This vegan scrambled tofu is the recipe I’ve been making longer than any other. Cumin, thyme, turmeric, garlic, nutritional yeast, and a block of extra-firm tofu torn into big pieces and cooked in a hot pan until the edges get crispy and golden. It’s the kind of recipe you memorize after making it twice and then never look up again.
I first scrambled tofu about 35 years ago and I still make it at least once a week. It changes with me. I went through a mushroom era, a broccoli era, a hardline anti-red-pepper stance that eventually softened. Lately I keep it simple. Garlic, spices, nutritional yeast, maybe some avocado on top. That’s it. The base recipe here is designed to be exactly that: a base. Learn it, then throw in whatever is in your fridge.
The key to a good scramble is not treating the tofu gently. You want big, torn pieces, not tiny crumbles. Break it apart with your hands, get it into a hot pan with oil, and then leave it alone long enough to actually brown. Use a thin metal spatula and scrape the bottom of the pan. That’s where the crispy stuff lives. Let the water cook out. If liquid is pooling at the bottom, turn the heat up and let it evaporate. You want the tofu dry and golden on at least one side before you add the spices.
The spice blend goes in as a slurry (mixed with a little water) so it coats everything evenly instead of clumping. Then the nutritional yeast goes in at the end for that savory, slightly cheesy quality that makes the whole thing come together.
Use it in breakfast burritos, on English muffins with hollandaise, in a little brunch bowl with kale and roasted veggies. I put a whole bunch of add-ins on the recipe, so go wild.
A little backstory: This recipe is from my cookbook Vegan Brunch. It’s the basic scramble I always come back to, and it’s endlessly customizable. I’ve updated the recipe here for the site with a few small tweaks, but the spirit is the same — big pieces, good seasoning, don’t overthink it.
VEGAN TOFU SCRAMBLE FAQ
What kind of tofu should I use? Extra-firm, drained. You don’t need to press it, a lot of the moisture cooks out in the pan. Just drain the water from the package and you’re good.
Do I need to press the tofu? Nope. The 10 minutes of sautéing takes care of it. If water collects in the pan, just turn the heat up and let it evaporate.
How should I break up the tofu? I like nice big pieces torn apart by hand, not crumbled into tiny bits. You’ll break it up more as you stir, but you want some texture, not mush. This isn’t hummus.
What does turmeric do? It gives the scramble that golden yellow color. It doesn’t add a ton of flavor at this amount, but the color makes it look like eggs and that matters more than you’d think.
Can I skip the nutritional yeast? You can, but the scramble will taste a little flat. Nutritional yeast gives it that savory, slightly cheesy depth. If you’ve never used it, this is a great recipe to start with.
What’s the best pan to use? A large heavy-bottomed pan — cast iron is ideal. You want good heat distribution so the tofu actually browns instead of steaming. Use a thin metal spatula to scrape the bottom; that’s where the crispy, golden stuff lives.
Can I make this ahead of time? Yes! It keeps for 3 to 4 days in the fridge and reheats well in a pan. It’s actually one of the best meal prep breakfasts out there. Leftovers are great in burritos, sandwiches, or stuffed into peppers.
Can I add cheese? Sure, toss some shredded vegan cheese in during the last minute of cooking and let it melt. It’s not necessary though, the nooch does a lot of work.
What should I serve this with? Hash browns, toast, avocado slices, hot sauce — the classics. Breakfast burritos with salsa and guacamole are hard to beat.
Is tofu scramble good for meal prep? It’s one of the best. Make a big batch on Sunday, store it in the fridge, and reheat portions throughout the week. Wrap it in tortillas, pile it on toast, or just eat it straight from the container.
The Best Tofu Scramble
Ingredients
Spice blend:
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme crushed with your fingers
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced (or more, to taste)
- 1 lb extra-firm tofu drained
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- Fresh black pepper to taste
Instructions
- First stir the spice blend together in a small cup. Add water and mix. Set aside
- Preheat a large, heavy bottomed pan over medium high heat. Saute the garlic in olive oil for about a minute. Break the tofu apart into bite sized pieces and saute for about 10 minutes, using a spatula to stir often. Get under the tofu when you are stirring, scrape the bottom and don’t let it stick to the pan, that is where the good, crispy stuff is. Use a thin metal spatula to get the job done, a wooden or plastic one won’t really cut it. The tofu should get browned on at least one side, but you don’t need to be too precise about it. The water should cook out of it and not collect too much at the bottom of the pan. If that is happening, turn the heat up and let the water evaporate.
- Add the spice blend and mix to incorporate. Add the nutritional yeast and fresh black pepper. Cook for about 5 more minutes. Serve warm.
You can include these additions to your scramble by themselves or in combination with one another.
- Broccoli – Cut about one cup into small florettes, thinly slice the stems. Add along with the tofu.
- Onion – Finely chop one small onion. Add along with the garlic, and cook for about 5 minutes, until translucent. Proceed with recipe.
- Red Peppers – Remove stem and seed, finely chop one red pepper. Add along with the garlic and cook for about 5 minutes. Proceed with recipe.
- Mushrooms – Thinly slice about a cup of mushrooms. Add along with the tofu.
- Olives – Chop about 1/3 a cup of sliced olives. Add towards the end of cooking, after mixing in the nutritional yeast.
- Spinach – Add about 1 cup of chopped spinach towards the end of cooking, after mixing in the nutritional yeast. Cook until completely wilted.
- Carrots – Grate half of an average sized carrot into the scramble towards the end of cooking. This is a great way to add color to the scramble.
- Avocado – I almost always have avocado with my scramble. Just peel and slice it and serve on top.
I don’t make tofu scramble often enough. It’s so simple that I forget about it, but it’s so good! Thanks for the reminder, I’ll make a scramble this weekend with some roasted root veg.
aaahhhh…I LOVE a good scramble!
It’s possible that I’m just blind, but I don’t think I see any *tofu* in this recipe.
How much? Which kind?
Funny thing, I never made tofu scramble until I moved to Portland. I was never interested it making it until I started seeing it on breakfast menus around town and realized I could just make it at home! I usually don’t add anything other than a lot of garlic and mushrooms. Maybe spinach. You are crazy with your carrots and onions!
I featured this recipe with the spinach option on my blog Monday!
one of my faves is a spin on the sandwich front: add all the things you usually would have for an egg salad or tuna salad sandwich (veganaise, celery, pickles?) to cold leftover scramble and you get a “chicken or the egg?” salad sandwich.
i am psychic! i just ate scrambled tofu and as i was clicking on the blog link thought “i wonder if isa blogged about scrambled tofu” and here it is. neato.
I love those ideas! My go-to scramble I totally stole from a Seattle cafe – green curry scramble with turmeric, tomato chunks and green onions, served on buttered toast. Mmmmm…
Tofu scramble is a must in my house! I have altered though for my sons (6yrs and 2yrs) so that they enjoy it. I cube the tofu for little fingers and forks and use Nutritional Yeast, crushed black pepper, Mrs. Dash and Season All. We eat it for breakfast and dinner: over rice, noodles with veggies etc. I don’t know what we would do with out the basic tofu scramble.
Fine, I’ll write a post on cubes vs. mush. You convinced me. I was really hoping you’d dig a little deeper in the philosophic side of this.
[…] vegan or dairy-avoider has their own version of the silken tofu mousse. It’s kind of like tofu scramble: the non-recipe recipe that everyone has a recipe for. This is my favorite, but I kind of want one […]
Tofu scrambles were one of the first and hardest dishes I learned. I came to realize that I like it super simple too. At most, I’ll put some sort or bac’n bits. Though, the puttanesca scramble is an exception to this rule.
kimmykokonut- onions and carrots are crazy?! you crazy! :o) i do put carrots and onions (and cremini mushrooms) in anything i saute, which includes tofu scram.
isa- i just noticed today at work that we (Paradox) have no scrambles on our menu. does Vita? i don’t think the old owners (that owned the both) ever had it on the menu and the new owners haven’t added any. i suppose they figure vegans get enough scrambles at all the less-veg-friendly places. mamakim’s running joke when we go out for breakfast is always “karla, what tofu scramble are you going to get?”
Karla, you work at Paradox? There are scrambles there, the number 1 and number 2. Vita has lots of scrambles, too. Are you sure you work there? Are you sure you live in Portland?
Do you know that I’ve only made a tofu scramble once? And I think it’s documented on the ppk.
I think that means I’m not really vegan.
Good timing. I was just thinking about a tofu scramble stuffed into blue taco shells, but a breakfast burrito sounds good too.
I’m going to have to find ou what a knish is! Other than that those sound like delicious ways to have fun with tofu scramble.
I just made some scramble with scallions, red pepper and shredded carrot, and I substituted 1 T of soy sauce for the water with the spices. I used it as the filling for Chinese steamed buns. Num!
Hey Isa, I made a tofu scramble with some soy chorizo, and some peppers and onions, it was amazing! Possibly the best scramble I have had yet. It said on the package to serve with eggs (no thanks!) so I figured why not a tofu scramble instead!
those ideas sound great. I’ve never actually made a tofu scramble. Is it possible to do without nutritional yeast, since that’s not an ingredient I generally have around?
Adding avocado! – BRILLIANT!
I love revisiting the classics, especially when there are multiple ways to use it.
I never get tired of tofu scrambles. Thanks for the ideas.
Inspire by the blog post, I made tofu scramble-potato breakfast burritos for dinner – which I guess means we ate brunch.
The absolute best tofu to use for scrambles is found in the bulk section of your co-op. Here in AZ, we get a brand called “Sacramento” which is also the kind we used to buy living in Oakland. Trust me on this, buying fresh extra firm tofu will make you CRAVE all thing tofu. We eat scrambles at least once or twice per week.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/sacramento-tofu-company-sacramento
Great tips. I especially think the “letting the water cook out of it” is key. In our vegan home, that’s when we know brunch is ready!
Probably the most useless, yet hilarious, scramble recipe is ” steda eggs,” which can be found in Marilyn Diamond’s American Vegetarian Cookbook. Without permission from the author, I’ll post this special recipe (which was, according to Marilyn, “sweeping the nation” in 1990):
step 1: buy Fantastic Foods Tofu Scramble
step 2: Add to tofu
Brilliant! Funny thing is, I can totally remember the days when I perceived tofu scramble as impossible to make without the Fantastic Foods magical spice mix.
hi
I am real encouraged with the mentation and don’t search like adding anything in it. It
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ISA Info
Tofu brouillé
Manger moins d’animaux, plus de tofu tout ça, tu voudrais bien, mais tu n’es pas de type végétarien/ne. Et encore moins cuistot. C’est là que j’interviens. En effet, quoi de plus concret pour sauver le monde qu’une bonne bouffe ?
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[…] Scrambled Tofu – This is actually better than scrambled eggs because it gets better leftover. A few slices of avocado, roasted potatoes, and you’ve got a pretty good breakfast burrito. […]
i like to sub the black pepper for a healthy pour of paprika and crushed red chilis, and i use silken style tofu cuz i like the more what they call”scrambled soft/undercooked” textures. i like that green curry scramble erin was talking about. is it really made with green curry or is it just the scallions what make it green? either way, sounds good.
I always make mine with a cup of salsa at the end and then spread it over a cornbread waffle. It’s delicious!
“As long as it’s eaten in moderation, soy and tofu products can be extremely healthy and nutritious for you. Although it’s still being debated whether non-fermented soy and tofu products contain harmful toxins, most experts generally agree that the health benefits probably outweigh any dangers.”
http://www.veghealthguide.com/soy-tofu/
Does this keep in the refrigerator?
a) I always love being able to make things in advance and then just nuke them (though, as with everything except chili, it is best when fresh)
b) I’m hoping to not have to bust out my rusty math skills to divide this recipe into “serves one”
This looks great. We have a kid with dairy and egg allergies, so we often turn to vegan recipes — which is nice for all of us, anyway. (Sadly, she can’t eat nuts either, which is tricky, but whatever.) Anyway, we’re making this tonight, and it looks awesome. So excited. Thank you! PS We’ll be doing it with black beans, salsa, avocado – agreed, the greatest addition to everything — in a tortilla. Yum.
[…] Basic Scrambled Tofu at Post-Punk Kitchen Garam Masala Tofu Scramble at 101 Cookbooks Julie Hasson’s Yummy Tofu Scramble at Notes from the Vegan Feast Kitchen Bianca’s Cheeze “Eggs” from Vegan Crunk Monterey Frittata on this blog […]
[…] After the surprising success with the mushroom spinach tofu soup and with a half pound of tofu left, I searched the web for what to do with the rest of that cottage cheese colored squishy stuff left in my fridge. And, walla! Post Punk Kitchen. […]
Thanks for the recipe! I’ve tried it and love it. I also love your books!
[…] it alongside your tofu scramble and toast on a lazy monring eating breakfast in bed. “That’s what makes it so special. […]
I tried this morning (+onion). Soooo much better than other times I have cooked scrambled tofu, as the nutritional yeast adds a great flavor. thanks!
[…] i would actually have someone, even a non-vegetarian, try and expect a very positive reaction. from Post Punk Kitchen. and this picture is not doctored; the turmeric really does make it that shade of bright […]
[…] then ta-dah! It’s breakfast. If you’ve got adventurous eaters in the house, make this tasty Scrambled Tofu from the Post Punk Kitchen. It’s customizable with whatever happens to be in your vegetable […]
I just made this for lunch. I made some black beans which i layered in a bowl over the scramble, then some fresh salsa i had made and chopped avacados on top! Freakin yummy!!!!
Just had it for lunch today! I usually use onions, sweet peppers, garlic, black sea salt, turmeric, nutritional yeast, and whatever else I have in the fridge and/or the garden. Today I added some broccoli, and some tomatoes and kale harvested from right outside. Yum! And I always always always put some sriracha over the top.
Oh dear, baby vegan question, ahOh dear, baby vegan question, ahoy!
Is the tofu just drained, or drained & pressed? I’m getting mixed signals from recipes but I want to make this soy-based relationship work!
I don’t press it for this. A lot of the moisture cooks out so you actually have to add a little moisture back at the end.
Ok. I don’t even know how the first sentence got like that. Gross. SorryOk. I don’t even know how the first sentence got like that. Gross. Sorry!
Wonderful. Went to two local health food stores and couldn’t find the box seasoning mix to make tofu scramble. I am so glad because this is the best tofu scramble I’ve had. My addition included 1/2 tsp curry powder, thin-sliced half zucchini and diced carrots, celery. Loved it.
Thanks Isa! I needed to hear that scrumbled (seeing as you can’t really scramble) tofu will no longer be an hour & a half long event! You have my 67 year old red-meat lovin’, ultra-conservative, Faux News lovin’ Dad hogging the scrumbled tofu whenever I make it. Awww so cutThanks Isa! I needed to hear that scrumbled (seeing as you can’t really scramble) tofu will no longer be an hour & a half long event! You have my 67 year old red-meat lovin’, ultra-conservative, Faux News lovin’ Dad hogging the scrumbled tofu whenever I make it. Awww so cute.
Hubby and I are just starting out on our vegan adventure. Made this tonight for dinner with some home-fried potatoes. YUM! Went together really fast and was so good. We added onion, red bell pepper, and mushroom. The seasoning was perfect. Thanks for the great recipe.
[…] looking for something to usurp the usual morning scramble, you must check out this post on Scrambled Tofu from Isa Chandra Moskowitz’s blog, The Post Punk Kitchen. Really creative ideas that make […]