Serves 4
Photo By Kate Lewis
A frittata is an open-faced, baked omelet. This vegan frittata uses mashed extra-firm tofu as the base, and it lands somewhere between a scramble and a casserole. You mash, you mix, you bake. I like the downtime of it and it frees up stovetop space. While it’s in the oven for about twenty minutes your burners are completely free for home fries, pancakes, or whatever else you want going along with it. Or just do nothing, that is valid, too. It’s a perfect breakfast as is.
This was the kind of recipe I’d make back in the 90s, before we discovered cashews and tofu was the end all be all. And it holds up! Literally and figuratively. Tofu works well here because it holds together once it’s baked. The texture ends up firm enough to slice but still tender in the middle. A little nutritional yeast and seasoning give it that savory depth you want from eggs, and the edges get lightly golden in the oven.
I love the combination of asparagus and sun-dried tomatoes for both color and contrast. The asparagus stays bright and snappy, the sun-dried tomatoes are sweet, tangy and chewy, and the whole thing gets finished with torn basil and a squeeze of lemon juice that just screams BRUNCH.
This recipe is from Vegan with a Vengeance. It has been a favorite since the book came out so why stop now?
Pulling something out of the oven, slicing it into wedges, and setting it on the table always feels like an accomplishment, even when it’s as easy and simple as this.
Tips for the Best Tofu Frittata
- No need to press the tofu. Just drain it and give it a quick squeeze over the sink. That is enough to get rid of excess water.
- Mash the tofu until it looks like ricotta cheese. You want it crumbly and broken down but not smooth. This takes about a minute with your hands or a fork. Don’t use a blender or food processor, you’ll lose the texture.
- Use an oven-safe skillet. Cast iron is ideal. If you don’t have one, sauté the vegetables in whatever pan you have, then transfer the mixture to an 8-inch pie plate for baking.
- The broiler step at the end is optional but worth it. Two minutes under the broiler gives you a golden, slightly crispy top. Keep a close eye on it though, it goes from golden to burnt fast.
- Let it sit for 10 minutes before cutting. I know. But the frittata needs that time to set. If you cut into it too early it will crumble. If it crumbles a little anyway, don’t stress, just push it back together. It still tastes the same.
Frittata Variations: Collect Them All
One nice thing about a tofu frittata is how flexible it is. Change up the veggies. If asparagus is out of season, swap in broccoli, zucchini, mushrooms, or roasted red peppers. Greens work well too. Spinach, kale, or chard can be sautéed briefly and folded in before baking. Olives, artichokes, or caramelized onions are also great additions if you want to lean more Mediterranean. Here are a few ideas, but go wild with it. Once you learn this easy recipe, you will always want to experiment.
Broccoli and Olive Frittata: Replace the asparagus with 1 cup of chopped broccoli florets. Replace the sun-dried tomatoes with sliced black olives. Absolutely delicious!
Mushroom Frittata: Sauté 1 cup of sliced cremini mushrooms along with the onion. Omit the asparagus. Use 1/4 cup of sliced black olives or sun-dried tomatoes. Scrumptious!
Spinach and Roasted Red Pepper Frittata: Replace the asparagus with a big handful of fresh spinach (add it at the end of the sauté so it just wilts). Replace the sun-dried tomatoes with 1/4 cup of chopped roasted red peppers from a jar. Drooling!
A Lotta’ Frittata: Simple Ways To Dress It Up
Pour Coconut Queso over the top for a brunch that means business.
Drizzle with hot sauce. Always appropriate.
A dollop of cashew sour cream or almond ricotta and some fresh chives on each wedge.
Top with sliced avocado and a squeeze of lime for a California moment.
You can never go wrong with ranch dressing. Especially over an avocado.
What to Serve with Tofu Frittata
Biscuits & White Pepper Gravy for the full southern brunch experience
Simple Seitan & Bean Italian Sausages if you want a protein boost
Fronch Toast because brunch should be excessive
Serve it alongside a Classic Vegan Caesar and roasted potatoes for a dinner situation. Frittata is not brunch-only, it just has good brunch PR.
Blackberry Lavender Scones or Orange Cranberry Muffins for the baked goods table
A simple green salad with Vegan Ranch Dressing
Quinoa Pancakes, Earl Gray Chai Pancakes, Puffy Pillow Pancakes, or Matcha Waffles for the sweet and savory experience
Breakfast potatoes. I can’t believe I don’t have a breakfast potato recipe on the site but I will fix that soon.
VEGAN TOFU FRITATTA FAQ:
What kind of tofu should I use for this vegan frittata? Extra-firm, water-packed. Not silken. You want something you can mash with a fork that holds its shape. Don’t press it, just drain the water and give the block a squeeze over the sink.
Do I need a cast iron skillet? It’s the best option because you sauté on the stove and then transfer straight to the oven. But any oven-safe skillet works. If you don’t have one, use any pan for the sauté and then transfer everything to a greased 8-inch pie plate for baking.
Can I make this easy vegan frittata ahead? Yup. Bake it, let it cool, cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes or eat it at room temperature. It’s good both ways.
Can I freeze it? You can, but the texture changes a little once thawed. If you’re going to freeze it, wrap individual slices in foil and freeze for up to 2 months. Reheat in the oven, not the microwave.
Can I use different vegetables? For sure. That’s the beauty of a frittata. Zucchini, bell peppers, spinach, mushrooms, roasted red peppers, broccoli, even leftover roasted vegetables. Just keep the total amount of vegetables roughly the same. See a few of my suggestions above.
Is this gluten-free? It can be if you use tamari instead of soy sauce.
My frittata fell apart when I cut it. WAHHHH!!! It probably needed more time to rest after baking. Give it a full 10 minutes. Also make sure the tofu was well mashed and the mixture was pressed firmly into the skillet before baking. If it still crumbles a bit, that’s fine, it tastes the same.
Can I add vegan cheese? For sure. Sprinkle some shredded vegan cheese (maybe smoked gouda?) on top before the broiler step. You can also mix some in before baking.
What does the Dijon mustard do? It adds a subtle tang and depth. You won’t taste mustard in the finished frittata, but you’d miss it if it weren’t there. Yellow mustard works fine too.
Is this good for Mother’s Day/Father’s Day brunch? Hells yeah. Serve it with mimosas and a side salad and you’re a hero.
How did I get here? Oh, hi. You must have googled “frittata recipe vegan” or “frittata vegan” or maybe “vegan frittata recipe” because those are the SEO words I’m using and I have to put them here. Maybe you said “how to make vegan frittata.” It’s a breakfast brunch thing. A lunch dinner thing. Vegan vegan vegan. Frittata frittata frittata.
Tofu Frittata With Asparagus & Sundried Tomato
Ingredients
- 1 14- oz block extra-firm tofu
- 1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard yellow will work fine if you like that better
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup onion 1 small, cut into 1/4-inch dice
- 4 ounces asparagus about 6 medium stalks, rough ends discarded, cut into bite-size pieces
- 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves torn into pieces, plus extra for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- In a mixing bowl, mash the tofu until it resembles ricotta cheese. This should take about a minute. Mix in the soy sauce and mustard. Add the nutritional yeast and combine well. Set aside.
- Heat an oven-safe 8-inch skillet over medium heat. Sauté the onion in the olive oil for 2 minutes. Add the asparagus and sun-dried tomatoes and sauté for about 3 more minutes. Add the garlic, thyme, and turmeric and sauté for 1 more minute. Add the lemon juice to deglaze the pan and turn off the heat.
- Transfer the onion mixture to the tofu mixture and combine well. Fold in the basil leaves. Transfer back to the skillet (or into a greased 8 inch pie plate) and press the mixture firmly in place.
- Cook in the oven at 400°F for 20 minutes. If you like, transfer to the broiler to brown the top, about 2 minutes (keep a close eye on it so as not to burn it).
- Let the frittata sit for 10 minutes before serving. Cut into four slices and lift each piece out with a pie server to prevent the frittata from falling apart. Garnish with extra fresh basil and fresh black pepper.
