This recipe is part of our $25 Meal Prep Meal Plan!
A tofu scramble, you say? Yes!
Tofu is pretty magical, I gotta say. You don’t have to be a plant-based eater to appreciate the ways in which tofu can substitute for other things. In this case? Tofu takes the place of eggs.
Look! It even kind of looks like eggs, doesn’t it?
For real, though, if you’re trying to incorporate more tofu in your diet, or you’re interested in having more plants as your main dish, this tofu scramble is a great meal prep. It’s also a very budget-friendly source of protein; you can typically get a block of it for just a few dollars, and the recipe calls for frozen spinach, which is economical, too.
How to Make this Tofu Scramble
It’s really simple. You bring together some frozen spinach that you’ve defrosted and squeeze the water out of, along with some tofu. Assemble some seasonings–you can customize this as you want but we’ve got suggestions–and some soy sauce. Cook it quickly in a skillet, and then serve it on top of English muffins (or not), or with toast. This whole dish comes together in less than half an hour.You can assemble this and serve it in less than a half an hour.
Some Tips on Working With Tofu
Tofu takes a little TLC to work with, but it’s not tough to cook. The most important thing you can do before cooking a dish like this that has tofu? Make sure you drain the liquid out.
Start by emptying the carton the tofu comes in, and then transfer the block to a cutting board or other clean flat surface. Wrap the tofu in a clean towel that won’t give off lint or paper towels. Gently press the tofu so that some of the water comes is released. You can do this a few times over the course of five to ten minutes.
Why do we do this? Well, if we try to cook tofu while it’s water logged, it stays soggy. It gives off too much water in your dish, and most of the time, that’s not what you want.
For this recipe you’ll want firm tofu because it will strike that balance between soft enough to scramble and firm enough to keep its shape while doing so.
Seasoning Tofu
For this recipe, the seasonings we picked make it look kinda like scrambled eggs. We combine curry powder, turmeric, onion powder, and crushed red pepper (if you like), along with a little bit of salt and pepper. Tofu, like eggs, is pretty much a blank slate, so you can season this however you like. We might add some garlic powder next time (or you can swap it for the onion powder), or maybe some chili powder or cumin to take this scramble in a more Southwestern/Tex-Mex direction.
How to Serve this Tofu Scramble
You can serve it just as it is, or along side other breakfast items. In this recipe, we suggest making sandwiches out of it using English muffins. It’s also really good in a tortila and eaten like a burrito or taco. If you’re going to meal prep with it, though, I recommend setting the bread item aside and assembling it before eating so the tortilla or English muffin doesn’t get too soggy.
How to Modify this Tofu Scramble
This is the fun part! Think about adding veggies that cook quickly and won’t add a ton of water to the mix. We like mushrooms, chopped finely, along with some sauteed shallots, too. Think about what you might put into an omelet, and let that guide you a bit. Chopped broccoli would work, too, as would zucchini. Got some fresh herbs? Sure, chop them up and toss them in, too. Just make sure what you’re swapping out doesn’t add too much liquid and is cut small enough that it will easily incorporate into this scramble.
Feel free to use different greens if desired, such as kale or Swiss chard. You can also most certainly use regular spinach (or baby spinach). We just like the convenience of having another use for frozen spinach and making good use of the freezer.
If you’re not following a vegan diet, you can add other small amounts of cheese such as feta or goat cheese. We haven’t tried this, but I don’t suspect that a melty cheese will work well with tofu; the textures won’t combine super easily.
More and more breakfast recipes to love!
Budget-Friendly Tofu Scramble
Instructions
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Heat up a nonstick skillet over a medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the spinach to the pan (no oil needed) frozen, breaking it up as needed to cook until most of the water has evaporated about 7 to 8 minutes. Stir often.
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Push the spinach to the edges of the pan and add the tofu over medium heat. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to break it up into smaller piece. Add salt, pepper and other seasonings if using (soy sauce, turmeric, curry powder, onion powder, red pepper). “Scramble” the tofu, stirring until it looks dry and starts to resemble scrambled eggs. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, mixing it in with the spinach, until the pan looks mostly dry and the tofu has good color on it.
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Divide the tofu scramble among three containers. If using tortillas, English muffins or bread with this meal, keep it on the side until you are ready to serve.
