Silken tofu scramble is packed with protein, crispy on the outside, soft and creamy on the inside.

This 5-ingredient breakfast dish is seasoned with kala namak (black salt), nutritional yeast, and granulated onion for a taste and texture that’s similar to scrambled eggs.

Fluffy vegan silken tofu scramble on plate with avocado toast and coffee in mug.

I don’t really feel like the day has started in earnest until I’ve had a filling, savory breakfast.

While there was a time in my life that I’d down a granola bar while heading out the door, nowadays I need something with substance.

That’s where tofu really fits the bill. It’s packed with protein, which keeps me full until lunchtime. Plus, it can be prepared limitless ways, so I never get bored.

While toothsome, extra firm tofu is more common for scrambles, sometimes I crave a silken tofu scramble instead. It gets beautifully crispy on the outside while the inside is soft and creamy.

In many ways, a silken tofu scramble is more reminiscent of scrambled eggs in terms of consistency than some denser tofu varieties.

That makes it especially good for new vegans who are craving something similar to the breakfasts they were accustomed to eating.

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Ingredients
Step by step instructions
Make it your own
Serving ideas
Storage and reheating instructions
📖 Recipe

Ingredients

Here are the ingredients you will need to make this recipe.

Labeled ingredients for silken tofu scramble with vacuum-packed silken tofu.

Silken tofu: There are two types of silken tofu – shelf stable, vacuum-packed sold in the center aisles of the grocery store and refrigerated, water-packed sold with other tofu varieties. Either will work for this recipe.

(For a third option, you can also use block-style soft tofu.)

Water-packed silken tofu takes slightly longer to cook, because there’s more water inside of the tofu to cook off before it can brown.

In terms of firmness, I recommend firm or extra firm silken tofu.

Silken tofu doesn’t need to be pressed before using. In fact, it’s so soft, it’s just not possible. Simply take it out of the package, drain any water, and lightly pat it dry.

Note about silken tofu sizes: Shelf stable silken tofu usually comes in 10.9-ounce vacuum-sealed packages. Refrigerated silken tofu is typically sold in 16-ounce water-packed packages. Even though they’re listed at different weights, either will work for this recipe.

The difference is water weight. Once all of the water is cooked out, the amount of tofu left at the end is virtually the same.

(I cooked both types separately & weighed them afterwards. The difference in weight was only .3 ounces after cooking.)

Oil: Avocado oil is my preferred, go-to option, but any neutral-flavored cooking oil will work here.

Nutritional yeast: This inactive yeast adds a cheesy flavor to the scramble. Look for it in the health food section of the grocery store or near the flours.

For more information on “nooch,” check out this post that highlights everything you need to know about nutritional yeast.

Kala namak: This sulfurous salt adds an eggy flavor to this vegan breakfast recipe. It’s sold in Indian markets for $2-3. It’s also available online.

Although it’s also known as black salt, it’s actually pink right out of the package.(However, don’t confuse it with Hawaiian pink salt. They are two different things.)

If you don’t have or don’t like the eggy flavor of kala namak, simply replace it with regular table salt.

Granulated onion: If you’d prefer, it can be replaced with onion powder or omitted.

Step by step instructions

Here’s how to make this recipe at a glance. For complete ingredient amounts & instructions, keep scrolling to the recipe card below.

4-panel collage showing how to brown and season silken tofu in skillet.

1. Remove silken tofu from its package and drain any excess liquid. Then crumble it into a hot, oiled non-stick skillet in large chunks.

(It will shrink a lot as it cooks and releases water. The water-packed variety especially releases a lot of water.)

Don’t move it for at least 7 minutes, so that it can start developing some brown color.

Tip: A non-stick skillet really is a must for this recipe. Silken tofu is prone to sticking, and the golden brown skin that’s formed when cooking is what makes this dish so magical.

2. Once it’s brown on one side, flip the tofu. Use a firm, silicone spatula to scrape the bottom of the skillet to get all of the crusty brown parts.

3. Allow the tofu to sit a few minutes longer, getting more brown color before flipping again. Continue until it’s mostly brown all over.

4. Once it has nice color, season the silken tofu with nutritional yeast, kala namak, and granulated onion. Stir to combine. Cook another minute or two to toast the spices. Then serve.

Make it your own

Close-up silken tofu on plate with avocado toast and hashbrown patty.

You can make this 5-ingredient recipe your own by varying the ingredients, or adjusting how aggressively you crisp the tofu.

Vary the tofu

For this recipe, you can use firm or extra firm silken tofu – either shelf stable or refrigerated. Or for something slightly more firm, get soft block tofu.

It may be a little confusing, but soft block tofu is firmer than silken tofu. Soft block tofu is similar to the most common tofu you see at the store, but it’s pressed for the least amount of time of all the block tofus.

For this recipe, my favorite option is soft block tofu, because the texture is slightly firmer. My next choice is vaccuum-packed shelf stable silken tofu, and then finally refrigerated, water-packed silken tofu. Although, all of them are pretty similar.

(If you like very firm scrambled tofu, I recommend making my eggy tofu vegan eggs instead. If you like lots of veggies in your scramble, try my tofu scramble with kale.)

Vary the crispiness

You can cook the tofu longer or shorter, or let it brown more aggressively, depending on how soft or crispy you like it. If it’s not browning as much as you’d like, add a little more oil to the skillet while it cooks.

I like mine on the crispy side, but if you prefer softer, lighter tofu, don’t brown it quite as hard.

Vary the seasonings

I like to use minimal seasonings on this silken tofu scramble, so that the cheesy flavors of nutritional yeast and eggy flavors of kala namak are what dominates.

However, you can easily add to it with turmeric for yellow color, black pepper, garlic powder, paprika, cumin, ancho chili powder, or whatever spices you reach to most frequently for tofu scrambles.

Finish it with a sprinkle of fresh herbs like parsley, chives, or toss in a handful of vegan cheese until melty. For heat, add a few splashes of hot sauce.

Serving ideas

Vegan silken tofu scramble on plate with avocado toast and hashbrowns by coffee and grapefruit.

For a complete vegan breakfast, serve silken tofu scramble with any of the following:

Tip: Shelf stable silken tofu is ideal for camping trips or anytime you don’t have access to a refrigerator. Just add seasonings and cooking oil, and you’re good to go!

Storage and reheating instructions

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. It will keep for 3 or 4 days.

For the best texture, reheat in a skillet with a little bit of oil. Or you can reheat it in the microwave until warm.

(It’s also delicious cold! I’ve been known to grab a spoon and eat the leftovers right out of the fridge as an afternoon snack.)

I don’t recommend freezing any leftovers, because freezing changes the texture of tofu and releases any remaining water.

Comments

5 from 2 votes (1 rating without comment)

The easiest silken tofu scramble recipe (Just 5 ingredients!)

Ingredients

Step by step instructions