Name: High-Protein Vegan Breakfast Bowl
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 lbs. yukon gold potatoes (about 5–6 medium-sized potatoes); 2 tbsp oil or vegan butter; 1 tsp salt; 1 tsp cumin; 1 tsp smoked paprika; 3/4 tsp chili powder; 1 tsp garlic powder; 28 oz firm tofu; 2 tbsp nutritional yeast; 1-1.5 tsp turmeric; 1.5 tsp chili powder; 1.5 tsp salt; 1 tsp garlic powder; 1/2 tsp cumin; 1/4 tsp cayenne; 2 tbsp olive oil; 1 avocado, thinly sliced; 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved; 4 mini sweet peppers, thinly sliced into rings; Fresh basil

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Your search for a satisfying, high protein and tasty vegan breakfast is over. This savory vegan breakfast bowl, with crispy potatoes, basic spicy scrambled tofu, and fresh veggies is all you'll want in the morning. Plus, you can prep everything ahead of time.

close up overhead view of savory vegan breakfast bowl

Savory vegan breakfast food can be a challenge - especially when eating out. We're pretty limited, considering about 90% of non-vegan savory breakfasts contain either eggs or meat. And if they don't contain eggs or meat (potatoes, for example), they're probably cooked in butter.

The solution? Unless you're lucky enough to live in an area with plentiful vegan restaurants, start serving up your own savory vegan brunch. Once you have the basics down, it's incredibly easy!

Scrambled tofu is the perfect high protein savory breakfast dish, and it couldn't be easier to make. Spicy pan-roasted potatoes are the perfect complement, while fresh vegetables cool everything down.

Spicy potatoes

In my book, the best breakfasts start with crispy potatoes. They're just addictive! It's hard not to eat the whole pan before actually serving breakfast.

We've been making a rendition of these spicy breakfast potatoes for years. We first brought them to you in these Spicy Potato Breakfast Tacos, à la brother and diligent summer intern Bryce.

The potatoes are incredibly versatile, and certainly not just for breakfast. Though best hot and crispy from the oven, they also work as leftovers to add heartiness to a fresh salad or as an afternoon snack. Why not?

The quickest way to get these potatoes going is to first boil, then pan-fry them. You'll want to wash and dice the potatoes ahead of time. Then, pop them in boiling, salted water (don't be afraid to be generous with the salt!). When they're almost fork tender, drain the potatoes, then transfer to a hot pan with vegan butter or oil.

Add the spices, toss everything together and cook for a few minutes on each side, until the potatoes are nice and crispy. You won't want to cook them for too long. The longer the spices are in the pan, the more likely they'll get burnt.

Scrambled Tofu

Scrambled tofu is perfect for a quick breakfast! It only takes about 5-10 minutes to make, so you could even prep this on a busy morning.

With a savory, cheesy flavor from nutritional yeast and an eggy yellow from turmeric, this tofu scramble will make any omelette-loving brunch eater do a double-take. We bump up the spice in the tofu as well.

A dash of chili powder, cayenne and cumin adds some heat without being overpowering. It's still early, after all!

If you have the time, we suggest pressing the tofu ahead of time. To do so, opt for a firm variety, drain the liquid, then pat dry with a towel. Wrap in another clean towel (or paper towel) and place something heavy (like a book) on top.

Let sit for 30 minutes-1 hour, although if you're in a pinch, even 10 minutes is better than nothing.

When you're ready to make the scrambled tofu, simply unwrap the tofu and crumble it straight into the pan using your hands. Add the spices, oil, and give everything a stir. It only requires a few minutes of cook time!

For a full tutorial on how to make scrambled tofu, plus a few different flavor combinations, head here.

Overhead of two vegan breakfast bowls on a grey background with tomatoes on the side

Toppings

The second most important aspect of the perfect vegan breakfast, or any meal really, is creamy avocado. With all that spice from the potatoes and tofu scramble, avocado is the perfect cooling complement.

Plus, it's a great source of monounsaturated fat (the good fat!), which makes this a perfectly balanced meal.

Now that we're nearing tomato season, we also couldn't resist a few beautiful cherry tomatoes. We also added in a few of these pickled mini peppers for more color and a bit of tang.

Pickled red onion is also fantastic on this bowl! Quick pickles couldn't be easier to make, and they improve just about every meal! Check out our guide to quick pickling here and give it a try.

If you don't like pickles/don't have any on hand, feel free to swap with salsa or another fresh vegetable.

The great thing about this high protein vegan breakfast is that it's 100% customizable. Not a fan of tofu? Swap out another protein, vegan or otherwise.

If you're looking to cut carbs a bit, sub the potatoes for beans. Try the black beans in this vegan burrito bowl recipe--let us know what you think!

Most importantly, don't forget to enjoy this savory breakfast bowl with your favorite coffee or tea. (Let's be honest, coffee is the BEST part of breakfast!)

More Savory Vegan Breakfast Recipes

Savory Vegan Oatmeal with Mushrooms, Kale and Avocado. Savory oatmeal sounds crazy, but it's SO delicious!
Vegan Tofu Shakshuka. Typically made with eggs, shakshuka is a super flavorful breakfast, lunch or dinner. Best served with toasted bread!
Spicy Breakfast Potato Tacos. Featuring the same delicious spicy potatoes in this recipe!
Vegan Breakfast Burritos with scrambled tofu and black beans

overhead view of high protein savory vegan breakfast bowl with scrambled tofu

If you make this Savory Vegan Breakfast Bowl recipe, we’d love for you to leave a comment and rating below! We also love to see your creations on Instagram – tag us at @crowded_kitchen so we can see what you’ve been cooking.