This flavorful vegan frittata combines the texture of scrambled tofu–a little bit browned and crumbly–with the cohesiveness of an omelet. Incredible!
When I was living on my own for the first time, a friend’s mom gave me a battered, 1960’s edition of The Joy of Cooking, and for the next year I taught myself to cook by following its often dated but always instructive recipes. I was particularly fascinated by the chapter called “Eggs, Souffles and Timbales,” and though I don’t remember making any timbales, I learned to cook eggs in most every other way, from poached and over easy to omelets and quiches and simple souffles.
After I became vegan, I didn’t so much miss the taste of eggs as I missed putting what I’d learned to use. Silly me. It took me years to figure out that so many of the egg dishes I loved best, the omelets, quiches, and frittatas, were easy to duplicate using tofu. This frittata is my most realistic and delicious eggsperiment (sorry!) yet.
I wanted to combine the texture of scrambled tofu–a little bit browned and crumbly–with the cohesiveness of an omelet, so I started this frittata off by browning regular, extra-firm tofu before adding shredded zucchini. While that was cooking, I blended up silken tofu with seasonings and a thickener and then mixed the two together and baked. The results were amazing, if I say so myself.
One thing: I baked my frittata in a pie pan because I didn’t have a non-stick skillet the right size. If you have a medium-sized (about 9-inch), oven-safe skillet that you trust to be non-stick, you can skip the pie pan and bake right in the skillet. But if you’re not sure about the non-stickness of your skillet, don’t risk it or most of your frittata may wind up stuck to the pan. And that would be a real shame because you’ll want to devour every bite.
Vegan Zucchini Frittata
Ingredients
- 2 shallots minced
- 1/2 14-ounce package extra-firm tofu not silken, coarsely crumbled
- 1 pinch black salt (kala namak) optional
- sprinkle of salt and pepper
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano packed, or 1 tsp. dried
- 1 medium zucchini about 10-12 ounces, shredded
- 1 12.3-ounce package lite firm or extra-firm silken tofu drained
- 1/4 cup water or non-dairy milk
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 4 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon tahini
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- generous grating of black pepper
- 1 pinch black salt optional
Instructions
- Cut a circle of parchment paper to fit an 8- or 9-inch pie pan. Spray pan with non-stick spray and place parchment in bottom. (Spray helps keep sides from sticking; skip this step at your own risk.)
- Preheat oven to 400.
- Heat a non-stick skillet. Add the shallots and cook, stirring, until they begin to soften but not brown. Add the crumbled tofu, black salt, and a sprinkle of salt and freshly ground pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tofu begins to brown in places. Add oregano and zucchini and continue to cook until zucchini softens, about 5 minutes.
- While the zucchini cooks, blend all remaining ingredients well in a blender. When zucchini has softened, remove the skillet from the heat and pour in the contents of the blender. Quickly stir well and pour into the prepared pie pan. Be sure to scrape out any tofu that becomes stuck to the skillet. Smooth the top and place in the preheated oven. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until center is set and top is not yet browned.
- Loosen the frittata around the edges. Place a serving plate on top of the pie pan, and using pot holders, carefully invert the pan so that the frittata falls onto the plate. Slowly peel off the parchment paper from the top. (Use a knife to scrape off any tofu the clings to the paper as you pull it away.) Serve hot, cold, or at room temperature.
Notes
Nutritional info is approximate.
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A Tablespoon of Liz
This looks amazing! I saw the picture before I saw the title and I thought, this can’t be vegan, it’s got eggs in it. It looks just like an egg fritatta, and I bet it tastes even better.
Tom
Susan… you are BRILLIANT!!!! Great recipe. You NEVER cease to amaze me with your creativity and talent.. Thanks for sharing your love and skill
rocket and roses vegan kitchen
Ooh this looks so good. I shall be trying it..this weekend for sure.
Thanks once again Susan
~R~
Maggie
And here I thought it couldn’t get any better than the crustless baby quiches! I think this will be dinner tonight and lunch tomorrow. Thanks!
Mary (What's Cookin' with Mary)
I still have yet to try an eggless ‘egg dish’, but have had a few shortcuts saved. I am interested in the smell and flavor of the black salt. So cool! …and I love that you use nutritional yeast as it’s one of my favorite ingredients. Cheesey flavor + low cal/ fat/ sodium… Yes please! Have a great Tues Susan.
moonwatcher
This looks great, Susan. The combination of the scramble extra firm tofu and the silken to get the right texture is inspired. I was quite the fritatta maker in my egg eating days, and it looks to me from the pictures that this will fit that bill. So close the instructions for getting it out of the pan reminded me of the sleight of hand it took to do that, and how happy I was when it worked. I will have to try this one out when I have others to share it with, so I DON’T eat the whole thing myself!!
xo
moonwatcher
Evelyn
This looks so delicious. There are some of my favorite ingredients in this dish and I know I will like it. Can’t wait to give it a try!
Karen Faivre
That looks totally awesome. I have been so unhappy with the past few “quiches” I’ve made that I’ve just about given up. I am ready to try, try again. This looks like a winner!
Nikki @ The Tolerant Vegan
This looks fantastic! I’ve really missed frittatas since I went vegan and I can’t wait to try this!
Debbie
Goodie! I am always on the look out for easily made, yummy brunch dishes for company. Most every recipe calls for eggs or egg replacer. I can’t wait to try this one. I can tell it’s a keeper! Thank you.
natalie
I have to be honest, I don’t do a lot of tofu scramble stuff. I’d just as soon go without the egg recipes (I don’t miss them that much). But, boy, looking at this, I’m going to have to revise my opinion and make this for brunch soon! Looks scrumptious! (Or, as my 3-year-old niece would say, “scumpus.”)
Sara @ Veggies For Real
I’ve made a tofu frittata before but hadn’t thought to use extra firm tofu (browned, no less) in addition to the silken tofu. I’ll try that next time. Thanks!
Andrea @ Vegvacious
Hmmm – eggless frittata?! I’ve never even thought of trying a vegan version, but I love frittatas, so I’m definitely going to try this. It looks scrumptious!
michelle
Made this yum….I made with zucchini but it didn’t set as much as should have..I think the zucchini was too liquid after shredded… I was gonna squeeze it out but didn’t….its ok was still eaten 🙂
Brenda
I’m confused about the difference between firm silken and firm not-silken tofu…can you explain? Want to try this but want to make sure I have the right ingredients.
THANKS
SusanV
Silken tofu (the kind I use here and recommend) is found in boxes on the shelf (not refrigerated). I buy it in bulk from Amazon– Mori-Nu Tofu, Lite, Silken, Firm, 12.3-Ounce Boxes (Pack of 12)
–but you can find them individually in natural food stores, Asian grocery stores, and some supermarkets. It has a silky smooth texture that is perfect for smooth sauces, desserts, and custardy, egglike dishes.
Extra-firm regular tofu will always be in the refrigerator case. It comes in tubs, surrounded in water, and has an expiration date. Its texture is more crumbly and less smooth than silken. Just be sure that the package does not say “silken” because there are some silken tofus that are refrigerated, but they will always be labeled that way.
Georgia
Mmmm. This will be coming soon to a kitchen near me. I love tofu frittatas and I made them for breakfast just about every weekend. I love the idea of mixing the textures of soft and firm tofu. Genius!
FoodFitnessFreshAir
I have yet to ever make a frittata! I don’t eat a lot of eggs, so when I do, I usually just fry them up and serve them with a sauteed veggie of some kind. I had this delicious frittata the other day though that included all those in season veggies, which I love the idea of! This looks like a good one for when my summer zucchini come in.
FoodFitnessFreshAir
I just realized this doesn’t even have eggs in it! Like a suped-up tofu scramble. Even better!
happy heidi
Susan – Question for you please. My family doesn’t like zucchini nearly as much as I do – What do you think would substitute best for the zuc?
Thanks!
Heidi
SusanV
I think broccoli or spinach would be good. Really, any veg your family will eat could work its way into this frittata. Have fun!
Janina
I made it! It´s amazing. I did not know about the eggy aroma of black salt. Incredible!
AikoVenus
That looks absolutely beautiful – could this be done with just firm tofu? That’s all I normally have in the fridge if I’m not baking a cheezecake or doing something special for my blog.
Timmie
Thanks for the great recipe SUSANV! I tried combining this with the Flu-Buster Clementine Creamsicle Smoothie found in here: http://www.fourgreensteps.com/community/recipes/60/2783
It was heaaaaven! These two together are delicious and most importantly, VERY healthy!
michelle
The lite silken doesn’t come in extra firm like the recipe states. Only firm
SusanV
It should say lite or extra-firm silken tofu. I’ll make sure to change it when I get back to my main computer. It doesn’t really matter whether it’s firm or extra-firm, only that it is silken and preferably not soft.
Mel
This sounds lovely and would suit my palate more than a chickpea flour based frittata as I find the besan overpowers the flavour of the frittata. Will definitely try this!
I adore your ridiculously easy lentil stew – just posted about it last night!
Morgan
Hi Susan,
This looks super yummy! I can’t wait to try it out. Thank you for another great recipe!!!!
Suzanne
What a great dish! I can’t wait to try it!
Cassie
This fritatta looks delicious and seriously like eggs! I bet it would be really amazing with potatoes, peppers and onions.
Maya (The Keen Kitchen)
What an eggstravagantly delicious looking recipe! I was never a huge egg fan, but I sure love me some tofu! Yum!
DeborahInLA
I love how I feel when I follow a vegan, alkaline diet with minimal nightshades (whew!) but don’t have a lot of time to cook, and so usually end up eating the same rotation of healthy simple meals. I’d love to see some recipes that only take 5 minutes of prep. time — I realize that’s a tall order. Thank you!
Mckinley
Hi Susan!
This looks amazing. Is there a way to sub the tofu? I have a soy allergy.
Thanks for all your amazing recipes!
SusanV
I don’t have a substitute for the tofu in this because it’s pretty much all tofu, but there are omelets that are made from chickpea flour, so you might try searching for one of those and adapting it to use zucchini.
maesti
Just finished supper – non vegan husband had seconds! Very tasty he said – and put it on the keeper list :). And this is a person who does not like zucchini (called courgettes here in South Africa – and ours are tiny. I used 16 to make the 12 ounces called for in the recipe!).
Katie
This is supper tonight. It looks delish! A question: I see that it is marked CORE. What is that? I’m familiar with Dr. Fuhrman’s Eat to Live and the work of Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn (Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease) and his firefighter/triathlete son Rip (Engine 2 Diet). But don’t know about CORE.
By the way, I HIGHLY recommend everyone see the movie Forks Over Knives which is in movie theaters now. (http://forksoverknives.com/) It features Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn and his son Rip (Engine 2 Diet) along with Dr. T. Colin Campbell of The China Study. It is really well done and very inspiring. It’s gotten me back on track and back to Susan’s fantastic FF Vegan website!
SusanV
Katie, CORE is an old Weight Watchers plan that has since been renamed. I just use the label because a few people still do the plan.
Katie
Oh, of course! I’m a lapsed lifetimer and remember Core. Thanks, Susan. Yes, it did work really well for some people. I was better with the discipline of points…am even better now as a Fuhrman-Esselstyn vegan. No points counting necessary anymore. 🙂
Kylie
This was easy and tasted great. Exactly like eggs!! Thanks for sharing!
Mrsflex
Made this a few days ago and it came out great. I added cooked mushrooms and 1 serving of diced smoked tofu that I needed to use up. It’s amazing how un-vegan it tasted. It’s really good warm or cold. Today I put a slice in a wrap with some salsa for a delicious breakfast burritto. Thanks!
Megan
This looks wonderful! I also miss the versatility of using eggs. However, I am allergic to soy (and gluten). Could you suggest anything I could use to make a quiche or frittata? Thank you so much!!
Megan
I’m sorry, I didn’t see that this question was already asked.
Gena
So unbelievably authentic! wonderful recipe and photo, Susan.
Debbie
I so love frittatas. They just look and taste “healthy”. Can’t wait to try this recipe.
Evelyn
Wow… this looks AMAZING!! So hungry now. I love all your posts… so informative and great pics! 🙂
die Küchenfee
I totally agree with my pre-poster. The frittata just looks amazing and I feel the strong desire to try your recipe at once. I tried some frittatas myself but I have to admit that yours defintely at least looks better. Of course I will let you know how it comes out. Kind regards…
Kimberly
Susan – this recipe tastes great! I was skeptical, but it really turned out well. I used some fresh asparagus. One hint: definitely drain the firm tofu first, and let it set a bit before turning it over. Thanks!!
Lex
You’ve got to get past that non stick spray! There are like 80 grams of fat per can. Three cans a year and you’ve glued a pound of fat on. Amazing recipe, though!!
SusanV
It’s an amazing recipe that won’t be edible if it’s stuck to the sides of the pan. A can of non-stick spray can last a lot longer than a year if you use it sparingly, and the fat is even lower if you wipe it off before you use the pan.
Ommyv
Isn’t tahini an oil? Then it’s really not fat-free??? Following Dr. Esselstyn’s No oil plant based diet. Any suggestions?
SusanV
The tahini just adds a little flavor. You can leave it out.
P.S. Tahini is a nut butter, not an oil, but yes, it is high in fat. I differentiate between naturally occurring fats and processed oils, so some of my recipes have nuts and seeds, but you can usually leave them out with no ill effects.