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This easy tofu scramble tastes like scrambled eggs, with golden color and savory flavor. It’s a healthy vegan breakfast ready in 10 minutes.
Want a knock-out vegan breakfast idea? Look no further than this easy tofu scramble. It tastes oddly similar to the flavor and texture of scrambled eggs: and it’s so hearty and satisfying!
So now, my new very favorite way to make it is this tofu scramble! It’s hard to find healthy vegan breakfast ideas, let alone savory breakfast recipes. This one is both and even better: it takes only 10 minutes to make. You’ll need a few extra minutes for the colorful veggie sauté alongside, which is my favorite way to serve it. Here’s how to make both!
5 Star Reader Reviews
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Very easy and yummy! Someone who said they don’t normally like tofu loved this tofu scramble!” -Kc
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “First time I cooked tofu and I was really impressed. One of my husband’s favorite food is scrambled eggs. This really hit the spot for our family. Thank you.” -Tanya
Ingredients for This Tofu Scramble
Here’s the short list of what you’ll need for this recipe:
- Extra-firm tofu: Extra firm is important here for the best texture. Firm tofu works too, but breaks down more. Avoid silken tofu: it’s so soft it doesn’t work for scrambled eggs (but you can use it in chocolate mousse).
- Turmeric: This adds a golden color: don’t skip it!
- Cumin and garlic powder: These spices add major savory flavor.
- Olive oil: Tofu has almost no fat, so it’s important to sauté in olive oil for crispy edges and a savory flavor.
- Veggie sauté: If you like, make my veggie saute alongside with red onion, red pepper, and baby greens.
How to Make Tofu Scramble
Here’s the basic idea behind a tofu scramble. When you crumble tofu with your fingers into irregular pieces, it’s oddly similar to the texture of scrambled eggs! If you add the right spices, you can make something that looks and tastes like them too. Here are the basic steps for how to make this healthy breakfast:
Step 1: Dry the tofu and crumble it.
Because tofu is packed in water, it’s very soft when you take it out of the package. Once you drain the liquid from the package, take a clean dish towel and pat it dry. Then place the tofu in a bowl and use your fingers to crumble it. It should only take a few seconds, then you can mix in the olive oil, turmeric and salt, and stir it around a bit until the tofu is coated.
Step 2: Toast the cumin and garlic for 1 minute.
Next, place the cumin and garlic in a skillet and toast them for 1 minute! This helps to remove the “raw” flavor since the tofu doesn’t need too long to cook.
Step 3: Add the tofu crumbles and cook for 5 minutes!
Here’s the final step! Add the tofu and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. The tofu will get warm and a little browned on the edges. That’s it! Remove the serving plates. It’s a tofu scramble in just 10 minutes (not counting the veggie saute, which you also should make…)
Variation: Make Tofu Scramble Taste Like Eggs
On its own, this tofu scramble tastes very savory and the texture has the illusion of eggs. But if you want to make it taste even more like eggs, there are two popular additions:
- Black salt (kala namak): This is a type of Himalayan salt that tastes like hard boiled egg yolk. You can stir in a sprinkle or ¼ teaspoon after cooking (and reduce the overall salt in the recipe accordingly). I’ve experimented with this and it tastes very interesting, but it’s so distinctive that I typically don’t use it.
- Nutritional yeast: You can also stir in 1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast at the end of cooking to add a cheesy depth to the flavor. It tastes good, but it also is pretty distinctive. Go with it if you love the flavor of “nootch.”
What to Serve Alongside
Now, how to serve this healthy tofu scramble? My optional veggie sauté looks beautiful and the veggies add lots of nutrients to this recipe. Or try some of my other ideas:
- Veggie saute: Follow the recipe below to make our easy veggie saute to go alongside! It’s got red onion, red pepper, and baby greens and it’s the perfect compliment. It adds about 10 minutes to the overall prep time, but it’s worth it.
- Sauteed spinach, mushrooms or broccoli: Add Sauteed Spinach or Sauteed Broccoli for a splash of healthy greens, or Sauteed Mushrooms or Roasted Mushrooms for a meaty compliment.
- Toast: Crunchy whole grain toast is a nice addition.
- Vegan bacon: If you want to get fancy, add vegan bacon to go alongside! We’ve got three different ways to make it: with mushrooms, coconut, or tempeh.
Storage and Meal Prep Tips
- You can store leftover tofu scramble refrigerated for up to 4 days. To reheat, you can use a skillet over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes or the microwave works just as well.
- You can also freeze tofu: it makes the texture even chewier. To make ahead, crumble and season the tofu the night before, then refrigerate and cook right from the fridge the next morning.
More Vegan Breakfast Ideas
Dietary Notes
This tofu scramble recipe is vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free, and gluten-free.
Frequently Asked Questions
Extra-firm tofu. It has the lowest water content, so it crumbles into distinct curds and browns well. Firm tofu is a good second choice. Avoid silken and soft tofu, which is too soft for a scramble.
No. I rarely press my tofu. For this scramble you can just pat the block dry with a dish towel for about 30 seconds.
You can use turmeric for the yellow color. If you’d like, you can add black salt (kala namak) for an egg flavor or nutritional yeast for a savory depth, but I feel those are very distinctive and don’t usually add them to my scramble.
Yes, for up to 2 months. Reheat straight in a skillet.
Easy Tofu Scramble
This easy tofu scramble has the same texture as scrambled eggs, but it’s 100% plant based! It’s a vegan breakfast idea you’ll want to make again and again.
- Prep Time: 4 minutes
- Cook Time: 6 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 2 to 3 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Vegan
- Diet: Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Ingredients
For the tofu scramble
- 12 to 14-ounce block extra firm tofu
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Heaping ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Fresh ground pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
For the veggie saute
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 red onion
- 1 red pepper
- 2 handfuls baby greens (like baby spinach, baby kale, or a baby greens mix*)
Instructions
- Make the tofu scramble: Drain the tofu container, then pat the tofu dry with a clean dish towel. Place the tofu in a large bowl and use your fingers to break the tofu into bite-sized irregular shaped pieces. (It might be a little cold on your hands: don’t worry, it should only take a few seconds!) Stir in the olive oil, turmeric, salt and pepper.
- Add the cumin and garlic powder to a dry skillet. Cook on medium heat for 1 minute until fragrant. Stir in the tofu and increase the heat to medium high. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until heated through and starting to lightly brown. Remove the heat and place it on the serving plates. Serve with toast, veggie saute (below), or if you want to get fancy, vegan bacon.
- Make the veggie saute (optional): Meanwhile, thinly slice the onion. Thinly slice the bell pepper. Heat the olive oil in a separate large skillet over medium high heat. When hot, add the onion and peppers. Cook 4 to 6 minutes until just starting to brown, stirring occasionally. Add a pinch of salt and the baby greens. Cook for 30 seconds until wilted. Remove from the heat and serve alongside the tofu scramble. You can store leftover tofu scramble refrigerated for up to 4 days (see Storage section above).
Notes
*If you can’t find baby greens, substitute chopped spinach leaves.
**Note that the timing below is for the tofu scramble only.
Great for tofu scrambled :)
We are fooling the Daniel Plan. First time I cooked tofu and I was really impressed. One of my husband’s favorite food is scrambled eggs. This really hit the spot for our family. Thank you.
Very easy and yummy! Someone who said they don’t normally like tofu loved this tofu scramble!
My family loved loved loved this recipe! Thanks so much. I did some minor changes. Like I mixed in the garlic powder on step one . And sautéed the onion, minced garlic, cumin, and baby spinach first and the mixed and sautéed everything together. It was delicious!!!!
I forgot to add, this tofu scramble is so easy to do, even for a beginner like me. Thank you.
This is my first attempt at cooking tofu, and I give you a 5-star review! I followed your directions, and this looks and tastes just like real scrambled eggs. I am thrilled. I want to be more plant-based and I am so excited that tofu can do this. For somebody new reading this, in case it gets a little dry when it’s in the pan, just sprinkle some water in there until it’s the consistency you like. Thank you!
So glad you enjoyed! You should check out our tofu tacos too :)