This super simple Mexican tofu scramble is a hearty, high-protein vegan breakfast. Serve with sourdough toast or warm tortillas. (This recipe is part of my Breakfast All Day series, which highlights breakfast recipes that you can enjoy any time of day.)
The first time I tasted a tofu scramble, I could not believe how similar it was to eggs. Bright yellow (thanks to a sprinkle of turmeric), and light and fluffy in texture, scrambled tofu is the vegan answer to scrambled eggs.
The idea is simple: first, you press a block of extra-firm tofu to get rid of excess moisture. Then, you crumble it into small bits that resemble egg curdles and sauté the tofu with whatever seasonings and add-ins strike your fancy.
On its own, tofu is pretty bland, so I tend to use a heavy hand when seasoning it. For this Mexican-inspired tofu scramble, I start by sautéing onions and peppers, which provide the base flavor. Then I add spices and cook them briefly so they can “bloom” (i.e. release their aromas into the hot oil) before adding the tofu. I finish the whole thing with a squeeze of lime, which brings all the flavors together.
Scrambled tofu is a great vessel for getting some vegetables into your breakfast. Feel free to add fresh tomatoes, chopped greens, or even mushrooms to this.
One way scrambled tofu has a leg up on scrambled eggs is that keeps its texture really well, so it can be cooked in advance, stored, and reheated. (Unlike scrambled eggs, which get gummy pretty quickly). Leftover scrambled tofu can be reheated in the microwave or on the stovetop.
I like to eat this Mexican tofu scramble with roasted potatoes, alongside avocado toast, or wrapped in warm corn tortillas. You can also turn it into a breakfast burrito, bulked up with brown rice, refried beans, and salsa.
Mexican-ish Tofu Scramble
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
Loading... - Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This super simple Mexican-ish tofu scramble is a hearty, high-protein vegan breakfast. Serve with sourdough toast or warm tortillas.
Ingredients
- One 14-ounce block of extra firm tofu
- 2 tablespoons avocado or organic canola oil (or other neutral-tasting oil)
- 1/2 medium onion, diced
- 1 red or green bell pepper, diced
- Fine sea salt, to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- Cilantro or scallions, for serving
Instructions
- Start by pressing the tofu: Drain the tofu and place it on a plate, then top it with another plate or cutting board and weigh it down with something heavy, like a couple of cans, to squeeze out as much water as possible. Let stand for 15 to 30 minutes, periodically draining off the excess water.
- After it’s pressed, crumble the tofu with your hands into small bits.
- Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onion and pepper with a pinch of salt, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, paprika, turmeric, pepper flakes, and black pepper, and cook for 30 seconds more.
- Add the tofu to the pan and stir to coat in the seasonings until it is yellow throughout. Season with lime juice and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook to warm through, 3 to 5 minutes. Turn the heat off. Taste and adjust the seasonings, if needed. Garnish with cilantro before serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 of the recipe
- Calories: 140
- Carbohydrates: 3.9 g
- Fiber: 1.3 g
- Protein: 8.4 g
Keywords: mexican, tofu, scramble, breakfast
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