The Best Vegan Tofu Scramble with Veggies

This easy tofu scramble is the ultimate vegan scrambled egg replacement. It’s got the color and texture, and it’s packed with protein. Plus, I’ve loaded it with veggies for a delicious, nutritious, high-protein vegan breakfast in under 15 minutes!

A High Protein Vegan Breakfast: Veggie Tofu Scramble

Whether you’re trying out Veganuary (welcome!), missing or craving eggs, or just searching for a high-protein vegan breakfast, now is the perfect time to try vegan tofu scramble! Like regular scrambled eggs, this tofu breakfast scramble is an easy and satisfying meal but naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian, keto, and vegan.

This veggie tofu scramble combines tofu with various seasonings and veggies (a great way to clear out the fridge) for a vegan breakfast recipe loaded with micronutrients (and none of the cholesterol of eggs), antioxidants, and protein, to keep you satisfied for hours.

Plus, we’ve included a special optional ‘secret ingredient’ to provide a wetter consistency to mimic regular soft scrambled eggs. What is it? Polenta! It’s creamy and soft, perfect for adding to your tofu eggs for flavor, consistency, and more ‘filling’ power.

Best of all, you can enjoy this affordable, versatile, and satisfying tofu breakfast in just 15 minutes, made with minimal fuss in just one pan. Enjoy it over toast or in other tofu breakfast recipes like breakfast burritos, tacos, etc. You might also enjoy this veggie and herb frittata!

The Ingredients

For this tofu scramble recipe, we’re using a typical combination of pantry-friendly seasonings, inexpensive (yet delicious) veggies, and optionally leftover polenta for a super creamy consistency.

• Tofu: It’s best to use firm tofu, though extra-firm tofu also works.
• Polenta: (optional) Cooked polenta helps to provide that wet, eggy consistency while making a heartier meal. We mostly use it only if we have leftovers from the previous day. Reheat it with a little liquid for a creamy consistency for delicious breakfast polenta tofu eggs.
• Vegan butter: For richness. Use your favorite (like Miyoko’s or Earth Balance).
• Oil: Use a neutral-tasting cooking oil like canola oil or vegetable oil.
• Aromatics: We used garlic and onion (yellow or red onion will work), though garlic and onion powder will work in a pinch.
• Vegetables: With a combination of the above aromatics and below veggies, this dish is like a Southwest tofu scramble.
  • Bell pepper
  • Spinach
• Seasonings: We use a fairly typical tofu scramble seasoning of:
  • Turmeric (which provides an eggy ‘yellow’ color to the tofu eggs recipe)
  • Nutritional yeast (optional but wonderfully umami-rich, nutty, and slightly ‘cheesy’, eggy flavor)
  • Oregano
  • Salt & black pepper

For a far ‘eggier’ flavor, you could also use a very tiny pinch of black salt (kala namak) if you have some in your pantry. This ingredient has an umami-rich sulfur flavor that mimics egginess wonderfully. Add it in the last few minutes of cooking.

What Could I Add To Tofu Scrambled Eggs?

Just like regular scrambled eggs, but perhaps even more so, this vegan breakfast scramble is super versatile. Get creative and customize your Tofu Scramble however you like, the sky is the limit!

Other vegetables: First, veggies, because this veggie tofu scramble really makes for a great ‘clean out the fridge’ recipe.

• Mushrooms
• Leek
• Zucchini
• Corn (canned or frozen)
• Peas (canned or frozen)
• Broccoli/ broccolini (very tiny florets)
• Baby plum/ cherry tomatoes (halved/quartered)
• Roasted pumpkin, sweet potato, butternut squash

Cooking method: Any veggies that take longer to cook (like broccoli, carrots, potatoes) need about 10 minutes before adding quicker cooking veg and can be added along with the onion and pepper at the beginning or even-pre sauteed and removed from the pan to stir back in towards the end.

Add quicker cooking veg (mushrooms, kale, tomatoes, corn, peas, etc.) in the last 5 minutes.  

• Fresh herbs: Parsley, chives, spring onion/ green onion, etc., to serve.
• Vegan cheese: Use your favorite melty vegan cheese for a delicious ‘cheesy’ vegan tofu scramble.
• Nuts/Seeds: To garnish—for crunch and extra omegas/heart-healthy fats.
• Seasonings: If you want to experiment with more herbs and spices, we recommend keeping things simple. Some optional flavor pairings include:
  • Cayenne pepper/ chili pepper (to add heat)
  • Red pepper flakes (for heat)
  • Smoked paprika (smoky flavor)
  • Cumin (earthy and very savory—great when adding the tofu scrambled eggs to burritos/tacos)

Swapping out the seasonings is a really easy way to adjust the overall flavor of the tofu breakfast scramble. I.e., Mexican, Indian, Cajun, etc. Adding a pinch of smoked paprika, cumin, and chili pepper becomes a delicious Southwest tofu scramble.

• Vegan cheese: Shredded cheese for some ‘melty’-ness or nutritional yeast for subtle umami, nutty, ‘cheesy’ flavor.
• Vegan sausage: Thinly sliced and pre-cooked, then stirred in at the end.
• Hot sauce: Like sriracha, drizzled over the breakfast polenta tofu eggs when serving.

How to Make Tofu Scramble with Veggies?

Make this easy tofu scramble recipe in just 15 minutes, with minimal chopping and just one pan!

• 1) First, dice the onion and bell pepper and mince the garlic.

• 2) Then, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the prepared ingredients and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring often, until softened.

• 3) Then, crumble the tofu (by hand is fine, or use a potato masher/ fork) into the pan and stir it well.

If you’re using polenta, mix this into the tofu scramble now.

• 4) Add the spinach and vegan butter, stirring it in until it melts, and the spinach begins to wilt. Then add in the seasonings, stirring well.

• 5) When ready, remove the pan from the heat and allow it to stand for just a few minutes before serving. Enjoy!

FAQs

Top Recipe Tips and Notes

• For ‘wetter’ tofu scrambled eggs without polenta: You can add a small amount of dairy-free milk or, even better, dairy-free cream to the pan.
• Oil-free scramble: Omit it & add a splash of water/ veg broth if needed.
• Don’t add too much turmeric: You just need a little for the color. Add too much, and the tofu breakfast scramble will become bitter.
• For the eggiest flavor: Add a tiny pinch of kala namak. If you plan on making vegan eggy dishes often, we highly recommend adding this ingredient to your pantry.

Serving Recommendations

Once prepared, there are several ways to enjoy this vegan tofu scramble. Some of our favorite recommendations include:

• Over toast (like no-knead bread or Irish soda bread) – alone or with avocado and/or salsa
• In a breakfast burrito or pita
• Breakfast tacos
• Mixed into breakfast stir-fried rice
• Enjoy it alongside a breakfast root vegetable hash or home fries
• With sauteed spinach or kale

You can also serve it as part of a larger vegan brunch alongside vegan muffins, pancakes, waffles, vegan yogurt, granola, fruit, etc.

Storage Recommendations

Allow the vegan scrambled eggs to cool, and store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. We don’t recommend freezing it, though, as the texture changes upon thawing.

To reheat the veggie tofu scramble, pop it back in a skillet or in a microwave. Add an extra splash of plant-based milk if needed.

You can prep most veggies a day or two in advance and store them in separate containers in the fridge or even cook them in advance to help cut down on prep. Likewise, you can prepare polenta 2-3 days in advance.  

More Vegan Savory Breakfast Recipes

• Tofu chilaquiles
• Nopalitas tofu scramble
• Eggless benedict with vegan hollandaise
• Potato leek hash brown pancakes
• Breakfast tortilla pizzas
• Lima bean vegan sausage

Photos by Alfonso Revilla