or kidney beans, or whatever kind of bean they like is beyond me. It’s just a lovely product that can be flavoured and loved to become all sorts of fabulous textures and flavours.
I admit I have had some pretty lousy tofu in my day. Even made by me (hey, I gotta learn somehow). When it’s done right, it really can be damn tasty.
A tofu scramble is a classic hearty vegan breakfast, but there are some tofu scrambles that have these classic pitfalls:
Common mistake #1: no seasoning!
Common mistake #2: too much salt (a problem I see a lot when non-vegans try to make a vegan dish)
Common mistake #3: An odd mixture of veggies. Hello, dripping with soy sauce bok choy tofu scramble at the restaurant down the street: I’m looking at you.
So what makes a good tofu scramble?
- A well designed, super yum spice mixture.
- Hearty veggies that add texture and flavour.
- The right tofu texture.
And with that, I present to you, my favourite tofu scramble. Full of flavour without being full of salt, lots of texture with red peppers, mushrooms, and black beans, and hearty enough to fill even the hungriest of muscle covered vegan dudes.
I like to use extra firm silken tofu for my scrambles, medium-firm tofu, or firm tofu. The extra firm silken tofu (as seen above) will give you the silkiest egg-like texture all the way to the firm tofu which will give you a bit more chew. So choose your tofu according to how firm you would like your scramble to be.
Another key to this recipe is black salt.
The most unusual thing about black salt is that it isn’t black. It’s pink. No, this isn’t the same as Himalayan salt. You can find this salt in Indian grocery stores or online here. Why bother? Just taste it, and you will discover it tastes just like eggs. I use it in dishes such as my Vegan Toast Dipping Sauce, and my Vegan Fried Egg to get that egg-y smell and flavour. Or if you’re not into that taste or don’t have black salt on hand you can just use regular salt.
To make Tofu Scramble: First, toss all the spice mix ingredients into a bowl and give a little stir.
Bonus tip: You can double, triple, quadruple, or whatever you like this spice recipe and save some for later so your next scramble will be even breezier… or cheesier. Maybe even try this cheater mix!
Roughly chop the red pepper, onions, garlic, and mushrooms. I like to leave things a bit chunky so there is lots of body and texture.
Drain and rinse the black beans. Rinse those beans well! The last thing you want to add to your scramble is slimy bean water.
Place a pan over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. When hot, add the onions, peppers, and mushrooms and sauté for about 8 minutes until everything just starts to brown. Add the garlic and sauté for 2 more minutes.
Now add the tofu blocks and smash them apart with your spoon. Don’t mash it to death, you want some nice scramble chunks in there. If you are using a different type of tofu you might have to break it apart with your hands.
Add the spice mix, and black beans and stir everything up. Heat through for about another 8 minutes. Then you’re done! Serve with toast, some avocado, or however you want to dress up your scramble.
This is my favourite hearty classic vegan breakfast recipe. Spiced to perfection with peppers, beans, onions, and mushrooms for a perfect savoury brunch.
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon black salt (also called kala namak) or regular salt
- 3/4 teaspoons turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon oil (such as olive or vegetalbe)
- 8 oz button mushrooms, sliced (about 1 1/2 cups sliced)
- 1 red pepper, chopped
- 1/2 yellow onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 454g block medium-firm tofu or firm tofu OR 2 349g blocks extra firm silken tofu (a little more or less tofu won't make a big difference)
- 1 19oz can black beans (2 cups), drained and rinsed
- Add all of the spice mix ingredients into a bowl and stir to combine.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. When hot, add the mushrooms, pepper, onion, and garlic and sauté for about 8 minutes until everything just starts to brown.
Add the tofu blocks and break it apart with your spoon until you get a nice scramble texture with lots of chunks. Stir in the spice mix and black beans. Heat through for another 5 - 8 minutes until hot.
*You can double, triple, or quadruple this spice mix and save it in a jar. That way you can have it on hand, ready to go for future tofu scrambles. Or give this scramble blend a try!
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe?
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Bon appetegan!
Sam
Hi Sam! Ready to try the tofu scramble but I have a question. This recipe calls for a different scramble spice mix than your recipe for just the scramble mix. Is the mix for this recipe different (added cumin, for example) because it is a southwest style dish with black beans and such?
Also, this recipe states that silken tofu can be used for the silkiest texture and your original spice mix recipe does not. I see that this recipe is quite older (2014) than your scramble spice mix (2019). Have you decided that silken tofu is really not the best for the “scrambled eggs”?
Please advise. Thank you!!!
First off, this tofu scramble absolutely checks all the hearty breakfast boxes for me after eschewing the 3 eggs and 5 slices of bacon type breakfasts! Yes, I actually ate this many eggs and bacon slices in one sitting. Repeatedly, lol. I am definitely a savory and filling breakfast person and I find that the granola, smoothies, muffins and so on typically just don’t cut it for me when it comes to breakfast. This one is a godsend!
I also answered my own question regarding the silken tofu, at least partially. When I made the scramble the first time on January 4th, I used 1 block of extra firm silken tofu that had been previously frozen and thawed out for the scramble. I hand squeezed A LOT of water out of the thawed out block of the extra firm silken tofu! I simply crumbled the resulting silken tofu ball into the scramble. This resulted in a fairly dry but still silky texture (I liked my eggs slightly wet when I ate them).
This morning, January 5th, I wanted to prep more of the scramble for the week, but I didn’t have another block of thawed out extra firm silken tofu, so I used a block right out of my pantry, so not frozen and thawed out. This resulted in a very silky texture but somewhat watery scramble. Frankly, the texture was too silky – the real eggs are not that smooth when you scramble them. And the liquid in the pan was not very attractive and was making the entire scramble a little soggy. After this discovery, I immediately popped another block of extra firm silken tofu into the freezer for future use!
Of course, these are my personal observations and my own personal preference will be to use a thawed out block of extra firm silken tofu. I may try the scramble with refrigerated medium firm or firm tofu later because I love to compare different outcomes of the recipes depending on the kind of the ingredients used, but I am in no rush. The texture and moisture level of the scramble resulting from using the thawed out extra firm silken tofu was great for me. Who knows, maybe someone else will find this dissertation helpful too. 🙂
Since I didn’t have any bell peppers, I simply skipped them but used 1 Serrano pepper for the heat. OMG yummy!!!
Thank you Sam!!!
You’re welcome 🙂
The scramble spice mix is intended to taste like eggs. This one isn’t. I have comments about the tofu textures in the scramble spice mix post. Hope that helps!
Good Recipe, but your website is ABSOLUTELY APPALLING!. The ridiculous number of ads make it almost impossible to navigate. This is self defeating as, while the ads may generate revenue, most people will give up and find a recipe elsewhere. Honestly, it’s just about the worst website I have seen.
Hi Steve, I haven’t heard this complaint from anyone else, so I’m wondering if there is some kind of glitch or that you are seeing something different than everyone else? The ads on my site help support the work I do so I can continue to provide free recipes.
Sam, This recipe is the Bomb! I make it every couple of weeks, and then have it for breakfast almost every day. Also, I like to take some and make breakfast burritos, with Spanish rice and vegan cheddar cheese shreds. Anyway, thanks for sharing, and Bon Appetegan! 🙂
-Alan
Age 55
Vegan
Atlanta, GA
Amazing!! So happy you love it, Alan 🙂
Hey Sam! Love this dish! How long does it keep? I want to make a large batch on Sunday to have for the week. Also super delish in a wrap with some vegan breakfast patties
I would say 4 -5 days. Enjoy!
Amazing breakfast thank you!
You’re welcome 🙂
This is awesome. I ordered black salt to try a few of your recipes, and I am so glad I did.
Best vegan tofu scramble I have ever had.
Thanks for sharing!
Yay!!! So happy you love it, Courtney 🙂
Hi Sam,
I cannot find black salt at any of my local grocery stores. Where do get yours?
Cheers,
Bill
Hi Bill, I get mine from a local Indian grocery store or you can easily order it online here on amazon. Enjoy!
Hi, I’m about to make this for the first time (and so looking forward to it because I do miss scrambled eggs!). I had to look up the recipe again and noticed that the spice mix in this recipe (nooch, chili powder, cumin, black salt, turmeric and garlic powder) is just a little different than your “Tofu Scramble Spice Mix” recipe (nooch, black salt, onion and garlic powder and turmeric). Just wondering which I should use (although I’m sure they’re both great!). Is one a ‘new and improved’ version?
Hi Lynn, yes, the are both great! The Tofu Scramble Spice Mix is designed to taste like eggs, whereas the seasoning on this scramble isn’t focused on that. Enjoy whichever one you try!
I LOVED this. Not a huge fan of tofu, but this was amazing. Add some chopped up jalapeno pepper for an extra kick. Tasted even better the next day on sandwich bread.
Yay!!! So thrilled you’re a fan, Esther! 🙂
A trick I like to use in my tofu scramble is to use more than one type of tofu. I use predominantly extra firm tofu but will crumble in a little squeezed medium tofu as well. I find the blend lends a really nice mix of softer and more firm bits just like real scrambled eggs. I do the same with my eggless egg salad. You do have to watch your liquids though.
What a great idea, Rebecca!
Made this tonight with a few modifications and it was great, but I have a little feedback. I used diced green onions instead of yellow, left out the beans, cuz I don’t eat anything from a can, and I used the whole dish to make lettuce wraps for dinner. It was yummy!
Having said that, I think a whole tsp of cumin was too much as it overpowered it a bit. A little cumin always goes a long way. Also, I agree that vegan food can sometimes be oversalted, but I think this dish needs about double the amount of black salt suggested. 2 tsp would give a bit more of the egg-ness without it being too salty. It’s a whole block of tofu and a lot of mushrooms. This could also be due to varying strengths of the black salt. Lastly, I highly suggest you drain the mushroom/pepper/onion saute before adding the tofu. It was way to watery.
Otherwise, totally loved it and will make it again with a few modifications. Thanks for the recipe!
Glad you enjoyed your version 🙂
John, you could make your own black beans from dry beans instead of using canned. I’ve been trying to do more of that lately myself.
I make this often. I modify it a bit with extra mushrooms and peppers. Great for burritos, reheats great and can make a batch big enough for a week of burritos all at once. Thanks Sam!
So happy it’s become a regular for you, Michael 🙂
Hi Sam,
I made this scramble today and used it for a breakfast burrito. So good ! And so filling, I ate only half of my serving.
Awesome!! So thrilled you enjoyed it so much, Joe 🙂
Excellent recipe with easy to follow directions. The spice mixture really makes the dish, so don’t skimp! 🙂 I served my scramble with polenta, avocado, and a dollop of Just Mayo’s chipotle mayo on top. I was full, but wanted more. It was so good! The awesome part? I wasn’t hungry all morning! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Wonderful!! So happy you enjoyed your delightful sounding breakfast, Stacy 🙂
This was delicious! I’ve made tofu scrambles before, I think the difference was the spice mix. I made a big batch of it. I’m having leftovers tonight with fish. Thanks for the recipe.
Wonderful! So happy you loved it, Stone 🙂
Hi! I’m so glad you made a video for this; I haven’t worked much with tofu yet and I have seen other tofu scramble recipes , but seeing how you do it in a video really makes a huge difference. Thanks so much! I’m going to try this tomorrow morning- with my meat-eating spouse!
Oh that’s so awesome, Julie! I hope you love the scramble 🙂
Made this tonight to practice for a make-ahead-breakfast for my husband when a smoothie won’t do the trick. Ummmm…I think I ate half it! Planning on making it again over the weekend & maybe freezing some in some fat free tortillas (I’m avoiding oil). Only change was I backed off the nutritional yeast & used some Tony Cachere’s. Thanks so much for a great recipe!
You’re most welcome, Christy!! So happy you enjoyed it so much 🙂
Just now made this (my first ever vegan dish) and wow! It’s delicious! I didn’t have the yeast or black beans so I added tomatoes and some spinach to make up for it. The flavor was great! At first I was cooking it on too high of a heat so it was drying out but I lowered the heat and it turned out great! I will definitely be making this again. Full of flavor and so filling without the overly full feeling.
Wonderful! Thrilled you enjoyed it so much, Amie 🙂
I found this recipe to be dry. Next time I would add tomato. Also love my food spicier than this. Remedied spice level with hot sauce. Even so, this is just so healthy, and the flavor blend well. I am not new to vegan, and I always appreciate new recipes. Thanks so much, Samantha!
It should actually be quite moist with the mushrooms and tofu. I would recommend turning down your heat next time to now dry it out. Enjoy!
I made this yesterday for breakfast, It was my first ever tofu scramble…it was delicious! I can’t believe I waited so long to try making this. It was so easy. The recipe made plenty and I proportioned the rest out so I could have breakfast for the next 3 days. Problem is it was so tasty I finished the last of it this morning!
Haha! That’s awesome, so happy you loved it so much, Laura 🙂
I’m just wondering if you could keep this in the fridge or freeze it and eat it over a week?
It stores in the fridge just fine 🙂
Ok funny story! I subscribe to you on YouTube and watch your videos regularly but had never followed a link to your blog. At the very same time I google almost every recipe that I need and have found itdoesnttastelikechicken.com to be a great source that I can trust and will enjoy but never looked into who was writing it. Today I scrolled just far enough down to see your beautiful face and realize you are one and the same! Maybe it’s not that funny but I laughed sooo hard! Anyway point of the story is your content is amazing! Thank you
Hahaha I think that’s pretty funny too, Lilly!! Well, I am glad you enjoy my work separately and now all together!! 🙂
I have made tofu scrambles many times and failed.. Used your recipe as a base and just yum! Thanks for the spice mix 🙂
Wonderful! So happy you enjoyed it, Lola 🙂
Omg! I am a newbie to veganism and your website is a Godsend! I made this today (I didn’t have red peppers but I used broccoli). So delicious! And the spice mix was amazing ❤️ Thank you!
You’re most welcome, Cathy, and a big huge welcome from me to your new vegan lifestyle! I hope you continue to enjoy my recipes and let me know if you ever have any questions or need any support 🙂
Hi Sam! I’m a vegan newbie and am definitely excited to try this recipe out for breakfast! I was wondering – does this meal stay good if I portion it out and refrigerate some? If so, how long do you think this will last in the fridge? I’m not familiar with cooking / storing tofu so figured I would ask! Thanks so much! I bought your cookbook for my sister’s birthday and she LOVES it! 🙂
Hi Heather! Absolutely, just store it in the fridge in an air-tight container. It should keep for 3-4 days. So happy your sister loves my book!
Tried this today and it was a BIG hit with the family.
Thanks!!
Woohoo! You’re most welcome, Barbara!
I never write reviews, but I just made this for breakfast and WOW it Is so good!! I made a few swaps for what I had in my kitchen (shiitake mushrooms, 1 tomato instead of bell pepper, regular white salt instead of black salt, and added some seitan.) Highly recommend this recipe! I usually just wing it with tofu scramble And am always dissatisfied. Never again!
Yay! So happy you loved it so much, Ginny!
I received your cookbook this weekend and I looked through it this morning to find something to make for lunch. I settled on the Tofu Scramble.
Good stuff!
Thanks so much. You are making this easy.
Yay!! So happy you are enjoying it 🙂
Do I need to press the tofu to get water out before scrambling? Thanks!
Nope. I always include all the directions and steps needed in my recipes.
This looks so good, I can’t wait to try it!
Awesome! I hope you enjoy it, Sherri 🙂
This is hands down the best brekkie I’ve had in years. The silken tofu is absolutely beautiful in this recipe, so creamy and subtle and the spice mix is just right. Accompanied by some of the rice paper bacon from your cookbook, this recipe absolutely made my day. Thanks Sam!
That’s so awesome, Stephanie!! Thrilled you loved it so very much! 😀
Hi Sam!
I’m a new vegan and I miss eggs the most! The silken extra firm tofu was right on texture to eggs. I have made this recipe twice and the second time I took a tip from my local spice shop.. Yes, there is an entire shop just for spices, it’s frankly amazing.. The black salt punches more flavor if not cooked.. So… take two I sprinkled some (like you would sugar on cereal) on top of the scramble in stead of in the cooked mix and it kicked me in the face with eggy deliciousness!! So much less salt and still amazing!
Haha! That’s amazing! So thrilled you enjoyed the scramble so much 😀
Sam,
This was my first recipe using tofu! It was a great experience. I am also enjoying your cookbook. So thankful I found you & your recipes 🙂
Susannah
Welcome to tofu, Susannah!! So thrilled you loved it. Thrilled you are enjoying my book! I’m glad you said hi 🙂
This recipe never fails me! I’ve pleased many vegans and non-vegans alike with this scramble. I always have a large batch of the seasoning on hand so I can throw this meal together pretty quickly for any meal. I also really appreciate the tips about making the scramble in general, as I often sub out different veggies… had I used other recipes, I’m sure my scrambles would always be a sloppy, slimy mess. Thank you!
Truly wonderful recipe! Mine came out extremely spicy though, so it’s either the chilli powder I used or i spazzed and threw in a tablespoon instead of a teaspoon accidentally – just have to watch that next time! But otherwise really good. I think it would work as a breakfast burrito filling quite well!
Haha, so happy you enjoyed it, Giedre!! 😀
Hello!
Just came across this recipe and must say it looks delicious to make and eat! I will definitely be subscribing for more vegan recipes
Awesome!! I hope you love it 😀
This is hands down the BEST tofu scramble I have ever had! I followed the recipe except I only had 1/2 a block of firm tofu on hand so I added in a Siracha baked tofu that I had in the fridge. It was amazing! Served with gf toast and avacado. YUM. Making again…and again…!
YAY! So happy you loved it so much, Krista 🙂
I made this for breakfast and it was delicious. It’s also more filling and nutritious than some of my other breakfast choices. Will definitely have regularly.
Awesome! Thrilled you enjoyed it, Pam.
I have to admit, I was skeptical at first. I don’t really like tofu, but only because I haven’t found a way to prepare it that’s actually delicious. This recipe changed that. Thanks!
Woohoo!! Thrilled you loved it, Liz 🙂
Awfully delicious! Been up since 4.20am unable to fall asleep. Started looking for the scrambled tofu recipes at 5am, moved to the kitchen at 6am. If I had time I’d still be sitting at the breakfast table pondering how great it was! The combination of mushrooms, tomato, frozen spinach and white beans (with a black spot) was spectacular. Avo, cucumber, raddish and some crackers on the side topped it all! Thanks.
Wonderful! SO happy you enjoyed it, Moni 🙂
DELICIOUS! I have been wanting to try tofu scramble for a long time, but never had the courage to make it because I was afraid it was going to be awful. This was actually really, really tasty. I kept the spices the same, but made it with chopped tomatoes and spinach. I find that vegan alternatives can often be a sad disappointment, especially when trying to convince meat-eating family and friends. But this meal deserves its own place on the menu. Yum!
Haha! Love it! So happy you enjoyed it so much. I feed my meat-eating friends and family my recipes and they always love them. It’s just about being able to have all the flavours and textures 🙂
I was looking for a way to use up some tofu and this was perfect. While I halved the recipe it still made enough for 4 breakfasts. The ingredients are actually zero points on the new freestyle weight watchers plan,I can’t thank you enough!
Wow amazing!! Thrilled you enjoyed it, Michelle 🙂
Hi Sam, I made this for lunch today. Didn’t put in the chilli or beans though. Had it on toast. Lovely. You get the texture of eggs which is great when you are trying to stick to veganism. I will make it again as its quick to throw together. It would be easy to make in advance and take to work. Thanks,
Thrilled you loved it so much, Orla 🙂
Hi! So happy to have found your site this morning while searching for a tofu scramble recipe for new year’s day and thus was great!! Just went cold turkey vegan with my hubby in July and it’s going great with the help of great recipes and sites like yours. It’s been a lot of fun trying new things, a new healthy hobby!! We watched what the health and made the change the next day for mostly heart issues the husband has. It’s now evolved to be compassionate to animals And The Environment, pigs and cows seem just as family friendly as cats and dogs. Thanks for all you Do And Making This lifestyle easier. happy New Year!!
Hi Marcia, welcome and congrats to you and your husband on your new veganism!!!! It was the same for me, was first inspired by health but then the animals came quickly after. I hope you enjoy many of my recipes, they are designed to be quick and easy and use easy to find ingredients. Let me know if you ever have any questions or need any support 🙂
I can’t wait to try this! I’ve had prepackaged tofu scrambler and it was ok but not worth repeating. I was vegetarian for about twenty years then became an omnivore again then vegan then omnivore now after listening to the audio book “The Reducitarian Solution” and recently eating a chicken sub where I encountered a bit of gristle [gag] I am full speed ahead to embrace veganism again!
Yay! Welcome back to veganism, Susan! I hope it sticks for you this time. I hope you enjoy this scramble. Let me know if you ever have any other questions or need any support 🙂
I made the tofu scramble for breakfast this morning, it was easy and very good! It made enough for a few more mornings. I’m paying attention to how I feel after eating various foods and this made me feel good.
Glad you enjoyed it, Susan!
I’m a vegetarian looking to slowly convert to vegan. I’ve read your article on how to become a vegan and I’m going to use the “use up what you have and replace it with vegan options method.” One of my breakfast staples now is toast and a couple hard boiled eggs so I’m really looking forward to giving this recipe a try! I work a nine-to-five job and don’t like to eat breakfast until I’m at my desk… if I make a batch of this on Sunday do you think it will be okay to reheat for throughout the week?
Hi Laura, welcome!!! So awesome you are making the transition 😀 Yes, this reheats wonderfully and I have also enjoyed it cold many days as well. Sometimes a bit of water separates but just stir it back in while heating. Enjoy and let me know if you ever have any other questions or need any support 🙂
What if you absolutely hate bell peppers? Suggestions for a flavor/texture substitute?
Thank you.
I would just skip ’em!
I hate em tooth I left out the bell. I added some chopped tomato and about 1tbs of chopped Jalapeño. I also threw in some chopped spinach & kale. It tasted spectacular!
*too so, not tooth. Darn autocorrect :/
Hi! I am transitioning from full on meat eater to a semi vegan (I am omitting everything, except fish for now. Once I get more of a routine and more comfortable with veganism, I am omitting fish also). I am currently a full time college student and I also work part time (as a cook) so, as you can probably imagine, I am a busy bee and I do not have all the time in the world to cook meals everyday. I was wondering, how will this hold up if I made a bunch on Sunday and froze it for it to last me the rest of the week?
I am excited for this transition but also a little scared because I am used to eating meat and making it part of my meals but I am on this journey to improve my health and hopefully, this new lifestyle will help me with this and also help me with my weight loss journey. I also suffer from Grave’s Disease and soy products are one thing that is recommended that I avoid but since my disease and is in remission and I making this transition, I know soy products, such as tofu, will be part of my diet.
Also, do you have recommendations for a newbie like me? Such as good meat substitutes…like recipes or brands that will give me the illusion of eating meat, without actually eating meat?
Thank you!
Hi Ana! Welcome! Anc congrats on your new adventure towards veganism 🙂 Tofu changes texture when frozen, it gets kind of spongey and chewy which some people love and some people hate. I don’t think it will work too well with this recipe but it will stay fresh when kept in an air-tight container in the fridge for I’d say 3 – 4 days. The transition can be a little tricky at first because you are breaking new habits and replacing them with new habits, but once you get the swing of things it will be easy peasy. Here is my page for FAQ about veganism, and here are my helpful vegan guides, including How to Swap This for That to Make it Vegan. Check out my Facebook Page where there is a lot of info and other readers helping eachother out. And of course I have a ton of scrumptious vegan recipes here. Hope that helps!
This was AWESOME! Thank you for sharing! The amount of turmeric was perfect in my opinion. Not too overwhelming .
Yay! So happy you enjoyed it so much, Lili 🙂
Is this dish ok to make and save for leftovers the next morning or later that day??
Absolutely! A bit of water may come out, but just reheat and you’re good to go.
Hi I just wanted to say that Tofu is NOT a bean, it’s made from beans. It’s soybean cheese or “bean curd”.
True. Tofu is made from a bean.
I only have Trader Joes high protein extra firm tofu. Will this work? Do I have to press it?
Hi Jen, yes it will work, it will just be a bit denser in texture. No need to press it as the extra moisture will cook out. Enjoy!
I tried a variant of this. sorta newbie vegan here. I’ve had tofu in the past but really could never cook it well so I left that up to my roommate.. is it necessary to get out most of the moisture from the block of tofu before cooking it? I noticed my “eggs” were super watery and didn’t absorb the flavor of the spice mixture. ended up tossing it out.
Always always put tofu on paper towels first, several, cut it in half first too! You don’t want to cook it with a bunch of water in it.
You can do that if you like, but the extra water cooks out either way 🙂
I am a 57 year old vegan newbie. I miss eggs for breakfast and now I have a recipe to start with. I too was skeptical about the use of tofu because it messing with my hormones…so here we go.
We watched a documentary that our daughter insisted we watch…we were both big meat eaters…now my hubbie and I our trying this new adventure.
Wish us luck.
That’s so wonderful, Wisteria! I hope you enjoy the scramble, and that you have a smooth transition. Luckily, the whole bad hormones in soy thing is totally a myth. Soy is just a bean, and like all beans, contain lots of health benefits. Soy doesn’t contain estrogen, it contains phytoestrogens (which is plant estrogen). They are two different things. You know what does contain estrogen? Animal products, especially dairy. Animal bodies make estrogen just like ours do, and so if you eat them, you are eating their estrogen as well. That may be one of the main reasons why vegans have much healthier levels of estrogen. Another reason for this is that excess estrogen is disposed of in our bowls, and as vegans generally eat more fibrous foods (animal products contain no fiber), their systems are much better cleaned out, washing away all the excess. Soy is actually very healthful when it comes to helping prevent breast cancer as well. You can read more in this article. So please enjoy soy without the worry of it being bad for you. 🙂
This was my first experience cooking & eating tofu. I’ve been afraid of it for years. Not sure what that could taste like. Since I’m a newbie vegan, I needed to find out. I have to say that this scramble was amazing!!! Really love it!
Thank you for giving me a hearty breakfast option without a lot of carbs.
And you have other recipes that I can’t wait to try too. Thank you for sharing your expertise.
Yay! I am so happy your fist tofu experience was a success, Janet! I love me some tofu, but it is pretty flavourless on it’s own, so it’s all about what you do to it. I have lots more flavour packed tofu recipes on my site you might be interested in as well. The Tofu Bolognese is one of my faves. 🙂
I never would have thought that one thing I would miss the most being vegan would be eggs! The taste of dairy cheese now grosses me out, but I really miss eggs for breakfast! I’ve tried a few tofu scrambles and never been really satisfied. That is until this recipe!! I use regular extra firm tofu because my local grocery stores don’t sell organic silken extra firm tofu and the texture is always perfect! On busy mornings I leave out the veggies and beans and serve it with hashed browns and a side of fruit plus some spicy salsa and it is the perfect breakfast! I never cared for sweet breakfasts, so since going vegan I had eaten avocado toast for breakfast almost exclusively. So glad to have another go to recipe for breakfast!!
Yay!! So happy this hit the spot for you, Lauren! 🙂
Made this tofu scramble at my parents’ place on the weekend (deep in the heart of cattle/chicken farms north of Toronto). My dad loved it! And we did too. This is a great recipe, and in typical Sam fashion, super simple (ie, just dump in the tofu and mash it in the pan). Loved using the extra firm silken tofu and the addition of beans.
Yay! Glad you are a fan of yet another recipe, Srivani! Pretty sure you are my number one fan 😉
I read somewhere that you aren’t officially vegan until you have a tofu scramble, lol, so this past weekend hubbie and I tried out your recipe and it was *AMAZING*!!! Thank you for sharing it, this will definitely be a regular weekend breakfast in our home! Now to see if I can get DD to try it, hehe! 😉
Hahahaha! I haven’t heard that before! So happy I could help you officially be vegan 😉 Thrilled you loved it!
Better than eggs also because it’s good leftover!
Haha! So happy you enjoyed, James 🙂
Totally yummy. I quite new to the vegan world but going well. This morning I craved a hearty breakfast. We served it burrito style with salsa. But mine came out really wet and needed draining so lost a bit of spice. This happened when I put the tofu in any suggestions? Thanks
Hi, this recipe looks great. Can I make it with regular silken tofu? – Thanks
Thank you! No, you should either use extra-firm silken tofu, or regular firm tofu. (Regular silken tofu will be too soft and watery).
Hi Katy,
Welcome! My guess is that you might have accidently used the wrong kind of tofu. Did you use silken tofu perhaps? My recipe calls for extra-firm silken tofu, or regular firm tofu. I know that might be a little confusing. There is a big difference between extra-firm silken tofu, and regular silken tofu. I hope that helps, and glad you thought it was yummy anyways!
Drain first, then put on a paper towel with another paper towel on top. I learned this trick from Minimalist Baker.
Put the tofu in your colander with a clean towel on top of it then weight it down with a heavier pot. Don’t smooth it down just let it drain while you are cooking and preparing all the other ingredients.
Did you compress your tofu with paper towels first to get all the water out?
Press your tofu block first. Place on paper towels cover with paper towel and heavy weight like cast iron pan for 16-30 min. Then crumble or slice.
Yes you can follow the instructions for in The Ultimate Guide for Pressing Tofu, but for this recipe I call for extra-frim silken tofu, or regular firm tofu, and it should not be pressed in this recipe. I will always tell you when it should be pressed! 🙂
This recipie was a great base. My family and I prefer a more complex variety of tastes, so, a dash of Braggs, liquid smoke, lemon juice, paprika, cayenne and ground black pepper and it is fantastic!
Yay! Thrilled you loved it and were able to make it your own 🙂
I will forever be grateful for this dish, not only because it’s amazing, but it’s the reason I discovered this blog! I googled vegan tofu scramble, and voila meet Sam and the best vegan blog out there, It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken! I’ve since looked at every recipe on the blog and created a binder full of them and can’t wait to try them all!
I love this recipe because it keeps me full for hours and it reheats very well so it provides me with breakfast for the majority of the week. I bought the same brand of tofu that Sam recommends in this post, and I think it’s essential to making this recipe right as it mimics the silky smooth texture of chicken eggs.
Awww yay!!! I am so happy google led you my way Rebecca! Love reading all of these comments from you this morning 🙂
So cool that I made your comment of the day on Facebook! Thanks for the shout out!
Haha of course! I appreciate the lovely comments very much! They totally make my day!
I made this today for the first time, and it is amazing! I have eaten LOTS of tofu scramble and this is one of the best. Thank you, I look forward to checking out your website further.
Aww yay!! So happy you loved it Deb 🙂
Amazing recipe! Thanks 🙂 I used smoked paprika instead of cumin and turmeric cos I was out of them. The onion and garlic really make the recipe.
Thanks Aifric! So happy you loved it 🙂
Hello Samatha,
Just found your website and am excited to try the melty mozzarella recipe! This tofu scramble looks great, too, and I will give it a try but I’m wondering if you have any recipes for quiche…
Thanks for sharing!
Hello Holly,
I do have ideas for quiche recipes, but they will be coming out in my cookbook, which will be published in 2017 🙂 So happy you found my website, let me know if you have any more questions.
Hello Samatha,
I just found your website and am excited to try some of your recipes – starting with the melty mozzarella! I wondered, too, if you had any ideas for a tofu quiche recipe. This tofu scramble looks great and I will give it a try. Any thoughts on quiche?
Some people spend their whole lives trying to figure out their purpose. You have found yours in service to others. I wanted to go vegan for the cute little animals. And initially I was excited. And then I got discouraged.
And now I’ve found YOU, Sam.
And I am excited again; truly, truly excited.
A mountain of gratitude for all of your time and effort and talent.
BTW, if you need taste-testers . . .
XOXOXO
LaTalullah
Aww that’s the nicest! Thank you LaTalullah! So very happy my blog is helping you along. Please let me know if you have any questions or need any support 🙂
Hi Sam, this recipe sounds delicious and I’d like to make it. Can you tell me the name of the store where you buy the Extra Firm Silken tofu in a box? I had five people at Loblaws and the Big Carrot looking for it and neither place seems to have it. Got very weird looks when I told them it was in a shelf safe box. Also, name of the store where you buy the black salt, please. Thanks so much. Can’t believe it has been over three weeks for us and enjoying it so. Cheers, ABC
Haha! The Loblaws people don’t know their own store. It’s in the health food section, I think on the top shelf, next to the pastas I believe. For black salt, I bought mine at BJ Supermarket on Gerrard… Yes, that’s what the store is really called. Just ask the cashier and she will get it for you 🙂
What kind or brand of black salt did you use? I Googled black salt and got some different varieties. I can’t just smell them over the Internet and I don’t want to get the wrong kind. I live in smallville america and many things aren’t available to me so I do a lot of online shopping.
It’s also called kala namak, so if the package says that, you’re good to go! I have a list here of my Top 12 Vegan Pantry Staples with links to them on Amazon. Black salt is included. Hope that helps!
That said if you can’t find either, you can always opt for Medium or Firm tofu, and regular salt 🙂
hmmm, I must be missing something…the instructions say to add the garlic but I don’t see garlic (other than garlic powder) listed in the recipe…
Good catch Amanda! I forgot to add the garlic in the ingredients list. It’s fixed now. 🙂
This looks wonderful! I love the Morinaga tofu, just by itself or tossed through with noodles etc. I was just wondering about the nutritional values of this meal? I’ve noticed that sometimes you post a table with the calories per serve and such with your recipes, and it just makes it so wonderfully easy for me to work with since I’m counting calories right now. It looks low cal enough, but I’d just like to be sure before making it! Oh, I hope I get to make it! 🙂
Hi Emma,
Thank you! Yes, in some of my older posts, I didn’t yet have the technology to make nutrition tables, or make the recipes printer friendly. I have updated the recipe for you! If you come across any others you would like me to update, just leave a comment and I will happily do so. Enjoy!
Thank you SO much for responding to my comment (and so quickly, too!), and for updating the nutritional information for this wonderful recipe! I can’t wait to try it! 😀
No problem at all, enjoy! 🙂
This is an awesome recipe. I love your tofu feta as well. You know, one more great tofu recipe, and you’ll become the Queen of Tofu! Love your blog. Cheers!
Thank you so very much John! I love the idea of being queen of tofu!! Now where is my tofu crown? …that seems like it could be messy…
This is such a fantastic recipe! My black salt hasn’t arrived yet, so I made it without; I’m excited to try it with. I’m also excited to have leftovers for workday breakfasts. So glad to have this new edition to my breakfast repertoire. Thanks!
You are very welcome Natalie! So happy you enjoyed the recipe. You can also use the black salt in any recipe where you would like a touch of eggy-ness. 😀
hi there
you mentioned we could quadruple the spices and save for later. once it’s mixed how much do i measure out for this recipe?
thanks
B
Hi Betsy,
Welcome! If you quadruple the recipe, that would mean multiplying everything by 4. So you could use 1/4th of the batch to make a scramble. If you have a little excess, or a little bit less spice in each batch, it won’t make or break the recipe so you could also just season to taste. Hope that helps!
Hi Sam! I have never eaten a better scramble, this is absolutely awesome!! I will be a champion for the rest of the day 🙂 Thanks! Eva
Yay!! Thanks Eva! So happy you are feeling the champion! 😀
Neither my boyfriend nor I are vegetarian/vegan, but I’ve been wanting to try tofu again for the longest time. My first 3 experiences with tofu were not good. This recipe is awesome though!!!!! And I will be making it again soon.
Yay! I’m so happy I was able to deliver you an awesome tofu recipe 🙂 Another one of my favourite tofu recipes is this Sweet & Spicy Sriracha Tofu. Omnomnom!
So tasty! I made it twice: once with and once without the black beans. It was delicious both times. The black salt really makes it. So glad I found your site!
Thanks Mary, I’m so glad you did too!! I love black salt, it’s such a neat ingredient!
I found this blog by googling ‘tofu scramble black salt’ and I had to leave a comment because this recipe was absolutely delicious. The spice blend was especially incredible!
Also, I used firm tofu and didn’t find that I needed to press it; the texture was perfect as it was. A million times better than scrambled egg! Thanks.
Yay! So glad you enjoyed this and that your tofu worked. Aren’t the spices divine? I made this for my little cousin once, and she said the same thing, better than eggs!
Do you press your tofu? As a new tofu user, I notice that pressing is rarely indicated.
Hi Ro! With the tofu I call for in this recipe, you don’t want to press it as it is too soft and would just smush. I will clarify if you should press the tofu in a recipe, but as a general rule of thumb, extra firm tofu is pressed and anything softer won’t be. Hope that helps.
Press 1/2 block of tofu in tofu press. I use regular, or firm. Crumble tofu, put in frying pan. Add 1/2-3/4 tsp cumin, 1/2-3/4tsp tumeric (or more), a sprinkle of cayenne, S&P, chopped up sun-dried tomatoes, 1/2 to 1 can crushed tomatoes with chiles, chopped up green pepper, cook until taste is absorbed into tofu and tofu has cooked down with no moisture left in the pan (check by tasting). Add chard and peas, cook several minutes. You don’t need garlic and onions to cook something tasty. Garlic and onions are not good for your body.
Hi Davilyn,
If you don’t like garlic and onions, by all means don’t use them. I would be a very sad person if I had to give up garlic and onions. Where did you hear that they are bad for you? I believe they are really healthy for you as they have all sorts of benefits including lower risk of gastric and prostate cancers, contain health promoting flavonoid antioxidants, slows tumor development, and have anti-flammitory effects, among other awesome health benefits. Not to mention they just taste amazing!! In fact, Dr. Joel Fuhrman, the author of the book Eat to Live recommends eating them in abundance! https://www.drfuhrman.com/library/gbombs.aspx
http://amzn.to/YidlXR
Being Italian, I’d rather chop my arms off than give up garlic and onions. OK, maybe not. But you’re right, garlic and onions are good for you. By the way this tofu scramble is awesome. Thanks.
Haha thanks again John! Yeah, I would be pretty depressed if garlic and onions really were bad for you… I definitely use them each and every day in my cooking!
You forgot the most common mistake people make with dishes like this. Trying to make a non vegan version of a vegan dish! I don’t care for scrambled eggs, so why in the hell would I want fake scrambled eggs? There are TONS of great vegan dishes that aren’t trying to resemble non vegan dishes. I think vegan food should be 100% vegan in every way. I am not vegan so, if I have a craving for meat, I eat meat. Otherwise I like to eat things that are 100% vegan. These past couple of days I have eaten 100% vegan. It’s amazing what fruits and vegetables can do! My meat craving has dropped dramatically. My mom picked up some bacon and I have 0 desire to eat any of it. That’s pretty impressive considering my former love of bacon.
Hi Jennifer,
I’m not sure what you mean by people trying “to make a non vegan version of a vegan dish”. Do you mean that some people would do something like add bacon to a tofu scramble? I haven’t seen a lot of that myself.
I agree! I don’t like scrambled eggs, but I do like scrambled tofu!
I don’t have any problem with people eating vegan versions of eggs, or hot dogs, or philly cheese steak, if that’s what they want to eat. To me, being 100% vegan is doing your best to avoid animal products both in diet and in lifestyle. It has nothing to do with tofu dogs. I don’t know anyone who went vegan because they hated the taste of animal flesh. I don’t see a problem with providing a familiar taste and texture, if it means less people are eating animals. I love being able to get a veggie dog at a baseball game! Andrew loves these vegan sausages by Feild Roast, and says they taste even better than animal based sausages! So, perfect!
I also think that this idea of 100% veganism makes being vegan seem difficult and unreachable. We unfortunately, live in a world based on animal products. Am I going to stop driving my car, because there are animal products in the tires? No. Am I going to stop going to the movies because the film they use contains gelatin? No. Am I going to stop eating the vegetable from the super market because they might have been grown with animal based fertilizers? No. You see this idea of 100% veganism is pretty impossible and unrealistic in todays world. My hope is that by doing my best, I will inspire others to do the same, or at least make more thoughtful choices about what they are supporting, and hopefully little by little our world will be a more vegan friendly place.
Congrats on working your way towards veganism! You really do end up losing the cravings for animal products. The more fruit and veggies you load up on, the more nutrients your body will get, the better you will feel, and the less you will crave animals. It’s win, win!
Keep up the good work, and let me know if you have any questions or need support 🙂
My mom always used to say “I don’t get why you’d want to eat vegan “sausage” gravy and biscuits, or vegan “hot dogs” or vegan blah blah blah. She never seemed to understand that I was eating vegan not because I disliked that food but because of health and ethical reasons! Simple reasoning to me 🙂
While many people may chose a vegan diet in order to lessen the suffering of animals, that is not the only reason one could choose to eat vegan style.
I know many people who prefer vegan due to the fact that they do not like the taste of animal flesh. For example, my husband can not stand the smell, even, of animal flesh, much less the flavor…nor can his oldest daughter. They have always been this way, their entire lives, it was not something that happened over time.
I originally came to veganism by way of empathy for sentient beings, not everyone feels this way. I also am interested in food that has not been messed with by scientist or chemicals…the conventional farmer is poisoning us…Monsanto and DuPont only supply the chemicals, the farmers are the one’s that apply them.
Others look to the health benefits of a plant based diet…or getting big business out of their kitchens, by way of growing their food themselves.
There are many paths to veganism.
Wow! That’s so cool LeBeau, natural vegans! Yes, there are many paths to veganism for sure. I went vegan first because of health and the environment, but once I was vegan I finally became brave enough to look at what the meat industry really was, and now I know I could never go back because of the animals. I can’t help but look at my dog, and look at a plate of meat, and see no difference. Thanks for sharing LeBeau!
Type … ‘dread’ not dream in above post.
I have always disliked eggs, too (as you may know) and can/will only eat them if they are completely dry without any runny, awful yoke and transparent, jingly white part. Blech! I even have a hard time watching someone eat poached eggs and dream when someone order them ‘over easy’ at brunch. I avoid restaurant reviews who actually brag and boast about the ooozing, runny eggs or ‘perfectly undercooked eggs.’ I have gotten a lot of ‘How you can not like eggs?’ from close friends. I will say that when I do, on the rare occasion, eat an egg, I am not hungry for the rest of the day.The protein does satisfy hunger for hours and hours. As wonderful as that is, diet wise, it is still not enough to make me want to eat eggs. I am not a bean or tofu fan either (I worry about tofu as an estrogen reuptaker since I have had cancer). But, I will try this scramble. I had the chicken wings at the Hog Town Diner a few months ago and they use tofu to make them. I was amazed at how good they were and the nice dry texture. Your scramble may make me a bigger fan of tofu.
Epic egg haters unite! I would imagine you couldn’t find a more perfect place for egg haters to unite than a vegan blog. Haha
I don’t agree that eggs are a good diet choice, as they are cram packed full with cholesterol and animal protein, both which are very hazardous to your health. Check out this video if you are interested: http://nutritionfacts.org/video/who-says-eggs-arent-healthy-or-safe/
As for the whole tofu estrogen myth (and it is a myth), please don’t let that be the reason you don’t enjoy tofu! That’s what I mean when I say, it’s just a bean. Soy contains phytoestrogens, not estrogen. They are two different things. You know what does contain estrogen? Animal products. Animal bodies make estrogen just like ours do, and so if you eat them, you are eating their estrogen as well. That may be one of the main reasons why vegetarians have much healthier levels of estrogen. Another reason for this is that excess estrogen is disposed of in our bowls, and as vegetarians generally eat more fibrous foods (animal products contain no fiber), their systems are much better cleaned out, washing away all the excess.
See this article for more: http://freefromharm.org/health-nutrition/vegan-doctor-addresses-soy-myths-and-misinformation/
So please enjoy soy! Or if you hate it, hate it, but don’t hate it because of myths. It’s just a bean!
Good recipe, annoying girl. She’s not even funny, and you can tell that you really needs attention in life, because she’s acting stupid and doing stupid dances and call that garbage. I literally had to stop the video and just write the recipe down because I couldn’t stand watching her.
Hi John, thanks for giving me the attention I so desire! Ha. But seriously, the recipe is written in full at the bottom of the post so there is no need to watch my videos if you don’t like them. I’m just being me in the video, and if you don’t like me, that’s totally fine. Have fun trolling! 🙂
Yum! I love tofu scrambles. In fact, I need more savory-really-hungry-for-breakfast vegan ideas! Most vegan breakfasts are too sweet for me. I used to love eggs – I know you find that gross, but they hit the spot for those really-hungry-mornings. I hope you have more vegan breakfast recipes coming up and I will spend some time here looking (one slow day) back on posts you already have.
Haha, I think I am pretty abnormal for my hate of eggs before veganism. I know what you mean, it’s not easy to find good savoury vegan breakfasts.
I will happily post more recipes! If you want to check out previous recipes, there is a breakfast section under the “vegan recipes” menu, so it’s easy to browse. 🙂