Tofu Scramble

August was a busy month! I got married and took a honeymoon to New York City and Washington, DC. And cleaned out my car! (For a frame of reference, I bought my car in December of 2005 and there was still a sheet of protective paper in my trunk from the car dealership. Underneath piles and piles of stuff.) Now I won't feel so guilty about driving around with all that extra weight in my car.



Vegan red velvet wedding cake! I didn't make the cake or take the photo, but I thought y'all would like to see. We got married at a peacock preserve, and somehow ended up with a peacock theme.

And finally, I have a backlog of food that I cooked in August and didn't get around to posting about. There's a bit of a nostalgic theme to the food. Lots of comfort food and foods I associate with certain people and periods of time. I'll break this up into a few posts.



This was the first tofu scramble I ever ate. Tofu scrambles are a vegan staple. They're eaten for breakfast or brunch just like scrambled eggs, though they're not an imitation of scrambled eggs. They are their own, savory dish. But much like scrambled eggs, they are really quick and simple to cook. And a great opportunity to sneak some vegetables into breakfast.

Most tofu scrambles use nutritional yeast (or "nooch") as a base for their savory umami flavor. The one I make most often is from Vegan with a Vengeance, and also include lots of cumin, thyme, and paprika.

But this is a nostalgic scramble. Think back to college. When I still thought tofu was icky and flavorless (it can be if it's not prepared well!). It was my roommate La's turn to choose what we ate for dinner, and I held back any tofu prejudice I had when I tried this. And I really liked it. Bonus points now because it doesn't have any nooch, which isn't always an easy-to-find ingredient.

Because this is a La recipe, there aren't many amounts written down. Just a list of ingredients and a general method. I've given an approximation for what I used in parentheses, but feel free to channel the spirit of La and use whatever amount seems right to you.

Nooch-less Tofu Scramble

14 ounces tofu (1 block firm or extra-firm tofu)
(oil for stir frying)
onion (1, chopped)
red bell pepper (1, chopped)
garlic (1 clove, chopped)
spinach (1/2 package defrosted frozen spinach or a few handfuls fresh)
onion soup mix (1 packet or 2 tablespoons)

Drain tofu. Break into large chunks and squeeze out excess liquids. Stir fry onion and pepper in oil (about 2 minutes on medium heat). Add garlic (for another 30 seconds). Add spinach and tofu. Add onion soup mix. Stir fry until brown (about 8 minutes).