Silken Tofu Scramble

Name: Silken Tofu Scramble
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons dairy free (or regular) butter; 16 ounce package silken tofu, drained; 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast; 1/2 teaspoon paprika; 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder; 1/4 teaspoon turmeric; 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper; 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley; Optional: finely chopped fresh chives for serving

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This Silken Tofu Scramble is a delicious plant-based alternative to traditional scrambled eggs that's perfect for vegans and vegetarians. It's an easy 15 minute recipe that's creamy, flavorful, and completely vegan.

Overhead of the finished silken tofu scramble on a plate with other breakfast foods. — This vegan tofu scramble is an egg-free alternative to scrambled eggs.

Savory vegan breakfasts can be tricky. Sweet is easy – there are plenty of naturally vegan recipes, like oats, chia pudding, granola, muffins, waffles, etc. But sometimes, it's nice to have the choice to switch to savory, and this silken tofu scramble is one of our favorite options!

Silken tofu is perfect as a scrambled egg substitute, because it has a soft, silky texture that's reminiscent of a French-style soft scramble. It also soaks up lots of flavor and it couldn't be easier to make in just a few minutes!

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Why We Love This Recipe
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
How to Make Silken Tofu Scramble
Serving Suggestions
Tips and FAQs
More Breakfast Recipes to Enjoy
📖 Recipe
💬 Reviews

Why We Love This Recipe

Quick and easy recipe: This silken tofu scramble only takes about 15 minutes, making it perfect for busy weekday mornings. Just stir together the spices, add the tofu and spices to the pan, stir, cook, and enjoy! You can even make a big batch ahead of time to enjoy all week.
Totally vegan: Silken tofu does a good job mimicking the texture and mouthfeel of scrambled eggs. As long as you use plant-based butter, this recipe is completely vegan.
Versatile: This vegan tofu scramble is great on its own, but it's also excellent in breakfast tacos, sandwiches, burritos, and more. Use it wherever you'd use scrambled eggs!

Ingredients

Here's what you'll need to make this silken tofu scramble:

Ingredient Notes

Silken tofu, also known as soft tofu or silk tofu, is the key ingredient here. It has a soft, almost custard-like consistency that makes it perfect in things like dips or these scrambled "eggs". We would not recommend using any other types of tofu here, as firm or extra firm tofu won't be able to achieve the soft texture we need in this recipe.
Nutritional yeast: Nutritional yeast is a natural, deactivated yeast that has a nutty, cheesy flavor, reminiscent of a less intense parmesan cheese. It's also a great source of B12, which is lacking in a lot of vegetarian diets. This is an optional ingredient, but it will add a touch of eggy color and flavor. (We love using it in cheese sauces, on vegan garlic bread, on popcorn and more!)
Turmeric: If you want your silken tofu to look like real scrambled eggs, then don't skip out on the turmeric. Its distinctive color helps to give this scramble that trademark eggy yellow color. If that's not important to you, feel free to leave it out.
Dairy free butter: If you're looking to make this recipe 100% vegan, be sure to use dairy free butter. We really like this plant-based butter from Country Crock.
Garlic powder, paprika, salt, pepper: At a minimum, be sure to add in the salt (we always use kosher salt) and pepper, and feel free to mix and match your favorite spices, but we think garlic powder and paprika add a ton of flavor to silken tofu, which is a bit of a blank slate in the flavor department.
Parsley: Fresh chopped parsley helps to add a touch of freshness to the finished scramble.
Black Salt: Also known as kala namak, is a commonly found ingredient in vegan adaptations of egg dishes. It has a sulfurous smell/flavor that helps to replicate and eggy flavor. We left it out here, but you can try adding in ⅛ to ¼ of a teaspoon if you have any on hand.

How to Make Silken Tofu Scramble

STEP 1: Stir kosher salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, turmeric, and nutritional yeast together in a small bowl.

Left: all the spices in a bowl. Right: mixing the spices together. — Stir all of the spices together.

STEP 2: Drain tofu into a mesh colander to get rid of excess liquid. Be sure to use a mesh colander, as pieces of the tofu will fall through a regular colander. Let it sit for 5 minutes to make sure it's thoroughly drained.

Next, add the drained tofu to a medium-sized nonstick or cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Cook for about 5 minutes to evaporate some of the moisture, and be sure to stir frequently to prevent burning.

STEP 3: Sprinkle spice mixture evenly over tofu and stir to combine.

Left: silken tofu cooking in a pan. Right: adding in the seasoning to the tofu. — Cook for 5 minutes to get rid of some moisture, then add the spices and stir.

STEP 4: Add (nondairy) butter and fresh parsley, and continue cooking for an additional 5 minutes until most of the moisture has evaporated and the tofu scramble has reached your desired consistency.

On the left: adding in nondairy butter and parsley. On the right: finished dish. — If the finished dish seems a bit dry, add an extra pat or two of butter.

Serving Suggestions

Vegetable tofu scramble: Add chopped (cooked) bell peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, and spinach to the pan after you've stirred in the spices.
Serve simply with toast, avocado, and fresh fruit.
Breakfast burritos: Add it to tortillas with black beans and cheese to create some delicious breakfast burritos.
Breakfast tacos: Add it to tortillas with some sliced avocado and hot sauce for an easy breakfast taco.
Use it instead of regular scrambled eggs on a bagel and your favorite toppings to make a breakfast sandwich.

Tips and FAQs

Be sure to drain your silken tofu in a mesh colander to get rid of some excess moisture. Your silken tofu should break apart on its own, but if it doesn't, use a spatula to break it into tiny pieces right after you add it to the pan.
To replicate that classic eggy color and flavor, try using nutritional yeast and black salt. Be sure to sprinkle on the black salt at the end right before serving.
Use a well-seasoned cast iron skillet or a nonstick pan to prevent excessive sticking.
Storage: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat by microwaving or cooking in a pan over medium low heat. You might need to add a pat or two of butter to help give the tofu scramble that creamy consistency back.

Can I use firm or extra firm tofu instead of silken tofu?

You can, but we wouldn't recommend it. It will turn your scramble into something more closely resembling sofritas. All of the flavor will be there, but the texture won't be smooth and silky.

Can I freeze a silken tofu scramble?

You can freeze this silken tofu scramble in a zip top bag and it will keep for 2-3 months. Reheat by thawing it out in the refrigerator overnight and then reheating in the microwave or on the stove. Just note that the texture may be affected by the freezing process, resulting in a more crumbly, rather than silky, scramble.

Overhead of the finished silken tofu scramble on a brunch plate with toast, avocado, and grapefruit. — Serve this silken tofu scramble just like you would serve scrambled eggs.

More Breakfast Recipes to Enjoy

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