Vegan Breakfast Eggs

Yum

As a vegan, I get more questions about replacing eggs as a food, or in a recipe, than any other ingredient – even more than cheese! Eggs are such a staple in most people’s diets, and they can’t imagine life without them. Whether you decide to stop eating eggs in favor of a plant based diet, or because they don’t agree with you or with a loved one, don’t fear! I’ve got your back with this recipe for Vegan Eggs!

 

There are so many ways to make vegan eggs for substitutes in  baked goods, and that’s a post in and of itself, but a quick list is, bananas, flax seeds, chia seeds, bean brine (What?! See this post on my Melt in Your Mouth Cornbread to learn more about that one!), etc, and there are even some commercial ones available.  It’s not as hard as you might think.  (Here’s a muffin recipe with coconut yogurt as an egg replacer) However, one of the things that you will quickly want to learn when cutting eggs out of your diet, is a what to make for breakfast on those days when you want a really satisfying, old school, scrambled eggs type breakfast! So today’s recipe is for just such an occasion!  This is a recipe that anyone who is either vegan, or just can’t do eggs, must have in their arsenal. It is fast, easy, and satisfying. I’ve taught this recipe or some variation of it at all of my cooking classes.  And the best part is that it’s really versatile! (Which may be a BIG TEASE for the subject of my next post!! It involves these vegan breakfast eggs, and a lot of Mexican flavors and yumminess, and that’s all I’m going to say for now!) Seriously, this is a recipe that you will want to master, because vegan breakfast doesn’t have to be all smoothies and oatmeal, it can be whatever you can dream it to be. Just start with this really basic recipe for scrambled breakfast tofu, and eat it as is, or get creative! It’s great with veggies mixed in, with salsa on top, with vegan cheese, etc! Oh, it doesn’t have to be just for breakfast! My kids love it when I make this for dinner! I throw some vegan jack cheese, and a bag of frozen broccoli or spinach into the scramble when it’s almost done, and serve it with toast! There’s seriously so many options! Leave a comment at the end of this post and let me know what kinds of dishes you dream up!

So, let’s talk for a minute about how easy this recipe is. I’ve made it countless time while camping. I’ve taught sooo many people how to do it, and they all say it’s easy. I’ve made it on Christmas morning in between stockings and gifts while my kids are running around, not so patiently waiting!  I even made it on the morning I was starting my labor with my first son. (Me: HI Mom! Mom: What are you doing? Me: Making breakfast and having contractions.) My point is, it’s super easy, and you should try it!

This recipe uses 2 blocks of tofu, the kind that comes packed in a tub of water. (You can cut the recipe in half, or freeze some leftovers if the recipe is too big for your needs.) Select the firmest one they have. Then grab a skillet, put some vegan margarine in there (it lends to the taste, and helps it not stick to the pan). When it starts to melt, start crumbling the tofu into the pan. You want to break it up into pieces, but not squish it too much, (see photo below) as it will continue to crumble as you stir it while cooking, and you want the final texture to like scrambled eggs.

 

The spices you need are granulated onion, granulated garlic, turmeric, salt, pepper, and nutritional yeast. You can buy nutritional yeast at any health food store, in canisters, or in the bulk section. Nutritional yeast has a rich nutty, cheesy taste, and can be used in soooo many recipes. I personally use it in most of my tofu recipes, gravy, sauces, and I add it as a topping to popcorn, toast, potatoes, veggies, etc. It’s a great source of B vitamins, and it contains no active yeast, so no worries for people who can’t eat yeast, and of course, it’s gluten free. Here’s a link to one on Amazon. 

Advanced Option: There is an ingredient that you can use that will make your scramble taste even more authentic. You’ll probably need to order it from Amazon, as it’s not available in a lot of places. I make my tofu most of the time without it, so you can definitely do that. It’s still a crowd pleaser, even for the non-vegan crowd! Black salt, or Kala Namak, has a sulfurous flavor and odor, like eggs. The flavor fades a bit when you cook it, so you’ll want to add a little more when you serve it. Take the over all salt content into consideration when using this, and reduce or eliminate the other salt in the recipe.

Link to product: http://amzn.to/1mDVq9J

After you melt your margarine, and add you crumbled tofu to the pan, sprinkle the onion, garlic, salt and pepper over the tofu, and stir. Cook it for about 5 minutes and then add the nutritional yeast. Mix it in, and let it cook for a few more minutes. As the tofu cooks, it will begin to brown on the bottom. I like to let that happen and then stir it and let it happen again, to give the tofu a more authentic scrambled egg appearance. The whole thing only takes about 15 minutes to put together. 🙂

In case you were curious… that is gluten free toast in the picture! It’s the Deli style bread from Schar bakery! They make a lot of different bread, rolls, crackers, etc. Not all of their products are vegan, but a lot are. I’ve tried several of them and they are pretty amazing (Ciabatta rolls, I’m looking at you!!). I’ve seen these in grocery stores all over the country, so check your local GF section. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, you can order directly from the company…. by the case, so make sure you have room in your freezer or someone you can split them with. Check out their website: http://www.schar.com/en-us/products/us-bread   Um, I just went to get a link for you guys and I see that they have bagels now!! I gotta go…. Bagels! Oh, recipe first….. and don’t forget to enter your email address so I can send you yummy recipes, tips,  and updates via email!

* This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click through, and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission from Amazon. It helps me keep the blog running, so if you do purchase after reading my post, that’s awesome, thanks! Most importantly, I just want to inspire you, and be inspired by you.  I never write about products that I don’t use, or don’t believe in. When I do find something that I’m passionate about, I like to share it with my readers. 🙂