Tofu Breakfast Bowl
This cheesy, healthy tofu breakfast bowl with avocado and kale makes a perfect healthy breakfast. It’s full of protein and a great low-carb start to your day. If you’re curious about how to cook tofu, this is a perfect place to start.
Having tofu for breakfast is a simple way to get a high-protein, plant-based meal on the table.
Whether you’re grabbing a bite to go before heading out to work on Tuesday morning or serving a delicious brunch on Sunday morning, this recipe is a winner.
If you love delicious vegan breakfasts, check out my Or how about my Vegan Biscuit Casserole! It’s a layered casserole dish that’s full of all the best flavors! There’s also my 10-minute Tofu Scramble for days when you’re in a hurry and looking for a quick go-to breakfast.
And for a complete change of pace, this vegan breakfast is sure to please: Vegan Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes.
Why This Recipe is a Winner
- Using Extra-firm tofu yields the perfect texture for a tofu scramble
- Adding nutritional yeast contributes a cheesy, savory flavor that’s perfect for this recipe
- A pinch of turmeric adds color, making this dish bright and yellow, just like you’d expect from a breakfast scramble.
What You Need
You can find the full printable recipe, including ingredient quantities, below. But first, here are some explanations of ingredients and steps to help you make this recipe perfect every time.
Here are the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe:
- Extra-firm tofu — If you’ve never bought or cooked with tofu before, you’re in for a treat because it’s so easy to work with. Check out my Tofu Buying Guide to learn more about how or where to buy tofu.
- Olive oil
- Nutritional yeast flakes — You can buy nutritional yeast flakes at health food stores or online.
- Turmeric — You can find ground turmeric in the spices aisle of most grocery stores. I buy it in bulk on my regular vegan shopping at Costco trips. We add it to other recipes like our daily green smoothies.
- Garlic powder
- Kale
- Green onions — I prefer green onions for their subtle flavor. You can substitute a red or yellow onion.
- Avocado — You’ll need one avocado.
What Tofu is Best for Breakfast Scrambles?
Firm or extra-firm tofu is best for breakfast scrambles because it has a compact texture that produces the perfect mouthfeel. Tofu has a neutral flavor, allowing it to soak up the seasonings it’s cooked with. However, tofu comes packed in water, so pressing the packing water out of the tofu is the best way to make way for the flavors you’re about to cook it with. To press tofu, wrap it in a kitchen towel and place something heavy on it, like a pan or use a tofu press.
How to Make Tofu Breakfast Bowl
- Press the tofu and cut it into slices.
- Cook tofu slices in an oiled skillet over medium heat, breaking it into smaller pieces.
- Make the scramble sauce by stirring together nutritional yeast flakes, turmeric, paprika, and garlic powder.
- Pour the sauce over the tofu and stir so that each piece of tofu is seasoned.
- Add the kale and chopped green onions and cook until tender.
- Stir in the chopped avocado and add salt and pepper to taste.
Here are more detailed step-by-step instructions on how to make the tofu breakfast bowl:
Step One: Press the Tofu
Tofu comes packed in water, so drain that water and then press it to remove even more liquid. This creates firmer tofu. There are several ways to go about pressing tofu.
If you don’t have a tofu press, then slice the tofu, wrap it in a kitchen towel or paper towels, and place something heavy over the top, like a small but heavy cooking dish.
Alternatively, you can use a tofu press (see photo below) to remove excess liquid. Allow for 30 minutes for pressing tofu.
Step Two: Cook the Tofu
Once the tofu is pressed, now it’s time to create the tofu egg scramble. Begin by adding olive oil to skillet followed by sliced tofu. Cook for several minutes, until the tofu is lightly browned. Use a spatula to break the tofu into smaller pieces.
Step Three: Add Seasoning and Veggies
Finally, add the seasoning. Combine them in a bowl and then sprinkle it over the tofu and stir until all the tofu is coated. Add the green onions and kale and cook until the kale is tender.
Remove the skillet from heat and add the chopped avocados. Pour this into individual bowls and serve!
Marly’s Tips
- Add other veggies, like cauliflower florets for even more nutrient-rich ingredients
- I used turmeric to add just a touch of flavor and also some bright, yellow color like tofu eggs!
Are Tofu Breakfast Bowls Healthy?
This tofu breakfast bowl is healthy thanks to the protein from tofu, phytonutrients from the kale, and healthy fats from both the olive oil and avocados. In addition, everyone knows how healthy turmeric is.
Tofu Breakfast Bowls are perfect for a vegan keto diet or plant-based low carb diet. Here are the nutritional estimates per serving:
Calories: 112 Carbs: 7g Protein: 3g Fiber: 4g Net Carbs: 3g
Are you ready to give this vegetarian tofu breakfast bowl recipe a try…but you’re worried about how to use tofu in your recipes?
I know it took me a while to work up the nerve to try tofu for the first time. Now I feel like a pro at working with tofu..and you can be too! Learn more about cooking with tofu.
More Vegan Breakfast Recipes
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Tofu Breakfast Bowl
Ingredients
- 15 oz package extra firm tofu
- 1-2 teaspoons olive oil
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast flakes
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 cup kale de-stemmed and chopped
- 1 tablespoon green onions chopped
- 1 large avocado peeled and chopped
Instructions
- Drain the liquid from the tofu container and remove the tofu and slice into long strips. Use paper towels or a dish cloth and weave it between the slices. Stack them and place on the counter and place something with a bit of weight on top (like a disand set aside for a few minutes. This helps remove excess liquid from the tofu. I usually will chop the rest of my ingredients while the tofu is being pressed.
- When the tofu is ready, place 1-2 teaspoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the tofu slices and use a spatula to begin breaking it up into smaller pieces. In a small bowl add the nutritional yeast flakes, turmeric, paprika, and garlic powder and stir and stir to combine. Sprinkle over the tofu and stir so that each piece of tofu is seasoned.
- Add the kale and chopped green onions and cook until the kale has become tender, about 10 minutes.
- Add the chopped avocado and give everything a stir. Add salt and pepper to taste, stir again and serve
Recommended Equipment
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The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator and should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
This post was originally published in 2015 and was updated to include new photos, new text, and an updated recipe in 2021.
One of my favorite meals ever! I adore tofu scrambles. This sounds like the perfect mix with kale AND avocado!
Thanks, Ricki! It’s so true – tofu scrambles are the best!