• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • About
    • About Sam
    • FAQ's about veganism
    • Press
    • Contact
      • Reader Inquiries
      • Business Inquiries
  • Cookbooks
  • Recipes
    • Recipe Index
    • Video
  • Start Here

It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken logo

menu icon
go to homepage
  • About
  • Cookbooks
  • Recipes
  • Start Here
    • Tips to Use This Site
    • Press
    • Contact me
    • FAQ About Veganism
  • Join over 500,000 followers

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • About
    • Cookbooks
    • Recipes
    • Start Here
      • Tips to Use This Site
      • Press
      • Contact me
      • FAQ About Veganism
  • Join over 500,000 followers

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Savoury Breakfast

    August 10, 2014 211 Comments

    Tofu Scramble: Breakfast of (vegan) Champions

    14.4K shares
    Jump to Recipe

    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.

    Tofu Scramble: Breakfast of (vegan) champions! This is my favourite hearty classic vegan breakfast recipe. Spiced to perfection with peppers, beans, onions, and mushrooms for a perfect savoury brunch. #itdoesnttastelikechicken #veganrecipes #veganbreakfast #tofu

    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?

    1. A well designed, super yum spice mixture.
    2. Hearty veggies that add texture and flavour.
    3. 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.

    Tofu Scramble: Breakfast of (vegan) champions! This is my favourite hearty classic vegan breakfast recipe. Spiced to perfection with peppers, beans, onions, and mushrooms for a perfect savoury brunch. #itdoesnttastelikechicken #veganrecipes #veganbreakfast #tofu

    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.

    Tofu Scramble: Breakfast of (vegan) champions! This is my favourite hearty classic vegan breakfast recipe. Spiced to perfection with peppers, beans, onions, and mushrooms for a perfect savoury brunch. #itdoesnttastelikechicken #veganrecipes #veganbreakfast #tofu

    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.

    Tofu Scramble: Breakfast of (vegan) champions! This is my favourite hearty classic vegan breakfast recipe. Spiced to perfection with peppers, beans, onions, and mushrooms for a perfect savoury brunch. #itdoesnttastelikechicken #veganrecipes #veganbreakfast #tofu

    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!

    Tofu Scramble: Breakfast of (vegan) champions! This is my favourite hearty classic vegan breakfast recipe. Spiced to perfection with peppers, beans, onions, and mushrooms for a perfect savoury brunch. #itdoesnttastelikechicken #veganrecipes #veganbreakfast #tofu

    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.

    Tofu Scramble: Breakfast of (vegan) champions! This is my favourite hearty classic vegan breakfast recipe. Spiced to perfection with peppers, beans, onions, and mushrooms for a perfect savoury brunch. #itdoesnttastelikechicken #veganrecipes #veganbreakfast #tofu

    Drain and rinse the black beans. Rinse those beans well! The last thing you want to add to your scramble is slimy bean water.

    Tofu Scramble: Breakfast of (vegan) champions! This is my favourite hearty classic vegan breakfast recipe. Spiced to perfection with peppers, beans, onions, and mushrooms for a perfect savoury brunch. #itdoesnttastelikechicken #veganrecipes #veganbreakfast #tofu

    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.

    Tofu Scramble: Breakfast of (vegan) champions! This is my favourite hearty classic vegan breakfast recipe. Spiced to perfection with peppers, beans, onions, and mushrooms for a perfect savoury brunch. #itdoesnttastelikechicken #veganrecipes #veganbreakfast #tofu

    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.

    Tofu Scramble: Breakfast of (vegan) champions! This is my favourite hearty classic vegan breakfast recipe. Spiced to perfection with peppers, beans, onions, and mushrooms for a perfect savoury brunch. #itdoesnttastelikechicken #veganrecipes #veganbreakfast #tofu

    Print Recipe
    4.96 from 68 votes

    Tofu Scramble: Breakfast of (vegan) Champions

    This is my favourite hearty classic vegan breakfast recipe. Spiced to perfection with peppers, beans, onions, and mushrooms for a perfect savoury brunch. 
    Prep Time10 mins
    Cook Time16 mins
    Total Time26 mins
    Course: Breakfast
    Cuisine: American, Canadian
    ingredient tag: beans, bell peppers, mushrooms, tofu
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 175kcal
    Author: Sam Turnbull • It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken

    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
    US Customary - Metric
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    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

    *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

    Serving: 1/4 of recipe | Calories: 175kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 9g | Sodium: 600mg | Potassium: 366mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1080IU | Vitamin C: 40.7mg | Calcium: 152mg | Iron: 2.6mg
    Did You Make This Recipe?Tag @itdoesnttastelikechicken on Instagram and Hashtag #itdoesnttastelikechicken

    Bon appetegan!

    Sam

    « Smoked Apple Veggie Burger
    Homemade Vegan Cashew Ricotta »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sam says

      November 24, 2019 at 10:34 am

      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

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        November 26, 2019 at 10:02 am

        I would say 4 -5 days. Enjoy!

        Reply
    2. Carlie Anna says

      November 10, 2019 at 8:41 am

      Amazing breakfast thank you!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        November 15, 2019 at 6:07 pm

        You're welcome 🙂

        Reply
    3. Courtney Farmer says

      November 05, 2019 at 2:13 pm

      5 stars
      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!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        November 07, 2019 at 10:37 am

        Yay!!! So happy you love it, Courtney 🙂

        Reply
    4. Bill Fox says

      October 11, 2019 at 9:59 am

      Hi Sam,

      I cannot find black salt at any of my local grocery stores. Where do get yours?

      Cheers,

      Bill

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        October 16, 2019 at 5:38 pm

        Hi Bill, I get mine from a local Indian grocery store or you can easily order it online here on amazon. Enjoy!

        Reply
    5. Lynn says

      August 26, 2019 at 4:34 pm

      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?

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        September 04, 2019 at 11:07 am

        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!

        Reply
    6. Esther says

      July 24, 2019 at 1:27 pm

      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.

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        August 01, 2019 at 6:16 pm

        Yay!!! So thrilled you're a fan, Esther! 🙂

        Reply
    7. Alissa says

      May 11, 2019 at 12:43 pm

      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.

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        May 13, 2019 at 2:47 pm

        What a great idea, Rebecca!

        Reply
    8. John W. McLaughlin says

      April 26, 2019 at 9:37 pm

      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!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        May 01, 2019 at 3:29 pm

        Glad you enjoyed your version 🙂

        Reply
      • Ines says

        October 08, 2019 at 4:12 pm

        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.

        Reply
    9. Michael says

      April 07, 2019 at 6:12 pm

      5 stars
      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!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        April 08, 2019 at 7:20 pm

        So happy it's become a regular for you, Michael 🙂

        Reply
    10. Joe Brush says

      March 24, 2019 at 1:36 pm

      5 stars
      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.

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        March 26, 2019 at 9:40 am

        Awesome!! So thrilled you enjoyed it so much, Joe 🙂

        Reply
    11. Stacy says

      February 28, 2019 at 6:53 pm

      5 stars
      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!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        March 01, 2019 at 2:15 pm

        Wonderful!! So happy you enjoyed your delightful sounding breakfast, Stacy 🙂

        Reply
    12. Stone says

      January 28, 2019 at 5:35 pm

      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.

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        February 05, 2019 at 1:02 pm

        Wonderful! So happy you loved it, Stone 🙂

        Reply
    13. Julie says

      December 21, 2018 at 10:59 pm

      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!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        January 03, 2019 at 9:55 am

        Oh that's so awesome, Julie! I hope you love the scramble 🙂

        Reply
    14. Christy says

      November 29, 2018 at 9:27 pm

      5 stars
      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!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        December 02, 2018 at 1:39 pm

        You're most welcome, Christy!! So happy you enjoyed it so much 🙂

        Reply
    15. Amie says

      November 28, 2018 at 10:51 am

      5 stars
      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.

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        December 02, 2018 at 1:20 pm

        Wonderful! Thrilled you enjoyed it so much, Amie 🙂

        Reply
    16. Sally says

      November 02, 2018 at 3:01 pm

      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!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        November 05, 2018 at 9:29 am

        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!

        Reply
    17. Laura says

      October 21, 2018 at 4:10 pm

      5 stars
      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!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        October 24, 2018 at 2:43 pm

        Haha! That's awesome, so happy you loved it so much, Laura 🙂

        Reply
    18. Dane says

      October 01, 2018 at 12:40 am

      I'm just wondering if you could keep this in the fridge or freeze it and eat it over a week?

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        October 03, 2018 at 4:11 pm

        It stores in the fridge just fine 🙂

        Reply
    19. Lilly says

      September 29, 2018 at 12:57 pm

      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

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        October 03, 2018 at 3:54 pm

        Hahaha I think that's pretty funny too, Lilly!! Well, I am glad you enjoy my work separately and now all together!! 🙂

        Reply
    20. Lola says

      September 18, 2018 at 6:30 am

      5 stars
      I have made tofu scrambles many times and failed.. Used your recipe as a base and just yum! Thanks for the spice mix 🙂

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        September 21, 2018 at 5:49 pm

        Wonderful! So happy you enjoyed it, Lola 🙂

        Reply
    « Older Comments
    Newer Comments »

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Sam Turnbull

    Hi Friends!

    I'm Sam. Bestselling cookbook author and full-time vegan recipe creator! I LOVE vegan food, but it didn't start that way. As someone who comes from a family of hunters, butchers, and chefs I'm the last person I thought would go vegan. Here's My Story →

    Join over 500,000 followers

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    Amazon.com • Amazon.ca • Barnes & Nobel • Indigo • Kobo • Book Depository

    Amazon.com • Amazon.ca • Barnes & Nobel • Indigo • Kobo • Book Depository

    Footer

    Stay Connected

    • Bloglovin
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    Copyright

    I love when you share! All of the images and text on this site is the property of It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken. Feel free to share photos and quotes with a link back to my original post. Do not share entire recipes, large bodies of text, or edit my photos in anyway without first obtaining permission from me. Social media shares are always welcome. Thank you!

    Affiliate Link Disclosure

    On this site, I sometimes use affiliate links. This means that if you were to make a purchase through one of these links, It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken would receive a small cut, at no cost to you.

    Privacy Policy

    Footer

    COPYRIGHT

    I love when you share! All of the images and text on this site is the property of It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken. Feel free to share photos and quotes with a link back to my original post. Do not share entire recipes, large bodies of text, or edit my photos in anyway without first obtaining permission from me. Social media shares are always welcome. Thank you!


    AFFILIATE LINK DISCLOSURE

    On this site, I sometimes use affiliate links. This means that if you were to make a purchase through one of these links, It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken would receive a small cut, at no cost to you.

    Privacy Policy | Contact | About | Sponsor Newsletter

    COPYRIGHT © 2022 - IT DOESN'T TASTE LIKE CHICKEN