I find that tofu is one of the more daunting foods for those who don’t have much experience with it. I grew up just eating a block of it cold with soy sauce on top or cubed in my miso soup, but never had much experience otherwise until I decided to go vegan about 2 years ago.
I ate vegan for 6 months starting right before Thanksgiving (laughable, right?). I originally did this because I was having some incredible stomach pains that came out of nowhere. I had thought that the pain might be related to the amount of meat I was consuming since I was already dairy-free, and I had watched a scary documentary that finally pushed me to try out the vegan diet (I now advise against watching documentaries that use scare-tactics).
Well, after 6 months, I just couldn’t do it anymore. I was playing club ultimate frisbee and other physical activities 6 days a week, and it turned out the pain was coming from potatoes and not meat anyway. I was drained and unhappy. I also didn’t realize until I started seeing a nutritionist how unhealthy and nutrient-deprived I was as an athlete on that vegan diet. Yes, I know, there are many athletes who are vegan and it is absolutely sustainable for some people. But some have the time, patience, money, resources, or stomachs to sustain that kind of lifestyle (protein shakes make me want to cry, and beans and lentils make my stomach explode, okay?). Remember, we’re all just trying to find the foods that make our bodies feel energized and happy.
Anyway, one of the things that I have carried with me even after the vegan diet is this basic tofu scramble. Don’t get me wrong, I love eggs. I was just talking to one of my friends about going through a dozen or more eggs every week. But sometimes, I need a little change of pace. This recipe is not only easy, but it also makes me feel good and allows me to use one of my favorite ingredients—nutritional yeast (more on that to come).
Enjoy this basic tofu scramble on its own, on toast, or add in your favorite veggies to make a well-rounded nutritious breakfast!
Basic Tofu Scramble
Servings: 2
Time: 12 minutes
14 oz (one pack) Tofu (drained)
1 tablespoon Vegan Butter (Olive Oil works too)
1/2 teaspoon Turmeric
1/2 tablespoon Nutritional Yeast
1/4 teaspoon Salt (add more to taste)
1/4 teaspoon Pepper
1/4 teaspoon Garlic Powder
*In this recipe, I used soft tofu because I like my scramble … well … soft. If you prefer a firmer scramble, use firm or extra-firm tofu!
- Use your hands to crumble or a knife to roughly chop up the tofu into tiny bits.
- Place a large frying pan over medium-high heat and melt your vegan butter until it’s bubbling slightly.
- Slide your tofu into the pan and spread it out evenly over the bottom of the pan. Here is where the heat will do it’s magic. Let the tofu cook and bubble, stirring with a spatula every couple of minutes. We want to allow some of the liquid to evaporate here.
- Once about half of your liquid has evaporated (after about 6 minutes), sprinkle in the turmeric, nutritional yeast, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Now stir, stir, stir until the spices are evenly distributed. At this point, most of the excess liquid should be gone.
- Remove from heat and serve, or for an extra toasty scramble, keep the tofu in the pan for an additional 5 minutes to allow some browning to happen!
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