Tofu scramble is a wonderful savory breakfast and lunch recipe because it’s easy to make and delicious, and its texture is soft and creamy, similar to scrambled eggs.
We’ll show you how to make a base recipe for tofu scramble with a few simple ingredients and give you ideas on how to customize it and serve it with your favorite veggies and toppings.
Check out our best tofu recipe collection!
Table of Contents
You’ll love tofu scramble because it’s an easy, nutritious, and versatile recipe.
While we often make this recipe a replacement for scrambled eggs, its use goes way beyond that.
For example, with a few simple additions, you can use it to fill a vegan breakfast burrito, serve it on toast with avocado spread, or use the same technique to make a delicious tofu bolognese to serve with pasta.
Our favorite way to eat it is by adding seasonal veggies to it. Sautèed mushrooms, spinach, broccoli, peppers, and beans all fit right in, and you’ll never get bored.
And so, while this is one of the best vegan breakfast recipes, you can definitely also eat it as a quick lunch or healthy dinner.
Thanks to the excellent nutritional content of tofu, this dish makes for a fulfilling and complete meal, especially if combined with some vegetables.
Ingredients
Tofu
Firm tofu or extra firm tofu is the best for a tofu scramble.
Silky tofu won’t scramble, no matter if firm or soft. It’ll mash.
Olive oil
Extra virgin olive oil gives the tofu flavor, and we recommend it.
You can make the recipe without oil, but it’ll turn out slightly bland.
Substitute avocado oil or another vegetable oil for the olive oil.
Plant milk
Plant milk helps us keep the scramble nice and moist. Without milk, the tofu will dry out on the pan, and the recipe won’t be as delicious.
You can use most non-dairy milks as long as they are plain and unsweetened. We like to use soy milk or oat milk.
Turmeric
Turmeric is for adding a beautiful yellow color.
Salt and black pepper
We recommend sea salt or kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Black salt (optional)
Black salt, also known as Kala Namak, is an Indian/Himalayan rock salt that adds a nice eggy flavor to this dish.
You need a couple of pinches of black salt to turn this dish from great to “best tofu scramble ever.”
You can find it online or in Asian stores sold as Kala Namak, Black Salt, Himalayan Salt, or Indian salt, depending on where it’s from and where you live.
Parsley (optional)
Add a sprinkle of chopped flat-leaf parsley for freshness and color.
Substitute chives, cilantro, dill, or spring onions, finely chopped.
Add flavor with
Suppose you’d like to add more flavor to your tofu scramble.
In that case, we recommend nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, chopped dill, chives, or spring onions, cumin, chipotle powder, chili powder, and dried herbs like oregano and dill. Pick one or more.
Serve it with
You can serve tofu scramble on top of avocado toast to add crunch and creaminess.
We think they are perfect together. It also works as a filling in a wrap to make a delicious vegan breakfast burrito.
You can also serve it with oven-roasted veggies on the side. For example, try roasted mushrooms, tomato confit, air fryer potatoes, or a tray of mixed roasted vegetables.
Instructions
In a nonstick skillet, warm up the olive oil, then add in the tofu, crumbling it with your hands as you add it in.
Season with salt and black pepper and fry on medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring often.
Tip: there’s no need to press the tofu.
Add unsweetened plant milk, turmeric powder, and kala namak.
Stir and cook on medium heat for a few minutes or until the tofu scramble reaches a soft and creamy texture.
It should only take about 3 to 5 minutes. Do not overcook, or else your tofu will get dry. Taste, adjust for salt, and serve immediately.
Variations
Vegan breakfast burrito
This one’s a delicious Mexican-inspired breakfast recipe made with tofu scramble, onion, garlic, black beans, bell pepper, and cumin.
We serve it in a wrap topped with lime, avocado, vegan sour cream, jalapeños, and hot sauce.
It’s one of our favorite vegan breakfast recipes, and we are sure you’ll love it too.
Check out our vegan breakfast burrito recipe with tofu scramble.
Mushroom Tofu Scramble
Warm up olive oil in a large skillet, then add about 10 ounces (300 grams) of sliced mushrooms (you can use white, brown, portobello, baby bella, or other).
Sauté on medium-high heat for about 10 minutes or until there’s no more liquid in the pan, stirring every 2 minutes.
When the water from the mushrooms has gone and the mushrooms have browned, add two tablespoons of vegan butter (or olive oil) and a clove or two of grated garlic.
Stir for one or two minutes, then add crumbled tofu, salt, pepper, turmeric, and plant milk.
Cook for a few more minutes until you reach your desired texture.
Taste and adjust for salt before serving with toasted bread and chopped parsley.
Spinach Tofu Scramble
Sauté about 10 ounces or 300 grams of spinach – fresh or frozen – in a large skillet or nonstick pan with a crushed clove of garlic and half a tablespoon of olive oil.
When the spinach is cooked and the cooking water has evaporated, crumble the tofu in the same pan and follow our recipe.
Taste and adjust for salt before serving with toasted bread.
Serving Suggestions
Our favorite way of serving scrambled tofu is with a thick slice of toasted bread or in a wrap, with sliced avocado and roasted or air-fried vegetables on the side.
Drizzle with some good quality extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley (chives or green onions), and enjoy while still warm.
Other excellent toppings for tofu scramble are:
- Tahini sauce (tahini, water, lemon juice, garlic, salt).
- Guacamole or creamy avocado spread.
- Vegan sour cream (cashews, water, salt, lemon).
- Tomato confit and caramelized onions.
- Lime, cilantro, jalapeños, and hot sauce.
Questions
Use firm tofu or extra firm tofu for a tofu scramble.
Yes, tofu scramble is an excellent meal-prep recipe.
You can keep it in the fridge for 3 days and reheat it in the microwave for 2 minutes.
Yes. Tofu scramble is a healthy and nutritious dish.
It is rich in complete protein, low in calories, and free of cholesterol. It’s an excellent substitute for meat and eggs.
Read more about tofu and soy here:
– Soy Facts: Is Soy Healthy or Harmful?
– Soy video archive from nutritionfacts.org
Yes. You can make your scramble in advance and use it in your lunch box, a sandwich, a burrito, or just plain tortillas.
You can also reheat the tofu scramble in the microwave. It’ll be nice and warm in about a minute.
I wouldn’t meal prep it for more than a couple of days in advance, though, as it’s such an easy recipe to make in just 5 minutes.
Make Ahead & Storage
Make ahead: tofu scramble is an excellent recipe for meal prep because it keeps well in the fridge for several days.
Feel free to make a double batch and keep the leftover for a quick lunch or dinner.
Refrigerator: transfer leftovers in an airtight container and keep them in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Reheat: warm it in the microwave for 2 minutes or on a pan with a splash of unsweetened non-dairy milk.
Freezer: transfer it to a freezer-friendly container and freeze it for up to 3 months.
Thaw it in the microwave, in the fridge overnight, or in a pan with a dash of unsweetened plant milk.
More Tofu Recipes
If you’re curious about cooking with tofu, take a peek at our easy tofu recipes:
- Tofu salad (mixed leaves, cherry tomatoes, tahini dressing, cucumber, avocado).
- Tofu curry (cauliflower, coconut milk, ginger, garlic, curry, turmeric).
- Lemon tofu (lemon, cornstarch, flour, garlic, rosemary).
- Tofu Cacciatore (black olives, canned tomatoes, capers, garlic).
- Fried tofu (paprika, garlic powder, olive oil, chili powder).
- Easy Tofu cream cheese (tahini, olive oil, garlic, fresh herbs).
For many more breakfast ideas, check out our breakfast category page.
Tofu scramble
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 8 ounces firm tofu
- ¾ cup non-dairy milk plain and unsweetened. We recommend oat or soy milk.
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt or more to taste
- 2 twists black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon black salt or kala namak. Optional for an eggy flavor. Add more for more eggy taste.
Instructions
- Warm up the oil in a nonstick pan, then crumble the tofu with your hands and add it to the pan.Season with salt and pepper and fry on medium heat for 5 minutes stirring often.
- Add unsweetened plant milk, turmeric powder, and kala namak.
- Stir and cook on medium heat until the tofu scramble has a creamy and soft texture (3 to 5 minutes). Don't overcook or it'll dry out.Taste and adjust for salt before serving.
SERVING SUGGESTION
- Serve on toasted bread or in a wrap with sliced avocado, chopped cilantro or parsley, and roasted or air fried veggies on the side.
VARIATIONS
- Check out the variation chapter above to learn how to make this with mushrooms, spinach, or to turn it into a delicious vegan breakfast burrito.
Video
Notes
- Nutritional yeast – 1 to 2 tablespoons.
- Garlic powder – 1 to 2 teaspoons.
- Onion powder – 1 teaspoon.
- Fresh dill, chives, or spring onions – chopped, 1 to 2 tablespoons.
- Cumin – 1 teaspoon.
- Chipotle powder – 1 teaspoon.
- Chili powder – 1/4 teaspoon.
- Dried oregano – 1 teaspoon.
- Tahini sauce.
- Guacamole or avocado spread.
- Vegan sour cream.
- Tomato confit or caramelized onions.
- Lime, cilantro, jalapeños, and hot sauce.
- Roasted mushrooms or air fryer mushrooms.
- Roasted potatoes or air fryer potatoes.
- Roasted sweet potatoes or air fryer sweet potatoes.
- Mixed roasted vegetables.
- Roasted cauliflower or air fryer cauliflower.
- Roasted asparagus or air fryer asparagus.
Nutrition
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Ciao Nico
Do you press the tofu?
Not all tofu scramble recipes require pressing.
If you do, can you please put this in the recipe as well as I would like to share it?
Grazie Mille!
Hi Sara,
No I don’t press the tofu for this recipe ๐
Thaaaanks!
Nico
oops sorry I read the recipe and saw you said tofu doesn’t require pressing. Just a tip: I live in NYC. Here they sell tofu in containers with a LOT of water. I followed the recipe and didn’t press it. Once I added the almond milk it became a soup and took FOREVER to cook. I think to press or not to press ๐ depends on the country and how they sell the tofu (lots or little water). It still came out delish but next time (tomorrow) I’m definitely pressing it to save time ๐
Delicious! Itโs amazing how close to the texture and taste of scrambled eggs this tastes. As a below-average cook myself , I value not only the recipe but the methods, photos of what it should look like along the way, and variations to consider. Thank you so much!
Hi Kathleen,
That’s fantastic, I’m so delighted you felt comfortable with the recipe instructions – that makes me very happy.
Well done, I’m sure that you are capable of so much more than you think ๐ Kindest,
Louise
La recette รฉcrite n’est pas pareil au vidรฉo. Il n’y a pas de champignons! Merci pour vos bonnes recettes.
Hi Tes, thanks for your comment. The video shows a variation of the tofu scramble with added mushrooms. You can always omit the veggies if you prefer a simpler scramble. Have a wonderful weekend. Cheers, Louise