Southwest Tofu Scramble

I’ve always wondered how they make the tofu scramble at my favorite breakfast place. They must use this recipe because it tastes exactly the same. Delicious! Even my non-vegan, egg-eating friends loved it.

Wow this is amazing! Thank you so much for the recipe! I made this for my husband’s cousin who follows a vegan regimen, and she loved it (we all did)!!!

That was lovely! And so simple…

Looks amazing. Do you think it would refrigerate well for a day or two if I didn’t eat both servings? Or meal prepped?

We loved this! I didn’t drain the tofu either (too lazy) and didn’t use red pepper (didn’t have any). I like the technique of adding water to the spices and pouring them….it worked great! Thanks for another wonderful recipe.

New to the vegan world, and read about tofu scrambles, but never tried one. Your recipe caught my eye and it was a success and a hit with my family!! Liked it better than eggs!

Have been a vegan for more than 25 years and scrambled a lot of tofu. Your ingredients are nothing new, but the PROCESS is genius! I would never of thought of making a sauce with the spices and when you add it to the tofu it’s immediately absorbed and transforms the tofu. Thank you for teaching this old vegan a new trick.

I love this recipe! I make a batch and scarf it down.

Hi, Dana –

Feeling compelled to let you know who wonderful this recipe is. My husband and I live in San Antonio, TX where breakfast tacos are a mainstay. We dined at the vegetarian restaurant today and had tofu breakfast tacos. Being determined to recreate the dish, I serendipitously found your recipe on my initial search. I served the scram in toasted corn tortillas and finished them with Daiya Cheddar Cheese, Salsa and a sprinkling of homemade Kale Chips. My goodness this scram recipe is nearly identical to the restaurant…I wonder if they’re using your recipe. :) :)

My husband loved them. This is a keeper!

Thanks so much,

This is my fav. So favorful! So delicious ! My husband always requests this!

Dana, it’s really delicious. Just made for dinner :) Thanks for sharing your recipe!

I made the Southwest Tofu Scramble for dinner tonight along with a side of fried potatoes. I’m a new vegan trying to find recipes that will appeal to my nonvegan husband. I didn’t have kale on hand so I substituted spinach. The combination of spices was just perfect. My husband finished everything on his plate without comment until at last he asked: “May I have some more?” When he finished his second helping he said: “That was really good, Honey!” I agree wholeheartedly. Thank you for this very tasty scramble.

I’ve been a vegetarian for almost two years and was afraid of cooking tofu- recently became a vegan and I decided to try this recipe with whatever leftover veggies I had. Delicious, especially with salsa! Thank you so much!

I loved this recipe — I’ve never cooked with tofu before but it ended up looking/tasting great. Didn’t have kale so I substituted spinach and added mushrooms!

First time I have made tofu scramble as an egg substitute…it was delicious, thank you!

Really good, but maybe too salty?

This was delicious! I haven’t had much luck with tofu. The combination of spices and texture was perfect. This goes in my ‘this is a favorite’ recipe box.

As I just finished my first plate of tofu scramble ever, a few things came to mind: 1. Why would I ever want regular eggs again? And 2. I NEED to review this. Honestly this blew all of my expectations out of the water. I didn’t have garlic powder (strangely I’m not much of a fan of garlic) and I used chipotle chili powder instead of regular, but I absolutely loved it. I accidentally made mine way too salty, but that was because I used 1/8 tsp of Himalayan black salt in addition to the sea salt because I forgot I had it and purposefully bought it for this dish. I’m sure you’ve heard of it by now, but it adds a sulfur-y/egg-y taste to the tofu that almost makes it indistinguishable from the real stuff. I also added cheddar style Daiya shreds because I wanted that stretchy, “cheesy-egg” texture I love, but I absolutely could have eaten it without. Added in some organic black beans and cilantro, and I’m so blown away by this dish that I want to make it for everyone I know. I usually lurk your blog and admire recipes I don’t have the guts to make (or pantry/time/money lol broke college student probs), but this recipe made my first experience with tofu scramble so amazing that i had to share. Thank you!

This was amazing! I put the mixture in soft corn tortillas with salsa on top and ate it like a taco. The kale doesn’t taste like kale. I ate if for lunch and dinner and again for lunch the next day. Next time I will double the recipe so I can eat it for a few more days.

What to say… this is our go to breakfast! It’s quick, tasty, inexpensive and filling! It lends itself well to whatever veggies you have on hand. This AM, I made a double batch and we wrapped it in tortillas, along with your mashed potato as a base to make it go further. Incredible!!!

THIS RECIPE IS AMAZING. I used baby spinach instead of kale and topped it with some sriracha sauce. SO GOOD.

This sounds delicious, but I wouldn’t call it minimalist by any means.

This recipe is amazing. A new staple in my kitchen. I have been craving a tofu hash for about a week now and finally made this recipe this morning. It hit the spot! I subbed spinach for kale since I had a ton of it and it was about to go bad. But I’m sure this would be great with almost any veggie/green combo.

We made this for brunch and it was OUTSTANDING!!!

Since becoming vegan, tofu scramble is probably my favorite non-Asian food. The vegan diner I go to makes a great scramble. Finally, after years of wanting to make a scramble I made this one to go with my pancakes for dinner. This was absolutely delicious!! I think this is almost as good as the one at the diner. The only difference is I didn’t have a huge grill to cook it on :) Love this recipe!!

Absolutely amazing. I’ve never made a tofu scramble before and was unsure of how it would turn out, but it was the most delicious breakfast I’ve had in awhile! I tweaked the recipe a bit to fit what I had in my kitchen and it was simply unbelievable.

Another tofu-hater here that LOVED this recipe. I put it on top of sourdough toast w/ avocado. SO GOOD.

I’ve been vegan for about a month now and I have to say, I keep coming back to your website because all your recipes ALWAYS work out for me (and my picky, non-vegan husband). Thank you for being generally awesome in your entire existence.

I just went vegan a month ago after being vegetarian for 15 years! We made this for breakfast and it was delicious!!! Thank you, I’m now a subscriber on your website and look forward to trying many more recipes!

My boyfriend has always had a low opinion of tofu, but has agreed to many food experiments since I went vegan.

He loved this and so did I! He said that it was pretty similiar to scrambled eggs and tastier due to all of the veggies and spices.

Thanks. :)

Hi Dana,
I am hosting a brunch on Saturday and was wondering if this could be made the night before and reheated in the the morning? The brunch is to celebrate my daughter’s Baptism ceremony and there will be a mass early in the morning so not much time to cook. Also, should I reheat it on the stovetop or oven?

Thanks!

I make this scramble aaaall the time, probably too often! Such an easy, simple but delicious recipe. I am a terrible cook and can ruin any dish with a single touch so Minimilist Baker is now the first place I look for any recipe, thank you for sharing!

Made a similar dish some years ago when I had the time to make it for breakfast. Now I just drink my tofu. Takes me 10 minutes tops to prepare before catching a train to work. Try: 3-4 ozs. tofu, any texture; 1 whole banana, several strawberries, if you have them (or cinnamon if you don’t), a little honey to taste. Put all in the blender, add 1 cup soymilk and 3 whole ice cubes. Blend fully and drink hearty. Holds me until lunchtime.

I just made these – they worked out so great, thank you so much for sharing! I’m on a mission to get less animal products outta my diet, and this was a wonderful start :)

I’m Vegan and frequent a Vegan brunch at a local restaurant and always wanted to recreate scrambled eggs.

I made these and they were awesome! Just like real eggs. I added some cayenne pepper for extra spice

Couldn’t be easier or more satisfying. After spending a fortune on vegan brunches I decided I should figure out how to make tofu scramble myself. This delicious recipe made achieving my goal easy- now I can have fancy brunch any day of the week for a fraction of the cost :)

I just wanted to say thank you so much for posting the recipe! I have wanted to make tofu scramble for some time but was afraid I wouldn’t get it right but I followed your recipe (for the most part as I had slightly different ingredients) and it was the best version of tofu I have made so far. My non vegetarian son even wanted to eat it and gobbled it up-a huge hit!!!!

If you’re nervous about the tofu flavor, here is what I did: for each serving only use 1/4 package of tofu (pressed, frozen, then thawed). The texture of frozen then thawed tofu is a little more pleasant and it absorbs flavor better. I also added hash-browns when I started frying the onion and pepper. It made the meal a little more filling. Don’t be afraid of the kale because it adds a nice touch. Thanks so much for this recipe, it is delicious. I make it once a week now.

Can you use nutritional yeast in this recipe?

I made this for dinner last night along whit the breakfast potatoes – ridiculously good! I have attempted scrambles in the past and it didn’t go so well. The spice mix was perfect and complemented the red onion! I didn’t spend the time draining the tofu – just didn’t have a clean towel or time – working Mom issues – but it was still fantastic! Perhaps kept it moist and “egg like”. My entire crew is vegan and newly GF and we will be eating our way through your site!

After a a pretty lame past tofu scramble I was wary to try this, but it turned out delicious! Really well-composed flavours and just the right amount of spicyness. (even though I had no kale)
Served it to my vegetarian cousin, she loved it too.
Thanks for a great recipe – I will definitely be making it again!

I cooked this for breakfast this morning it was excellent. I used orange and yellow peppers instead of red. I also added mushrooms. I serves it up in a tortilla wrap. What more surprising is the kids loved it. I will definitely make again.

I made this and it is so good! It also reheats in the microwave well so you can make in larger batches.

Yum! So good! Best tofu scramble I’ve had.

Been vegetarian 4 years moving towards a plant based vegan lifestyle. This was my first attempt at a tofu scramble and omg it was so oops good. This will be in my regular rotation. Now to try it on the carnivorous men in the house. So many possibilities with this recipie, burritos and vegan chorizo is on my list to try next. Also Love the curry and Asian twist others have mentioned, I’ve got to try a try as well.

Does anyone know if this is ok to heat up and eat the next day too? x

Just made this for breakfast and was lovely. So tasty and simple. I’ve been Looking for an alternative to eggs as I’m not a lover of them but I love scrambled eggs in the morning.

This is the perfect alternative. I used chestnut mushrooms Instead of red pepper. Thanks for the recipe.

Thank you for this recipe. I had given up on tofu scramble because of the seasoning challenge. I didn’t have kale, so added zucchini for the green and also added fresh garlic and mushrooms. Topped with a bit of TJ’s organic salsa and I’m soooo happy! I’m bookmarking your site right now.

I am new to eating vegan (1 month in), and this was my first time cooking with tofu. Wow! Delicious! I added some leftover tomato, black olives, and grilled portobello mushrooms and sprinkled it all with nutritional yeast. Your website has made my transition to vegan eating easier and more delicious than I expected. Thanks!!!

To get full benefit of the turmeric make sure you add some freshly ground black pepper. It helps you absorb all the turmeric goodness!

This is the first and only scamble recipe I use. It’s awesome for weekend brunch. I wrap the leftovers in pita with avocado and a little sirarcha sauce for lunch or dinner. Sooo excellent

My 3 year old son is allergic to eggs and wanted some so I used your recipe for his “tofu eggs”. He thought it was great and had a second bowl =) Our one year old ate some too. I used pineapple juice instead of water for the sauce because little ones like a bit of sweetness in there. The flavour worked well.

I really don’t cook often. This was a great start for me. Wife loved it. Excellent flavor. Thanks for the recipe.

I discovered this recipe a couple weeks ago, and have made it at least 4 times since. I can’t believe how good it is. I make it a little different every time– substituting spinach for kale, substituting green and yellow peppers for red, adding fresh garlic, adding avocado, etc. I think the magic is in the spice sauce; that combination of flavors is incredible. I always add chipotle Tabasco sauce and cilantro. It’s perfect. Thank you!

Just tried it out! Was amazing! Thank you for sharing!

This was literally my first foray into cooking with tofu. I’ve been slowly eliminating meat from my diet and decided to see how tofu suited me. I loved it! I used baby bok choy because that’s what I had and it was wonderful. Even the 18-month-old liked it! I may never eat eggs again. Thank you!

Insanely delicious! Today was my first time eating, and making, a tofu scramble. My first bite amazed my tastebuds. Sooo yummy.

I made this for lunch for the family. Family L-O-V-E-D it! Made with double the tofu replaced kale with arugula (only greens I had) included zucchini, replaced chili pepper with cayenne pepper for sauce. Yummmmy, savory and satisfying! Great directions! Thanks.

I changed up the spices and vegetables to make it more of a mediterranean scramble and it was fantastic! It was my first time ever making scrambled tofu and I’m hooked. The steps of preparation you provided were very helpful! Thank you!

WOW. So I love tofu scramble and have struggled similarly for years cooking it myself, for the same reason – I always didn’t put enough spices or too much or not the right ones. It was so daunting that I gave up. But recently I stumbled upon your blog while Googling vegan cupcake recipes (your funfetti ones are amazing, btw, I have made them 3 times in 2 weeks now, no shame!). A few days ago I was browsing your other recipes and after seeing this scramble one, I went out and bought some necessary ingredients and tried my hand at it this morning. Oh my – thank you, thank you. The idea of mixing the spices into a sauce and pouring it over absolutely worked wonders. Now I can make my own delicious tofu scramble after years of trying and having horrible results. Thank you for this delicious recipe and tips, so much.

Just a sidenote, I personally do not like tumeric that much and enjoy scrambles that use curry, so I switched switched in curry powder as the optional spice and it was quite delicious. The key is to just not overdo it. I recommend it if you are a fan of curry!

Also I opted to use broccoli instead as I have trouble digesting kale (a shame because it’s delicious) and it also worked just as well!

Hey there. Recently gone back to being Vegetarian again. Obviously looking at topping up my protein levels and my first encounter of Tofu wasn’t nice from lack of cooking knowledge. Going to give this a go. Out of interest, what did you do with the potatoes? They look good.

Great recipe! I put kale, red onions, salt and pepper, and red curry paste and topped with avacado and salsa. It was delicious!

Let me start of saying how much I love Minimilist Baker. Ever since I became vegan, your website helps me prove everyone wrong that plant-based food is boring and monotonous – there is so much creativity and yumminess in your recipes! :)

I made the tofu scramble this morning for my non-vegan family, and we all absolutely loved it! Thank you so much for all of this x

This recipe is FANTASTIC! I make it time and time again. It’s delicious with Daiya and lettuce in a toasted English muffin. I like to add lots of nutritional yeast to the sauce mixture. Ugh, so good!

Ok, I just made my FIRST tofu scramble after being vegan for 4 years and not eating much tofu. I was inspired by this recipe, but had had a lot of southwestern food lately, so I decided to give it an Asian twist. For “egg” flavor, I think black salt is a must, so I used black salt, pepper, nutritional yeast, cayenne, ginger powder, garlic powder, dry mustard, sesame seeds and a little bit of soy sauce to which I had added the littlest bit of wasabi, and bit of roasted sesame oil with the water for the sauce. I had roasted veggies I had made for your quiche but had not used, so used those. Also used Siracha rather than salsa Next time may try tahini and miso in the sauce. The results were great, and we are now onto tofu scrambles as one of our go-to’s!! LOVE your site!

Thank you so much for sharing that tofu scramble intimidated you!! I felt exactly the same way before this recipe. I have been transitioning from vegetarian to vegan and getting tired of sweet breakfasts, this was the perfect antidote.

Love your recipes. This is the 3rd one I have tried in about 3 weeks when I stumbled upon your blog. I recently (Feb) became vegan and was looking for recipes. Not only are the recipes to die for, but you make them look fantastic.

LOVE!

This was an awesome dish! I’d never thought of pairing tofu with kale in a breakfast dish, it works perfectly! The slight bitterness of the kale really compliments the tofu & the sauce was great too. Thanks!

I’m lazy in the mornings and would love to make a big batch, freeze it in single servings, heat and eat. Have you tried freezing this deliciousness?

Great recipe! Thank you.

My new favorite way to eat tofu. I really enjoy your site, thanks for all of your hard work and the delicious recipes.

Devouring this recipe as we speak! Or write. Delish thanks x

I just made this recipe tonight and loved it! I have been trying (unsuccessfully) to make myself like tofu for years and have NEVER enjoyed it until preparing it the way you recommended in this recipe. The tofu got crispy and the spices were dynamite with it and the veggies. Thank you!

I made this yesterday and fell in love. I am allergic to eggs and this was just like having scrambled eggs. I used spinach instead of kale and no turmeric because I didn’t have either. I used only about a tablespoon or two of water in my sauce. Worked great. I had no idea tofu could be so good. Thank you so much for your blog and for your inspiration.

Heads up: Dana, you forgot to mention how much water to use for the spice sauce…

~~ 1/4-1/2 c. maybe?

Best tofu scramble! Next time I will serve with salsa as I didn’t have any this time around. Thanks for the great recipe – went perfectly with your Crispy Baked French Fries.

Seriously one of the best things I’ve ever put in my mouth. My instagram won’t work for some reason but this is my new forever breakfast.

Oh, my husband will love this! He is a total breakfast junkie!

You two may be singularly responsible for my ability to live as a vegan. The mind and heart are willing but the ability and ideas are sadly lacking. Not so when equipped with your recipes and simple instructions! Thank you so, so much! Love and respect from Canada!

I made this last night and loved it! Only I had no red pepper and kale so I used leek, mushroom and broccoli for the veggies.

i am now. hungry.

Nom nom nom! I love this. I usually go the sweet route for breakfast, but seeing as sometimes all I want is salt to start the day, I’ll have to resort to this. Pinning!

This looks delish and easy! Your recipes are always so inspiring! I never thought to make a sauce by just adding spices to water, but that’s such a great idea!

Oooh yum! What a great brunch idea! xoxo

Looks super yummy Dana! I love using tofu in quiches!

this is also a great base for quick breakfast burrito!!!

I’m a tofu fanatic… cannot wait to try this!

So much beautiful goodness.

Well, color me tickled times a hundred bazillion thousandsies. Dana, thanks so much for sharing the link to my recipe! I’m truly flattered, being the enormous fangirl that I am of your stuff. I feel like I’m one of the big kid bloggers now. :) This version looks awesome and I’ll be making it this weekend!

Oh my goodness, yum!

xx Kelly

Tofu scrambles are either REALLY good or really not so good. This one sounds amazing, though! I am excited to try it for breakfast or brinner.

This is definitely convincing me I need more tofu in my life!! And I just found your recipe for peanut tofu and cauli rice. Hello, there. It all sooks so delicious! Thank you for the gorgeous, delicious, healthy recipe. How about hookin’ a sister up with how you got your gorgeous breakfast potatoes so crispy!! Yummmmm.

Or make it even faster and skip the pressing! When I make tofu scramble I just cut my block of tofu in half and give each half a good squeeze over the sink. Then rip the block into pieces by hand and crumble directly in the pan. By the time the scramble is done, all the extra fluid is gone anyway.

That said, I’ll have to try your spice blend. I’ve never put chili powder or cilantro in my scramble, but I usually top it off with salsa :)

That sauce looks SO good! I’m definitely going to have to try my scrambles like this! Thanks

You are the only person I have ever seen who can make scrambies look appealing. #iwanttobeyou

I love a good tofu scramble in the morning! This looks delicious. Also, I had no clue that you could make sauce with just spices and water: life changing.

I’ve never had a tofu scramble, but this looks like it has so many delicious flavors that I may just have to try it!

I love me a tofu scramble! This one looks great!

I LOVE tofu scramble and can’t wait to try your version – I love the addition of Kale :) It looks delicious!!!

I’m not a vegan, but I’ve never been a big fan of eggs. This would be the perfect substitute! I bet I could even get my husband on board with this :) Thanks for sharing!

I love scrambles, and everything in this one, so I can’t wait to try it!