This easy Tofu Scramble Recipe is the best vegan breakfast around. A delicious, protein-packed alternative to scrambled eggs, scrambled tofu can be eaten as is or added to a wrap or breakfast burrito.
It's no secret that we're huge fans of Vegetarian Breakfast Recipes here on HNL. We love Overnight Oats and Vegetarian Breakfast Sandwiches and everything in between.
I'm always on the hunt for recipes that have staying power. You know, the kind of thing that will actually keep you satisfied throughout your morning? Something that's fast, easy, soul-satisfying, AND jammed full of good nutrition.
Friends, this Tofu Scramble is one of those recipes. It also gets bonus points for being vegan, naturally gluten free, and incredibly delicious. Check out what one of my recipe testers had to say:
For someone who loves eggs, tofu scramble was something I was really unsure that I’d like but I’m always keen to try anything – it was delicious! I really liked the flavour, the spices and also the texture is very reminiscent of scrambled eggs. Great recipe.
Made in under 20 minutes with a handful of easily found ingredients, scrambled tofu may just become one of your new favourite vegan breakfast recipes, too.
Tofu Scramble Ingredients
You'll find specific quantities in the printable recipe card at the end of this post. For now, here's a quick overview of everything you need to make this scrambled tofu recipe.
- Tofu --> Firm or extra firm tofu is best here.
- Nutritional yeast --> That magic vegan pixie dust.
- Turmeric --> This provides the yellow colour.
- Onion --> Part of our flavour base.
- Garlic --> Always invited to the party.
- Cumin --> For a little pizzazz.
- Salt and pepper --> As one does.
You don't need any special equipment to make this recipe, just a spatula and your favourite heavy-bottomed skillet. Are you ready to do this?!
How to Make Tofu Scramble
There are of course instructions detailed in the recipe card at the end of this post, with the ingredients listed at each step. Here we'll walk through it step by step, with photos.
Step 1: You're going to start by crumbling the tofu into a small bowl. I just use my hand like this and tear it apart. Get in there and crumble / mush it up until you've got bits and pieces roughly the size of scrambled eggs.
Step 2: Heat the olive oil over medium heat in heavy bottomed skillet, and sauté your chopped onion until it starts to become translucent - this should take you about 5 minutes.
Step 3: Add your crumbled tofu to the pan, along with the garlic. Sautée, stirring frequently, until the tofu is heated through and has started to brown.
Step 4: Now you're going to add the nutritional yeast, turmeric, cumin, salt, and pepper. Give it a good stir, taste, and adjust the seasonings if needed. It should both taste and smell amazing at this point!
How to Serve Tofu Scramble
I love to serve the scrambled tofu hot out of the pan, with hot, buttery toast (use vegan butter if you like), some diced tomato, sliced avocado, and a sprinkle of green onion. It's, so, so good. If you like a bit of heat, add your favourite hot sauce or pico de gallo!
Tofu Scramble also makes a great vegan alternative to the scrambled eggs in these Vegetarian Breakfast Burritos - add your favourite dairy-free cheese to bring it home. It's also great in a Breakfast Bowl, alongside a batch of Crispy Potato Wedges, Spicy Black Beans, or together with some Oat Flour Waffles.
Tips for the Best Tofu Scramble
Although making scrambled tofu is a super simple recipe, there are a few things you can do to ensure the very best results.
Choose the right tofu
This recipe is best made with either firm or extra firm tofu that you crumble up with your hands. Avoid medium, soft, or silken tofu as the texture won't be right.
Use a large skillet
For the best results, the tofu needs space! If it's too crowded in a small pan, the tofu and onions will steam rather than browning and cooking through. I use a 12-inch non-stick skillet for this recipe.
Season well
Don't be shy with the seasonings in this tofu scramble recipe! Plain tofu has a fairly bland flavor, and we're building in lots of flavour with the nutritional yeast, turmeric, cumin, salt and pepper. The great thing about this recipe is that it's completely vegan, so it's safe to taste as you cook and adjust the seasonings to your personal preference.
Change up the seasonings
The world is your scrambled tofu oyster! Feel free to mix up the seasonings according to your personal preference. I love adding a bunch of spinach or other veggies to the pan before adding the tofu to bump up my daily greens. Or go for a southwest tofu scramble with peppers, corn, beans, and a handful of cilantro. For an extra eggy flavor, people swear by adding black salt (also known as kala namak) to their tofu scramble.
Recipe FAQs
Nope! Tbh I almost never press tofu for any recipe but this one in particular definitely doesn't need it. We'll be cooking a lot of moisture out of the tofu as we pan-fry it, and since the edges are crisped in the pan there's plenty for the flavor to cling to.
It sure is! This recipe is loaded with plant-based protein and calcium from the tofu, along with healthy fats from the olive oil. Turmeric is packed with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits, while nutritional yeast brings vitamin B12 to the table.
The protein content of tofu can vary from brand to brand, but if we compare a 100 gram serving of firm tofu, which contains 14.2 grams of protein, with 100 grams of whole egg, which contains 13 grams of protein, they are pretty darn close.
Scrambled tofu is a great make-ahead breakfast, perfect for busy weekday mornings. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-5 days. Alternately you can store tofu scramble in the freezer for up to three months.
The easiest way to reheat your scrambled tofu is in the microwave, although you can also add a bit of water and gently reheat in a frying pan.
Other recipes you might enjoy
You'll find plenty of vegan breakfast ideas in our archive of breakfast recipes. Here's a few we thought you might like:
Vegan Banana Waffles
How to Bake Crispy Tofu
Vegetarian Breakfast Sandwich
Spelt Flour Pancakes
Vegetarian Frittata with Corn and Tomatoes
Vegetarian Breakfast Casserole with Swiss Chard and Gruyere
Tofu Scramble Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 14 oz firm tofu crumbled
- 2 tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
Instructions
- Use your clean hands to crumble the tofu into a large bowl.14 oz firm tofu
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Add the onion, and sauté until the onion has just become translucent, about 5 minutes.1 small yellow onion
- Add the garlic and the tofu, and continue to sauté for 5-10 minutes more until the tofu is heated through and beginning to brown.1 clove garlic, 14 oz firm tofu
- Add the nutritional yeast, salt, cumin, turmeric, and black pepper, and stir to combine well. Continue to sauté for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly.2 tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon ground cumin, ½ teaspoon ground turmeric, ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Remove from the heat.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
This recipe was originally posted September 14, 2014. It has been re-tested, edited, and updated with useful information May 5, 2023.
Kimberly Adkison
Love your spice combination for this tofu scramble, which I make some variation of weekly.
Gary
Delicious and hearty; full of flavor.
Deena Kakaya
This is how we have it too! I really like your use of yeast flakes though (we don't do this currently), so I willbe trying it out. x
Katie Trant
The yeast flakes add another layer of flavour, which is just delicious. I highly recommend it!
Thea @ Baking Magique
I'M NOT USED TO COOKING WITH TOFU BUT THIS LOOKS GREAT SO I'LL DEFINITELY HAVE TO TRY IT! Love your blog!
Katie Trant
I hope you try it! This is a great intro tofu recipe as it has tons of flavour and doesn't require any special cooking technique.
kellie@foodtoglow
You've taken the humble tofu scramble to new heights! I occasionally do a tofu scramble for our breakfast (often with kimchi!) but will definitely be trying this advanced version. Lovely. And I"m not surprised that Curcumin is being tested with CF patients: I have lung issues myself and since starting to use Curcumin I have had much less problems with them. IT is brilliant stuff and, as you have shown - not just for curries!
Katie Trant
I have yet to get into the kimchi thing! I know I'll like it (love sauerkraut) it's more about finding a good source here in Sweden. I'm sure it's out there! The CF studies are very interesting. Apparently it has to do with how things cross the cell membrane and what channels are open. Very exciting research, as CF runs in my family (I'm a carrier of the gene).