My Favorite Tofu Scramble
So this week wasn’t exactly exciting or anything, other than a few trips on the boat. I spent most of my week being a giant ball of stress because I had 3 tests in 3 days, which wasn’t exactly the most fun, but I survived! We had planned on going peach picking at some point during the week, but those suckers just won’t ripen up!
So anyway, since I didn’t really do much this week I decided to share my tofu scramble recipe. You’ll have to excuse the really crappy pictures of this recipe- tofu scramble is one of the least photogenic foods out there, plus I don’t have a fancy camera or anything.
Oddly enough, I was never a fan of eggs before going vegan. They were pretty nasty and I would usually have whatever sides we were having with the eggs and just pass of the eggs themselves. The taste and texture really didn’t appeal to me, and now even the idea of eggs disgusts me. I would occasionally eat a few bites of scrambled eggs, but I couldn’t stomach more than a few bites, and I definitely wouldn’t eat a fried egg. Ever. Tofu scramble to the rescue! While I do use black salt in my tofu scramble to add a more eggy flavor, it still doesn’t really taste exactly like scrambled eggs, which is totally ok with me! I actually like tofu scramble way more than I ever liked any kind of egg dish.
I remember the very first time my mom ever made a tofu scramble. I wasn’t yet vegan and the turmeric taste was way too powerful for me and just overpowered any other flavors in the dish. It also kind of scared me how bright yellow the whole dish was. There wasn’t anything except tofu and onions and it really looked quite odd. Not to mention the fact that I was still turned off by tofu at that point- it was a texture thing. I never touched tofu scramble again until a couple months after I decided to go vegan. I got used to the turmeric taste, but I definitely needed a new recipe because that one just wasn’t doing it for me.
After adjusting this recipe every singe time I made it, I finally ended up with something really delicious. Yes, it requires a lot of different spices, but it’s still extremely easy and simple to make! This is now the scramble I make any time we have it. It’s really nothing special, but it has a lot of flavor. It goes great with some seasoned potatoes, a little seitan sausage/bacon- we use it for breakfast tacos too!
I’ve found that the easiest way to make this recipe is to mix up all the spices together in a small bowl while the mushrooms cook, so you don’t have to worry about rushing to measure out all the spices once the tofu is in the pan. When it comes to the tofu, the easiest thing to do is just hold the whole block of tofu directly over the pan and crumble it.
Tofu Scramble
Serves 4-5
Ingredients:
- 1 14 ounce package extra firm tofu
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large white onion, diced
- 1 large clove of garlic, minced
- 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
- 1 green or red bell pepper, diced
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt (use black salt for a more “eggy” taste)
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2-1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups spinach
- 1 medium roma tomato (optional)
Directions:
Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat and add the onions. Once the onions are soft, add the mushrooms and turn up the heat. Allow the mushrooms to release their liquid and wait for most of the liquid to cook off, then add the bell pepper and cook until the pepper is soft. Add in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more, then add in the tofu. Cook the tofu for about 30 seconds. Add in all the spices and stir until everything is well combined. Add in the spinach and cook for a minute or so, until the spinach has wilted down. If you’re adding in the tomato, do so now and cook for just a few seconds until everything is warmed through.
Enjoy!
-Hunter