Tofu Scramble

When I first became vegan, one of the things I really thought I would miss was scrambled eggs – eggs in general in fact. I have to admit when I first saw that you could scramble tofu, I wasn’t overly excited. Tofu? For Breakfast? Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love tofu, but I wasn’t sure it would be a decent replacement for one of my favourite breakfasts.

How wrong you can be! It turned out that tofu scramble is one of the tastiest, most delicious meals I have even eaten and has fast become one of my favourite things to eat (I could eat it every day). It is easy to make, cheap, nutritious, high protein and low-fat, and it tastes amazing – what more could you ask for?!

Some exciting new ingredients

If you are new to veganism you may need to source some new unusual ingredients to really make this dish work, but your local health food shop should stock them, or you can find them online. The first is nutritional yeast. These are dried yeast flakes that have a slightly nutty, cheesy flavour and I honestly can’t remember how I used to cook before I discovered them!
The other is Kala Namak or ‘Black Salt’. Actually, pink once ground down, it is a type of rock salt used in South Asia and due to its high sulphur content, it gives an ‘eggy’ taste to dishes and is perfect accompaniment to tofu for egg style dishes.

A few words on quantities

It is difficult to make just enough seasoning for one serving and I find it easier to make up quite a bit, so you don’t have to make it from scratch every time. So this recipe makes enough for 12 servings, just store in a small air tight jar and it will be ready for next time! You can use any quick cooking veggies you have around, but this is the combination I have found works best.

If you don’t have time to make up the tofu seasoning, then you can just use 2-3 tsp of nutritional yeast, 1/4 tsp of turmeric and a pinch of Kala Namak salt (or table salt if you prefer), but you get the best flavour if you use the full seasoning and it is very quick to make.

Tofu scramble with vegetables on toast.

Tofu Seasoning (makes 12 servings)

1 tsp turmeric
0.5 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp onion granules
0.5 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp vegan bouillon ((powder))
5 tsp nutritional yeast
2 tsp kala namak (black salt)

Tofu Scramble (makes 2 servings)

2 tsp tofu seasoning ((see above))
200 grams firm tofu
4 spring onions (sliced)
2 tomatoes (diced)
2 blocks spinach (defrosted from frozen, or a handful of fresh spinach leaves)
0.5 medium courgette (diced)
0.5 red pepper (diced)
100 grams mushrooms (diced)
0.5 tbsp olive oil
2 slices wholemeal toast (to serve)
2 tbsp parsley (fresh or 1 tsp dried)

Tofu Seasoning

Mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl, and store in a small airtight container.

Tofu Scramble

Don't drain or press the tofu. Slice thinly, place in a bowl and cover with 2 tsp of tofu seasoning, if using, or 2-3 tsp of nutritional yeast, 1/4 tsp turmeric and a pinch of Kala Namak or standard salt if you are in a hurry. Mix to coat all the tofu and break up the slices into smaller chunks. We found this gives a better final texture than just crumbling it.
Heat the oil in a frying pan and add the onion, tomatoes, red pepper, courgette (zucchini) and mushrooms and sauté gently until soft (about 5 – 10mins depending on veg used).
Add the seasoned tofu to the pan and stir gently to mix and coat the vegetables in the seasoning as well.
Cook on a gentle heat for 3 – 5 minutes until the tofu is warmed through. Stir in the parsley, then serve on toast or with your favourite cooked breakfast.

This recipe works really well with the addition of our seitan bacon, sliced thin and lightly fried. You can use any combination of quick cooking vegetables for this, or it works on its own as well. Try adding as a filling to a wrap instead of serving on toast, or as part of a vegan full English breakfast – heavenly!