Name: Vegan Tofu Scramble With Shishito Peppers
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons (45 ml) olive oil; 1 cup (80 g) finely diced, stemmed shishito peppers (with seeds left in) – see note 1; ½ cup (65 g) finely chopped red, or yellow peeled onion; ½ teaspoon salt; ½ teaspoon crushed chili flakes (optional); ¼ teaspoon dried oregano; ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 1 cup (240 g) diced fresh, or drained canned tomatoes (about 1-inch dice); 1 16-ounce (454 g) block soft silken tofu; ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro, or parsley

If you like scrambled eggs, you’re gonna enjoy this tofu scramble, too. The texture is surprisingly similar, but the breakfast dish is plant-based.

Plates with Vegan Tofu Scramble With Tomatoes and Shishito Peppers, and slices of baquette

What’s great about tofu, especially the soft silken one in this recipe, is how easily it absorbs flavors and spices.

Quick tofu primer just in case:

plate of a block of silken tofu — A block of soft silken tofu I used in the scramble

Tofu is a.k.a. bean curd or soybean curd
It’s made from curdled soy milk, which is made from ground, cooked soybeans
How firm tofu is depends on how much whey is extracted
There’s regular, low-fat and nonfat tofu
You can get soft (silken), regular or firm tofu
Silken tofu got its name from the soft, silky-smooth texture and I used it in this recipe
It’s sold packed/sealed in water, or vacuum-packed without water
It’s perishable and you should use it within a few days
You can freeze it, but the texture will change – it will be chewy!
If you can, buy only organic tofu made from non-GMO soybeans

I love using shishito peppers for their sweetness and crunchiness.

What are shishito peppers?

Glass bowl with diced green shishito peppers. — Whole and diced shishito peppers

Shishito peppers originated in East Asia and the name is Japanese. They’re small, bright green, and have a thin, wrinkled skin. About one out of 10 will be hot, otherwise they’re sweet.

You can cook them whole and they’re amazing pan-fried, grilled, roasted or steamed. Here’s a cool video recipe for blistered shishito peppers.

For this vegan tofu scramble, I diced them, because small pieces work better. Cut off and discard the stem, then dice the peppers. There’s no need to deseed shishito peppers—leave the seeds in.

Here are the 4 easy steps to make the tofu scramble:

four steps to make Plate with Vegan Tofu Scramble With Tomatoes and Shishito Peppers in a nonstick skillet

The tofu scramble is a super easy recipe. Once you prep the ingredients, you just quickly stir-fry in three stages:

first stage: shishito peppers, onion, salt, chili flakes, oregano, and black pepper
second stage: tomatoes
third stage: silken tofu

It takes about 20 minutes to cook the tofu scramble.

(A side note: Use a nonstick skillet if you can—it’s the best pan for cooking the delicate soft tofu.)

It tastes great on its own, with a nice crusty bread. Or serve it over steamed rice for a more substantial meal.

Plate with Vegan Tofu Scramble With Tomatoes and Shishito Peppers

Other delicious breakfast dishes:

This insane Chocolate Granola With Pistachios, Almonds and Dried Currants
Or this chunky, crunchy Big-Cluster Granola
My childhood favorite toast: Cheesy Egg Nests

Your turn.

What’s your favorite breakfast dish? And how do you use tofu?

Tell me in the comments.