This tofu scramble recipe with black beans is a vegan breakfast idea that’s simple and delicious: just a few simple ingredients bring big flavor.
Ironically, in my last post about recipe inspiration I said we didn’t find much inspiration from traditional cookbooks. Here’s an exception to the rule: Gwyneth Paltrow and Julia Turshen’s cookbook, It’s All Good. We’d heard quite a buzz about it, which generally makes us wary, but this one stood up to the hype (to us at least!). We were excited to find several recipes that were simple, fresh concepts, and adapted this tofu scramble recipe with go-to-black beans as one of our first attempts.
Here’s an even easier version! This Easy Tofu Scramble takes just 10 minutes.
How to make this tofu scramble recipe
If you’ve ended up here, you’re probably into tofu! Suffice it to say, Alex and I weren’t tofu fans until fairly recently. We don’t eat a lot of it, but we do love it on a vegan banh mi or marinated tofu in a spring roll noodle bowl (or even on pad Thai). Years ago I was at a conference and when breakfast was served, along with the standard institutional eggs I was happy to see a vegan breakfast idea: a tofu scramble! And it was actually very delicious. After that experience, I’d been wanting to make my own tofu scramble recipe.
The concept of a tofu scramble recipe couldn’t be simpler: crumble the tofu, then saute it in a skillet, similar to scrambled eggs. For our tofu scramble recipe, we’ve added fresh garlic, cumin, and plenty of salt and pepper. On its own tofu has literally no flavor, so it’s begging to be amped up. Adding the garlic and cumin brings a super savory umami element. Make sure to well salt your tofu scramble recipe: taste it to make sure the flavor pops!
Related: Cuban Black Beans with Rice
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How to make black beans
The black beans in this tofu scramble recipe are truly Go-To, which is what they’re called in It’s All Good. The beans are cooked straight from the can with the can liquid, along with some cilantro, olive oil, and garlic. It’s a perfect quick way to add flavor to canned beans, which can be lacking right from the can. These beans are a great compliment to the tofu scramble: and with both, it’s a protein packed vegan breakfast idea! We can’t wait to make this one again; it’s a great brunch, lunch, or light dinner.
And, we’re so excited to be sharing this recipe with you right from our new kitchen! We’re all moved into our new house and we can’t wait to share with you all about the long road it took to get here. Here’s a post about our entire kitchen reno! We’re so incredibly thankful to our friends and family for their amazing help in what was an incredibly exhausting weekend. But we’re in!
Looking for more vegan breakfast ideas?
Outside of this tofu scramble recipe, we have dozens of vegan breakfast ideas and quick healthy breakfast recipes on our website. Here are a few of our favorites:
- Chocolate Muesli Recipe
- Acai Bowl Recipe
- Apple Cinnamon Pressure Cooker Steel Cut Oats
- Cinnamon Pecan Homemade Breakfast Cereal
- Turmeric Vegan Blueberry Muffins
- The Best Toasted Oatmeal
- DIY Instant Oatmeal
- Glowing Green Apple Smoothie
- Toast with almond butter and Chai Tart Cherry Jam or Cranberry Jam
- Chocolate Brownie Vegan Pancakes
- Carrot Cake Breakfast Cookies
- Sweet Potato Hash Browns
- Vegan Breakfast Ideas
This recipe is…
This tofu scramble recipe is vegetarian, gluten free, vegan, plant based, dairy free, and sugar free.
PrintTofu Scramble Recipe with Black Beans
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
This tofu scramble recipe with black beans is a vegan breakfast idea that’s simple and delicious: just a few simple ingredients bring big flavor.
Ingredients
- 3 cloves garlic
- 5 tablespoons olive oil
- 15-ounce can black beans (or 1 1/2 cups cooked or Instant Pot black beans)
- 4 sprigs cilantro
- 12-ounce container of firm tofu
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Radishes (optional)
- Corn tortillas (optional)
Instructions
- Mince 3 cloves garlic — separate out 1 clove for the black beans and 2 cloves for the tofu.
- In a medium pot, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add 1 clove garlic and cook until just fragrant for about 1 to 2 minutes, before it browns. Add the black beans, along with the can liquid, and 4 sprigs of cilantro. Bring to a boil, then simmer 15 minutes until the liquid condenses.
- Meanwhile, drain the tofu, and squeeze it a bit to remove extra liquid. Crumble it into a bowl. In a large non-stick skillet, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil. Add the 2 cloves garlic and the cumin and stir for about 1 minute. Add the tofu crumbles and heat until browned and starting to crisp, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat and add a good amount of salt and pepper (we used ½ teaspoon each).
- Garnish with chopped cilantro and sliced radishes. If desired, serve with warmed corn tortillas.
Notes
Adapted from It’s All Good by Gwyneth Paltrow and Julia Turshen
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican Inspired
Keywords: Tofu Scramble Recipe, Tofu Scramble, Black Beans, Easy Black Beans, Cilantro, Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten Free
11 Comments
Belinda @themoonblushbaker
August 12, 2013 at 2:50 amCongratz my sister just moved too! I can not wai tot hear all of it so I can take inspiration for my kitchen!
I have always been on the fence about scrabbling tofu but the addition of black beans has me sold.Yum!
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar
August 12, 2013 at 7:59 amThis looks great! Love how quickly it comes together!
Bevin
August 12, 2013 at 8:00 amSounds great! I’ve never tried a tofu scramble before. What firmness of tofu do you recommend, or does it matter?
Bevin
Sonja
August 13, 2013 at 5:25 pmGreat question! We generally use firm tofu for this type of recipe — I’ll update the recipe accordingly. Good catch!
Tieghan
August 12, 2013 at 8:26 amI have never cooked with tofu, but you really make me want to! This looks great and sounds so simple!
Chelsea @ BigBitesLittleBudget
August 12, 2013 at 10:32 amWhat an easy and quick weeknight meal. Will be adding this to my meal rotation soon!
Stephanie @ Girl Versus Dough
August 12, 2013 at 11:30 amI could definitely see myself munching on this dish for breakfast, lunch and dinner. So good! And can’t wait to see the kitchen reno! :)
Ash-foodfashionparty
August 12, 2013 at 3:29 pmWhat a healthy way to use tofu. I will surely try this one soon.
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August 13, 2013 at 7:13 pmHow wonderful to be all settled into your new kitchen! I just love the flavor combination of black beans, cilantro and garlic. Such a great protein-packed breakfast :)
Theresa Tandaric
March 29, 2014 at 11:04 pmthis was excellent! so simple and delish, thanks!
Sonja
March 30, 2014 at 5:27 pmSo glad you enjoyed this!