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.
(click stars to vote)
Tofu Scramble: Breakfast of (vegan) Champions
Servings:
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Ingredients
For the spice mix:*
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon black salt, (also called kala namak) or regular salt
- ¾ teaspoons turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
For the tofu scramble:
- 1 tablespoon oil, (such as olive or vegetalbe)
- 8 oz button mushrooms, sliced (about 1 ½ cups sliced)
- 1 red pepper,, chopped
- ½ 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
Instructions
- 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.
Notes
Nutrition
Bon appetegan!
Sam
Cathy says
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!
Sam Turnbull says
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 🙂
Heather Brown says
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! 🙂
Sam Turnbull says
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!
Barbara F Salisbury says
Tried this today and it was a BIG hit with the family.
Thanks!!
Sam Turnbull says
Woohoo! You're most welcome, Barbara!
Ginny says
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!
Sam Turnbull says
Yay! So happy you loved it so much, Ginny!
Steve says
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.
Sam Turnbull says
Yay!! So happy you are enjoying it 🙂
Helen says
Do I need to press the tofu to get water out before scrambling? Thanks!
Sam Turnbull says
Nope. I always include all the directions and steps needed in my recipes.
Sherri Obermark says
This looks so good, I can't wait to try it!
Sam Turnbull says
Awesome! I hope you enjoy it, Sherri 🙂
Stephanie Knowles says
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!
Sam Turnbull says
That's so awesome, Stephanie!! Thrilled you loved it so very much! 😀
Angela! says
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!
Sam Turnbull says
Haha! That's amazing! So thrilled you enjoyed the scramble so much 😀
Susannah says
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
Sam Turnbull says
Welcome to tofu, Susannah!! So thrilled you loved it. Thrilled you are enjoying my book! I'm glad you said hi 🙂
Leah says
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!
Giedre says
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!
Sam Turnbull says
Haha, so happy you enjoyed it, Giedre!! 😀
Jose Gramillo says
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
Sam Turnbull says
Awesome!! I hope you love it 😀
Krista says
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...!
Sam Turnbull says
YAY! So happy you loved it so much, Krista 🙂
Pam says
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.
Sam Turnbull says
Awesome! Thrilled you enjoyed it, Pam.
Liz says
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!
Sam Turnbull says
Woohoo!! Thrilled you loved it, Liz 🙂
Moni says
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.
Sam Turnbull says
Wonderful! SO happy you enjoyed it, Moni 🙂
mamaplanted says
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!
Sam Turnbull says
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 🙂
Michelle says
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!
Sam Turnbull says
Wow amazing!! Thrilled you enjoyed it, Michelle 🙂
Orla says
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,
Sam Turnbull says
Thrilled you loved it so much, Orla 🙂