This super "eggy" silken tofu scramble is easy to make, filled with flavors and using silken tofu instead of firm creates a scramble that has such an amazing texture. Perfect for a healthy plant-based breakfast, brunch or lunch that will keep you full for a while.

There are roasted potatoes, sliced cherry tomatoes as well as a slice of bread topped with mashed avocado and a silken tofu scramble. There is half of an avocado on the side of the plate, another plate with some of the scramble, more toasts and a white and black hand towel.

I love to use silken tofu when making a tofu scramble!

Firm tofu is more commonly used when making scrambled tofu, but soft tofu makes a scramble that's actually closer in texture to real scrambled eggs. Extra firm tofu can sometimes get too rubbery, but the soft texture and super moist consistency of silken tofu makes a very tender, almost creamy, scramble that's absolutely amazing.

But, you might be wondering "Can I really pan-fry silken tofu".

Yes! It breaks up more easily in the pan as it is more gentle, but I'll share all my secrets on how to reach a great texture without having it falling apart too much. Soft tofu roasts and browns so nicely while remaining soft and delicate in texture, just like regular scrambled eggs.

This recipe also includes some vegetables for more texture and lots of spices to boost its flavor. Great served with toasts and roasted potatoes for brunch, but my favorite way to serve it is over avocado toasts to make them higher-in-protein.

Hope you like this recipe!

Why you'll love this recipe

Quick and easy
Healthy and high in plant-based protein
Very flavorful
Versatile
Great egg-ish texture
Can be made ahead
Makes for a delicious breakfast or brunch
Use leftovers in sandwich wraps!

What is silken tofu

Just like regular tofu, silken tofu (also called soft tofu) comes from coagulated soy milk. Once coagulated, soft tofu is neither drained neither pressed, thus contains a lot more water than regular firm tofu.

There are different types of silken tofu as well (extra-firm, firm, soft, etc), but in all cases, silken tofu is much more delicate and soft than the regular firm block of dense tofu. Its gentle texture makes it a great choice when preparing puddings or mousses (check out this raspberry mousse!) or creamy sauces and often is used to replace dairy products in vegan recipes.

You can find out more information about silken tofu in this article: "What is silken tofu".

Is this soft tofu scramble healthy?

Yes! Tofu is a good source of protein and when combined with lots of vegetables, it becomes a nutrient-dense meal.

Also, I love adding turmeric to tofu scramble for color, but it also adds powerful health benefits to this breakfast, thanks to its anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant curcumin.

Feel free to add mixed vegetables to boost the nutrient content as well.

Ingredients to make silken tofu scramble

This recipe is very easy to adapt to what you already have in your house. Here is what you'll need:

Silken tofu: I used the soft silken tofu from the brand 365, but simply use a silken tofu you can find in the fridge section at the grocery store (not the one in carton boxes in the Asian aisle as they can be softer). You need a soft tofu that still holds into a block (you can have a peak at my quick video to have a look at the texture).
Vegetables: I used a mix of onion, red pepper and garlic to add flavor and more texture. You can easily use your favorite vegetables to make it, such as mushrooms, zucchini, corn, tomatoes and red onion. I also often add spinach!
Spices: turmeric powder (turn the scramble bright yellow), paprika, dried Italian mix, ground black pepper and salt. There is a lot of room for substitution, try: chili powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, garlic powder oregano, curry powder, etc.
Nutritional yeast: I LOVE adding nutritional yeast to scrambled tofu silken, it adds a great savory flavor that balances everything. If you don't have it, then simply omit it.

Fresh herbs and a squeeze of lemon juice would also work great in this recipe. Try fresh parsley, basil or cilantro.

There are a few small bowls with a block of silken tofu, nutritional yeast, Italian spices, salt, pepper, paprika and turmeric as well as a onion, a clove of garlic and half of a red pepper.

How to make vegan silken tofu scramble

Cook the vegetables

Warm up a large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat and add a little olive oil (optional, I use a spray oil). Then, add the onion and red pepper and cook for 3-5 minutes or until browned and softer. Then, add the garlic and all the dried herbs and spices and cook for one more minute while stirring.

Once done, transfer to a plate and set aside.

Cook the silken tofu

Transfer the pan back on the heat, add a little oil if desired and warm up to medium heat.

Then, remove the excess liquid from the packaging of tofu and transfer the whole block of soft tofu to the pan. Use a spatula or a wooden spoon to roughly break it into large chunks and spread them all over the pan. Let the pieces cook on one side until they turn brown before flipping them very gently. I'll usually look under the pieces to make sure it is nicely roasted before I flip, about 7-9 minutes or so. You will have to use your spatula to gently scrape the pan to unlock all the smaller pieces (see the short video).

The tofu will lose a lot of its excess moisture while cooking and the volume of tofu will go down a lot, this is expected.

Combine and serve

Once the tofu is done to your liking, then transfer the vegetables back to the pan with the tofu chunks and combine with the tofu. Let everything cook until warmed up and adjust salt to taste. Serve the vegan scramble warm with toast or in sandwiches.

There are some diced onion, red pepper and garlic cooking in a pan with spices.

There are chunks of tofu cooking in a pan.

Can I use regular extra-firm tofu to make this recipe?

Yes, of course! If you do, then you might need to break the block of tofu more as it won't crumble as easily by itself in the pan. Check out my curry tofu scramble for more info.

Tips for best eggy texture and flavor

When you just start cooking the tofu, keep the chunks larger than you want them to be. As the mixture cooks, the pieces of tofu will break more and get smaller due to losing lots of water. Starting with larger chunks will prevent ending with a mushy scramble and you can always readjust the size of the pieces towards the end of cooking.
You will add just enough turmeric to get a nice pale yellow color close to regular scrambled eggs, but not too much so it does not overpower the overall flavor.
You could also add Indian black salt (Kala Namak salt) instead of regular salt. It has a natural flavor similar to eggs (higher in sulfur) which would work great in this dish to add a eggy flavor. I use this salt also when making a vegan eggless salad or vegan egg bites and it's amazing. Start with ¼ tsp and work your way up, a little bit goes a long way! I used the black salt from the brand Spicy World that I got online.
Silken tofu is so delicate! The secret to not reaching a mushy texture is to be gentle when stirring and flipping the pieces of tofu. Try not to touch them too much so it has enough time to brown and use a spatula to help flip the pieces without breaking them so much (see video).

There are roasted potatoes, sliced cherry tomatoes as well as a slice of bread topped with mashed avocado and a silken tofu scramble.

Serving suggestions

This recipe is high-in-protein and super filling, which makes it a great recipe if you are typically super hungry in the morning or want to stay full longer.

You can serve it the same way you serve scrambled eggs! Great alongside toast and roasted potatoes with sliced avocado. Sprinkle some vegan bacon bits if you want to add a smoky bacon-ish flavor and this scramble is amazing with vegan hash browns. We also love this recipe served over avocado toast with hot sauce. Or, use this recipe when making a vegan savory breakfast bowl or in breakfast burritos with black beans!

Also, you can roll the tofu scramble in a large tortilla with lettuce, avocado, hot sauce and bring it to work for a filling lunch. Or use it to make tofu scramble breakfast sandwiches!

Storage

Keep the leftover scramble in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat in a pan or even in the microwave. I do not recommend freezing this recipe.

Great pairings for this silken tofu scramble

I hope you enjoy this silken tofu scramble as much as we do! If you try it, please leave a comment below and rate the recipe to let me know how it was. Your feedback is so helpful!

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Silken Tofu Scramble

This silken tofu scramble is easy to make, filled with flavors and has the same egg-ish satisfying consistency. Perfect for your next Sunday brunch or a filling lunch.

PRINT RECIPE PIN RECIPE

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Total Time25

Servings people

Author Jessica Laroche

Ingredients

Spices

1 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tsp dried Italian herbs
¼-1/2 tsp salt - regular or black salt, see note
¼ tsp ground turmeric
¼ tsp paprika
¼ tsp ground black pepper

For the tofu

454 g silken tofu
1 small white onion - diced
½ red pepper - diced
1 clove of garlic - crushed

Instructions

In a large non-stick pan, cook the onion and red pepper on medium-high heat until softened and browned, about 5-7 minutes (use a little oil or water to prevent the veggies from burning).
Then, add the garlic and the spices (Italian herbs, nutritional yeast, paprika, turmeric and salt and pepper). Stir and cook for about one more minute.
Transfer to a plate and set aside. Put the pan back on the stove (no need to wipe clean).
Add the whole block of silken tofu to the pan and cut in large pieces using a spatula. Silken tofu is soft and delicate and will further break as it cooks, so make sure to keep the pieces big for now so you don't end up with a mushy texture at the end. Spread the cubes in the pan and cook for about 5 minutes (on medium-high heat) without touching the pieces too much so they have enough time to brown. Then, flip the pieces and let the other sides cook for 5 more minutes, or enough to brown. Flip once or more or until the tofu chunks are browned on most sides and lost most of their water. This can take a total of 10-15 minutes.
Then, transfer the onion-pepper mixture back to the pan. Stir very gently and cook for a few more minutes to warm everything up. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
Serve right away with toast, avocado and roasted potatoes, if desired. Store leftovers in a air-tight container for up to 3 days.

Video

Notes

When you just start cooking the tofu, keep the chunks larger than you want them to be. As the mixture cooks, the pieces of tofu will break more and get smaller due to loosing lots of water. Starting with larger chunks will prevent ending with a mushy scramble. And be gentle when stirring and flipping (use a spatula) as the silken tofu is so delicate.
You can use black salt (Kala Namak) instead of regular salt. It has a natural flavor that reminds of eggs (higher in sulphurous) which would work great in this dish. Start with ¼ tsp and work your way up.

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