I’m not a big breakfast eater. In fact, ordinarily I skip breakfast and don’t even miss it. But I’ve been trying to change my ways since finding out that people who eat breakfast are less likely to be overweight than people who skip it. In addition to speeding up your metabolism, eating breakfast has also been shown to improve your memory, and as someone whose metabolism has been sluggish longer than I can remember, I’ve decided that I need to become a breakfast person.
The trouble is, whenever I eat the normal breakfast foods, I’m immediately hungry for more. If I eat oatmeal, cereal, potatoes, or even fruit first thing in the morning, I’m ready to eat lunch by 10:00. And again at 12:00!
Eating something rich in protein doesn’t seem to have the same effect, so I’ve been trying to eat breakfasts that balance carbs with protein. Often these breakfasts lean toward the untraditional: edamame, chickpeas, even leftover chili or lentil soup. But this morning I had a craving for an omelette, a vegan omelette, and boy am I glad I did. It turned out to be one of the most delicious–and most filling–breakfasts I’ve had in a long time.
If you’re a fan of my Mini Crustless Quiches, you’ll love this recipe because I based it on that one. But unlike the quiches, this omelette takes literally minutes to prepare, if you already have a filling made. Fillings can be as simple as beans and salsa or as elaborate as veggeroni, pizza sauce, and soy cheese. You will be amazed at how the outside sets up while the inside is flavorful and moist.
Vegan Omelette for One
Ingredients
- 6 ounces Mori-nu lite silken tofu (or organic firm silken tofu) (1/2 package)
- 1 tablespoon soymilk
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon potato starch or cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon tahini (optional)
- 1/8 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/8 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt , or to taste
- 1 pinch chipotle pepper or smoked paprika (optional)
- 1 pinch kala namak (black salt), optional (adds an eggy taste; look for it in Indian grocery stores)
Also needed:
- Omelette filling of choice (have filling warm or at room temperature)
Instructions
- Blend together all ingredients until smooth. (I use a Magic Bullet blender, but you may use any small blender or hand blender. To use a larger blender, you may have to make a double batch.)
- Spray or wipe a large non-stick skillet lightly with oil and heat on medium-high until very hot. Pour the batter into the center of the skillet in a circular pattern about 6-8 inches across, and use a spoon or spatula to smooth over the top. Place your filling ingredients over the batter, and reduce the heat to medium-low.
- Cover and cook for about 3-5 minutes, checking often to see if it’s done. When the edges have dried out and the middle is no longer liquidy, lift a small section with a spatula and check to see that the omelette is set. It will be golden in color and browned in spots. When it’s ready, loosen the omelette by sliding the spatula under it from each direction, and then fold one side over the other.
- Cook for about one more minute. Carefully lift or slide it onto a plate and serve hot.
Notes
Nutritional info is approximate.
Tofu Omelet with Spinach and Mushrooms
I wanted to include vegetables in my breakfast, so I filled my omelette with fresh spinach and mushrooms that I had sautéed beforehand and topped it with a little of the chipotle remoulade leftover from Monday’s black-eyed pea cakes. Mmmmm. It was out of this world!
Since I first posted this recipe, I’ve made omelets with kale (pictured at top), broccoli, asparagus, and red peppers and onions. As they say, it’s all good.
Please Pin and share!
Joy
I’m new to being a vegan and have much to learn. I feel silly asking but here goes anyway: Do you press the water out of this tofu or not?
Susan Voisin
Joy, this is made with silken tofu, which doesn’t press. You just drain the small amount of water out of the package.
Brenda
Made these today because I love your quiches. Even when I ate eggs, I failed at omelets and frittata kinds of recipes, and that hasn’t changed now, I’m afraid. It turned into scrambled tofu. But the flavor of these is really good, and I didn’t mind eating it that way!
Rose
I want to Pin this recipe, but there is no link.
Susan Voisin
I just added a pin button for you. Thanks for letting me know.
Amber
I made these for my 5-year old daughter this morning. I made it as written, with cornstarch and the optional tahini. I skipped the optional pepper/paprika – my daughter rarely cares for them. I did not oil my non-stick pan. I also used my Magic Bullet to blend the ingredients.
She absolutely loved it. “Yum! They’re just like the omelets you used to make.” She insisted that I leave a comment, “Say, ‘[your daughter] loves your recipe for omelets. She’s eating it hot, she loves it so much.'” (Typically she won’t eat anything hotter than room temperature)
My batter was pretty thick. The omelet held together very nicely, although I had let mine brown a lot more than depicted before flipping. The middle was still fairly wet. Had I used a larger pan, I’m sure I could have flipped it sooner.
I am going to practice a bit more now – she is asking me for another one.
Cyd
Susan,
Is the black salt that you refer to coarse or fine. I have never used it and before purchasing I would like to be sure I make the correct choice.
Thank you,
Susan Voisin
Cyd, it’s very fine, almost a powder, and though it is called black salt, it’s really pink. If you have an Indian grocery nearby, you can find it there for a very low price.
Alexandra
Made omelets this morning(doubled recipe in my food processor) and they worked well in a somewhat smaller skillet (8″, non-stick, no oil spray). used some think pieces of cooked sweet potato, to sub for the creaminess of cheese, kale, mushrooms and onions. My husband and I enjoyed this, and he suggested some salsa spooned across the top.
Rachelle
My boyfriend and I love making (and eating!) these omlettes! I get better and better at making them.
I’ve found what works great for me is to flip the omelette like a pancake so that it cooks on both sides. While the 2nd half is cooking, I add my filling (taking up half a circle. i.e. half of the omelette — this makes the flipping easier). My favorite omelette has a little Daiya cheddar, mushrooms, spinach, and diced Roma tomato. Yummers!
I’ve also discovered that it turns out great when omitting the soy milk but instead adding a touch of water to help with the blending process. (I only have vanilla soy milk at home, and didn’t want to add sweetened vanilla soy milk to my omelette!) I use a Vitamix, which I’ve found to be great for preparing the batter.
Also, if you have a very good non-stick cooking surface, no oil or cooking spray is necessary to add to the pan or skillet!
One more note: This recipe is awesome to quadruple! 🙂
Marsie
Finally, a recipe without chickpea flour! I don’t have any on hand, and don’t know a good substitute, so this was perfect! Much love 🙂
Wiola
It looks amazing! And oh how I want to eat it now! 😀 But the ingredients are.. hmm some I have not even heard of in my life.. and all (except for tofu) seem kinda hard to find outside of a normal grocery store :/
Elisa Foster
I’ve just discovered your website, and I’m excited to get some good vegan or vegetarian recipes. I do have a question tho, if I’m trying to avoid any soy, so Tofu! Is there any other way to achieve an egg like product without tofu?
Thank you, Elise
Genie Charvet
I was a little skeptical I admit, but this turned out great and totally satisfied my craving for an omelet. This will definitely be on my favorites list.
Genie Charvet
I did need to spray my nonstick pan as it wanted to stick a little, but then it worked out fine. I filled mine with asparagus pieces and mushrooms.
Susan Voisin
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! I do recommend oiling the pan. I have several different high-end non-stick pans, and none of them work for this recipe without oiling first.
Jess
I’m so disappointed. This was a complete failure. It never stuck together but did stick to the pan. I ended up with gelatinous goup. Perhaps this shouldn’t be made for two.
Colleen
This is fantastic. I’ve made it twice thus far. It stuck a tiny bit, but my “nonstick” pan is pretty old. I forgot to get black salt this time, so I tried a pinch of asafoedita and that really rounded out the flavour well. Thank you so much for an incredibly nutritious & filling start to my day!
Zoe Blarowski
Hi,
I’m a writer for Care2.com and I’d like to include a link to your Vegan Omelette for One recipe in one of my articles. Would it be alright if I also use one of your photos of the omelette? If so, how would you like me to credit it?
Thanks!
Zoe
Susan Voisin
Sure! Just credit it either to me or to FatFree Vegan Kitchen. Thanks!
Zoe Blarowski
Great, thanks Susan!
Atma Khalsa
Have you tried baking this with a mix of veggies?
Jane B
Yum! I made this for dinner tonight and it worked perfectly. I really liked it. For the filling I used a few thinly sliced onions, red capsicum (bell pepper) and mushrooms, with a handful of spinach. It was great, even though I didn’t ha e the Indian spice you mentioned or dried onion. Will definitely make this again and see if I can get the spice in the meantime.
Thank you s9 much for this recipe. A real keeper.
Cap'n Dave
Hi, Jane – you definitely should get the kala namak (black salt). It’s spooky how much it can make tofu taste like real egg! I use it in my scrambles (with a little turmeric for color) and even had my boss (a vegetarian who knows I’m vegan) arch her eyebrow at me, wondering why I was eating “egg”.
If you can get it from an Indian grocer, you’ll be paying pennies for what will last you a very long time. Trust Susan when she wrote a “PINCH” of it. Any more than that and you’ll ruin pretty much anything it was put on, but just a pinch? Perfect! I love the stuff! I bought two small bags of it five years ago. I have yet to open the second bag. 🙂
Cap'n Dave
Hi, Susan!
OH…MY…GOODNESS…a vegan omelette recipe that isn’t just a chickpea pancake in disguise??? How did I not see this before?
Definitely saving this – I have been missing omelettes for so long now, and have been wondering whether I could somehow manage with blending some silken tofu with soymilk…apparently I can, because you did it 8 years ago!
Now to find some good vegan “ham” (or figure out how to make my own) so I can make a Denver omelette (probably my ultimate favorite) once more, and then? I’m thinking asparagus and mushrooms with vegan Swiss or gouda? Hmm…
I can even see this being a base for a vegan Tamagoyaki (Japanese rolled omelette, often made with dashi – my dashi, of course, would only be made with kombu and not with katsuobushi, iriko, or niboshi – no fish in my seaweed stock, thanks). I’ll have to give that a try after enjoying my Denver and a few other ideas I’m sure I can come up with!
I’ll let you know how the Tamagoyaki turns out if I make it that far!
jen
Amazing recipe!
May I ask, does the recipe freeze well?
thanks!
Susan Voisin
No, tofu changes texture after freezing so I wouldn’t advise it.
Abby
Amazing! Currently pregnant not able to eat regular tofu scramble this recipe is so good, finally!! A food that I can handle that is rich in protein,I doubled the recipe and ate all of it,still can’t master the omelette but I don’t mind eating it scrambled.This is my go to everyday breakfast,I used sundries tomatoe,daiya shredded cheese,sautéed onions, black olives,spinach.
Mike
This recipe ended badly for me. My batter ended up being a paste and the omlette never really solidified, but I did have to use a firm block rather than silken… It was tasty though.
Susan Voisin
Sorry about that, but the silken is really required for the right texture.
Karen Shaw
Made these tonight and they were extremely tasty. Not easy to flip but works better if left a bit longer in the pan to cook before trying to flip. Will most definitely do again.
Song
You do not Specify if the silken tofu is soft medium firm or extra firm. I’m new to tofu, and have no idea which one I’m supposed to use in this recipe.
Susan Voisin
Actually, I specify firm tofu in the recipe and even link to what I use. Extra-firm is also good. Generally, the firmer the better.
Tiziana
Although unfortunately I removed the omelette from the pan a bit too early because it looked cooked, this was really delicious. I don’t like chickpea flour or very strong tasting alternatives to eggs, and this is really a keeper because it has a delicate yet full taste, and the silken tofu makes it so creamy, a much better result than what I got with firm tofu in the past! I topped it with spicy Sichuan cabbage and the combination was to die for… Thank you so much for the recipe 🙂
Amy
I tried this today and loved it! Iunder cooked it a little so will work on that next time…
One question… can you make the batter ahead and keep in the fridge to cook straight away, rather than having to mix the batter fresh each time?
Susan Voisin
I haven’t tried making it in advance, but I can’t see any reason why that wouldn’t work.
Myra
Mine didn’t exactly turn out like a omelette but it was delicious thanks for the recipe.
I’m a kid so I might have done it wrong.
Lucy
This is a firm favourite and one of the recipes where the vegan version is better than the original. Indian Black Salt is essential and a tiny touch of turmeric for colour. Fools the eye and nose. Absolutely delicious and less sickly than egg versions. Thanks for this great recipe.
VeganWife
question, can i make them without starch?
Susan Voisin
The starch is important because it holds them together. You can use another type of starch, though. Potato starch, tapioca, arrowroot, and cornstarch all work.