Oven-Baked Chickpea Tofu Scramble Oil-Free

A bean lover’s breakfast scramble for plant based foodies committed to oil-free cooking. Conveniently made with shelf stable silken tofu, this protein packed dish features a symphony of nutrients and a complex flavor profile. Although baking requires a longer cooking time, the easy cleanup, delightfully fluffy texture, and reduced fat content are worth it.

WHY I LOVE IT

I know it’s going to sound a bit high minded, but this recipe reflects my values as a whole food plant-based (WFPB) foodie. You can call me extra—I’m ok with it! I want all the nutrients, all the health benefits, all the deliciousness. But just as importantly, I’m willing to roll up my sleeves and put some time aside to get these things. I called my blog Maximalist Vegan because that’s how I describe my having-it-all attitude towards food. This oven baked tofu chickpea scramble is a maximalist recipe par excellence! It’s also a recipe for bean lovers and folks who are ready to try new things. If what you like best about regular tofu scrambles is their remarkable similarity to scrambled eggs, you should be prepared for something a little different. The chickpeas in this scramble make for a grainier, less egg-like texture and you do taste them. I didn’t know if I liked the beany-ness at first. But it grew on me and I started to love it.

MAXIMALIST NUTRIENTS

So what’s so maximalist about this scramble?

Let’s start with the nutrients. Tofu and chickpeas are both nourishing foods, but each is nourishing in a slightly different way. While both contain similar amounts of protein, the proteins in tofu are more complete than in chickpeas. When it comes to calcium, tofu is better. But chickpeas offer more calcium, folate and potassium. Combining the two is a winning strategy, especially when you add a bit of ground flaxseed for the omega 3 fatty acids. Add to that the nutrient powerhouse that are kale, red peppers with their exceptionally high vitamin C content and red onions which are good for you while also providing an inimitable sweet depth. And then there’s turmeric. Tofu scrambles rely on turmeric for the color, but turmeric is also a powerful antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial food. And black pepper enhances these medicinal properties in turmeric. Garlic powder is another highly medicinal immunity boosting food that also happens to add a huge splash of flavor.

MAXIMALIST FLAVOR

So now let’s talk about flavor, I use white miso because I love how it enhances plant-based umami flavors without overpowering the palette with miso-ness. Paprika is also an umami intensifier, especially smoked paprika which I strongly recommend for this scramble if you have it. Then there’s the black salt (which looks pink, not black, once it’s ground), the vegan solution to the sulfur-like eggy flavor that many former egg eaters get nostalgic for. Nutritional yeast rounds out the experience with a distant hint of cheesiness.

SHELF STABLE TOFU AND ALTERNATIVES

Shelf stable tofu, which is almost always silken tofu, is a great pantry staple for plant based households. It’s available at many large US grocery chains and at Asian grocery stores. But don’t look for it near other types of refrigerated tofu because it’s usually located in one of the center aisles near other shelf stable Asian foods such as soy sauce, rice noodles, canned water chestnuts, that type of thing. Using fresh tofu in this recipe instead of shelf stable is fine. Just substitute the 10.9 ounces of shelf stable silken tofu with 1-1/3 cup of silken, soft or medium tofu.

BEING EXTRA ABOUT GREENS

Any green leafy vegetable works in this recipe and you can prep your veggies however you want. I chose to use tuscan kale which has very thick center ribs that I don’t want in my scramble. So what I do is tear away these tough center ribs. I’d do the same with collard greens or chard. I’m pretty sure some of you will accuse me of wasting a perfectly nourishing part of the vegetable. But maybe I’m not wasting anything. How do you know I’m not using the center ribs in homemade veggie broth, huh? You do you, boo. I’m just explaining how I make things turn out a certain kind of way that I prefer.

BLITZING THE TOFU

In this recipe I make a creamy batter with shelf stable silken tofu and other ingredients before pulsing in the chickpeas. My primary motivation for blitzing the tofu is to distribute the nutritional yeast and the ground flaxseed all the way through the tofu. I wanted to try shelf stable tofu for a scramble since I usually keep some in my pantry. I prefer extra firm silken tofu for most purposes so that’s what I had, but medium or firm would also be fine. Aside from the convenience of having tofu that lasts a long time without needing to be refrigerated, the smaller portion size (just under 11 ounces) of shelf stable tofu is perfect for this recipe where the volume of the protein is expanded by the chickpeas. Once the food processor was being utilized, I thought I may as well pulse the chickpeas into the tofu instead of using a pastry cutter like I often do to break up beans. It took about a minute of processing to blend the tofu, then about 5 or 6 pulses got the chickpeas to my preferred level of chunkiness.

PRE-ROASTING VEGGIES

This recipe begins with pre-roasting the onions, peppers and kale. Parchment paper is crucial for keeping things oil free and stick proof. I like to line a 9×13 inch lasagna pan with two layers of parchment paper going in different directions. First the onion and peppers are cooked at 425 °F for 20 minutes tossing once in the middle. Then the kale is added for an additional 6 minutes.

BAKING THE SCRAMBLE

The scramble is baked in the same parchment paper lined pan, at the same oven temperature, without removing the cooked vegetables. The cooked vegetables actually act as a stick proof barrier as the tofu-chickpea mixture begins to cook. Carefully spread the tofu-chickpea mixture evenly over the layer of cooked veggies without moving them around too much. Then put the pan back in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the pan from the oven and fold the veggies into the partially cooked tofu-chickpea mixture. Put it back in the oven and cook for another 25 to 30 minutes, taking it out to break up and toss around one more time halfway through, and then again one last time after the scramble is cooked. I like to use a silicon cake spatula to fold and break up the scramble.

SERVING AND STORING

This scramble is great for make-ahead meal prep. It can be kept in a sealed refrigerated container for up to five days and reheated as needed. Serve it by itself, with a side of avocado toast, or in a breakfast burrito. For a bit of added whole food plant-based creaminess, top it with a drizzle of lemon cashew cream.

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