I’ve long relied on soups as a way to cram as many vegetables as I can into my family’s diet, but the truth is, my daughter prefers to eat her leafy greens mixed into one of her two favorite foods: lasagna and tofu. Lasagna will always be her first choice, but for a super-quick meal that hits all of the nutritional bases, I love a veggie-packed scrambled tofu with a starchy vegetable on the side.
And when it comes to leafy greens, almost nothing packs more nutritional power than kale or has such a mild flavor that goes with practically any seasoning. For this easy scramble, I used about as much kale as tofu for a decidedly green main dish.
How to Make Baked Sweet Potato Fries
To add a different hue to my dinner plate, I chose sweet potato fries as our starchy vegetable.
If you’ve never baked sweet potato fries, you’re in for a treat: Simply preheat your oven to 400F. While it’s heating, peel the potatoes (about 1 medium per person) and cut them into long, narrow strips. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and spread the potato strips on it in a single layer. Sprinkle with the seasonings of your choice (I used Creole seasoning).
Bake for 15 minutes, turn, sprinkle again, and bake for another 15 or until the fries are cooked all the way through. Heat under the broiler for another minute or two to crisp them up but be careful not to burn them (or the parchment!) They won’t be as crispy as fried potatoes, but they will be a delicious and fat-free side dish to go with your vegetable-tofu scramble.
Simple Scrambled Tofu and Kale with Sweet Potato Fries
Ingredients
- 1 red bell pepper , diced
- 8 ounces mushrooms , sliced
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- 14 ounces tofu , firm or extra-firm, crumbled
- 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika (mild or spicy)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 bunch kale , stems removed and discarded and leaves thinly sliced (about 12 ounces)
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- additional salt and pepper , to taste
Instructions
- Heat a deep, non-stick skillet or wok over medium-high heat. When it's hot, add the red pepper and mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms begin to soften. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
- Add the tofu and sprinkle it with the paprika, cumin, salt, and turmeric. Cook, stirring constantly, until the spices are fragrant and the tofu is hot throughout.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add the kale and stir. If the mixture seems dry, add a tablespoon or two of water. Cover and steam, stirring every minute or so, until the kale softens, about 4 to 7 minutes, depending on how tender you like your kale. Stir in the nutritional yeast, check the seasonings, and add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Cook for another minute or two until heated through.
Nutritional info is approximate.
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Dr. Cat, The Happy Rehab Doc
February 21, 2012 at 6:55 pmSusan thanks so much for linking to my blog post on kale in this post!! It was wonderful to have so many new readers read something I wrote!! Thank you!! :-))
Laura
February 29, 2012 at 8:15 amYummmmmmm! Tried this the other day with a few added veggies as my first tofu scramble recipe. Let’s just say I was not disappointed and have great visions of tofu scrambles in my future. Maybe even breakfast ones! Thanks for the inspiration and great recipes. I have enjoyed several others as well:)
Vegetarian
February 29, 2012 at 7:25 pmThis sure packs a lot of nutritional value especially for breakfast or light meal(less the fries). Based from the picture, and if i’m not mistaken, it seems like you used button mushrooms for this recipe? I was wondering though if other kinds of mushrooms goes well with this dish.
Susan Voisin
February 29, 2012 at 7:47 pmSure, any kind of mushrooms will do. I have another scrambled tofu recipe in the archives that uses porcini mushrooms.
Tam
March 4, 2012 at 9:50 pmHello Susan.
I was craving tofu scramble, especially something I can make for brunch on Sundays.
Instead, I’m having this for dinner tonight.
I’ve substituted the kale (didn’t have any…) for baby spinach (I had plenty..) and, I only added a tiny bit of nooch. I’m not a big fan of nooch. 🙁
Next time, can I use nama shoyu for flavoring? I can save the leftover nooch for a mac and cheese or polenta recipe instead.
Thanks Susan.
Susan Voisin
March 4, 2012 at 9:58 pmYes, Tam! That’s the beauty of this recipe–you can flavor it however you like.
Tam
March 4, 2012 at 11:35 pmThanks Susan! I can’t wait to try your other recipes!!
Laina
March 9, 2012 at 2:29 pmSusan, this dish is fantastically delish! I add onions to everything and this was no exception. 🙂
Didn’t have kale so used frozen Collards. I also added some oregano. Here in NM cumin and oregano hold hands. 🙂
The frozen Collards got me to thinking about your ridicously easy meals. If someone so desired, they could use frozen bell pepper, the garlic that’s already chopped for you or maybe granulated garlic. I always use fresh, but for a quick meal in a pinch, the other choices are available and nice to have around. 🙂
Frozen greens are nice and easy, we have Swiss Chard, Collards and spinach in our local frozen section of the grocery store. I normally have some in my freezer. Also for fresh, Earthbound has the organic greens and baby grens would be nice too. We just recently got Earthbound organic kale here.
So sorry to be so windy, but just thought that might help some others to give this a try……it’s a winner!!! 🙂
Marsha
December 10, 2012 at 9:44 amI’m trying to switch to vegan and eggs are the hardest thing for me to give up. This looks so wonderful! I was glad to see this comment about using frozen collard greens in place of fresh kale. Do you know how I convert the amounts in frozen versus fresh greens? I have frozen kale and collard greens but I haven’t been using them since most recipes call for fresh. I would like to use them up. Thanks!
Alaine
March 16, 2012 at 6:51 pmI love everything about this recipe! I am up for trying anything with kale. Can’t wait to whip it up. The picture looks delicious
Sara
April 5, 2012 at 5:21 amWill frozen tofu work okay?
Susan Voisin
April 5, 2012 at 8:30 amFrozen tofu will have a chewier, less creamy texture. I wouldn’t like it in scrambled tofu, but if you think you would, then give it a try.
Pamela
April 16, 2012 at 9:38 pmMade this for my roommates, total hit! Added asparagus, egg, and extra spices. It’s definitely gunna be a regular for us! Thank you!
Aine
June 2, 2012 at 12:41 pmI’m making this wonderful combo for the third time! It’s so delicious and satisfying, and now it’s become a part of my Saturday morning routine. It’s easy to remember to pick up the ingredients. My only trouble is in finding smoked paprika. I know it must somewhere in this city, so I will keep searching. Thanks again for sharing this fabulous recipe!
Susan Voisin
June 2, 2012 at 1:09 pmDo you have a Marshall’s or TJMaxx? I know it sounds strange, but they often have it.
Katie
June 2, 2012 at 4:49 pmI found smoked paprika at Target.
Sheila
June 27, 2012 at 9:08 pmMade this for my dinner tonight. It is wonderful! This was my first time to try kale. I thought it was very yummy. This comes together very fast and I am looking forward to the left overs tomorrow. I will definitely make this again.
Heather Cyr
July 16, 2012 at 7:16 amAs a brandy-new vegan I was very excited to find this website as the recipes look yummy, nutritious, and easy to make (a plus for me since I do not like to cook).
I am curious, however, about the fat content of the tofu scramble. The ingredients are all very low in fat so how does it end up with 7 grams of fat?
have a wonderful day
Susan Voisin
July 16, 2012 at 8:25 amIt’s from the tofu, which derives almost half its calories from fat. Soybeans are naturally high in fat, and that fat gets passed along when they’re made into tofu.
Ilene
August 11, 2012 at 3:52 pmI made the tofu scramble with kale for lunch today. Delicious! I added a chopped onion and used chili pepper instead of cumin. I don’t have any smoked paprika but that sounds good so will see if I can find it somewhere to try next time.
terri
October 23, 2012 at 6:36 pmI just want to look at recipes…..why am I stuck in this annoying leave a comment screen every time I try?
Susan Voisin
October 23, 2012 at 6:58 pmI’ve never encountered that problem! Try this: Look up at your address bar. The address should end in html. If there’s anything after html, delete it and hit return. You should go up to the top of the page.
Lori Deza
November 8, 2012 at 9:09 amI was craving tofu scramble but knew I needed to get some green veggies into my meal. This is the perfect solution. The addition of the smoked paprika gives it a kick. It tastes great and I have my veggies. Thanks!
Melissa
January 13, 2013 at 12:22 pmHey, I just happened to stumble across your blog and love it! And I appreciate that you’re willing to SHARE your recipes with the world — healthy, low fat, plant based meals are what this world needs the most and you’re contributing to making a healthier America. Thank you so much for what you do! =)
Cassi
February 12, 2013 at 2:55 pmThis was delicious and filling! I didn’t have peppers and mushrooms on hand, but I still loved it! I also used less yeast flakes. So for anyone on a student budget, you can cut these things out and it still tastes great!
Radha
March 4, 2013 at 8:48 pmMy recipe is quite close to this one but I think that Soya sauce really adds to the taste of the scrambled tofu.
Ronta'
March 14, 2013 at 12:50 pmWould tempeh be an okay substitute for the tofu?
Susan Voisin
March 14, 2013 at 12:54 pmScrambled tempeh? It would definitely be different, more like ground beef than scrambled eggs.
bikeandhikenc
March 14, 2013 at 1:10 pmI make this at least once a month. Just had it Monday with the last of the kale from the garden and some asparagus as a side. It is one of my “go to” dishes and we love it!
Angela
May 8, 2013 at 3:23 amI made this for dinner tonight and it was REALLY good! I added zucchini and onion … Yum! And we added some hot sauce at the end. Thanks for the great recipe!
Deobrah
June 9, 2013 at 7:33 pmHi Susan. I want to incorporate tofu into my diet and the scramble sounds delicious. I’m new to cooking with tofu. Do I need to press out the water as you mentioned in other recipes or do I simply drain the package for the scramble? Thanks! A Flexitarian Newbie
Susan Voisin
June 9, 2013 at 8:14 pmFor this one, you just drain the water off and you’re good to go. Hope you enjoy it!
Sara G.
July 28, 2013 at 7:40 amSusan, this recipe is a verified hit at my house. Thank you! Between this and your Chili Mac, I have two weeknight staples that my two boys love and that include kale! That makes me a happy mom.
NK
November 4, 2013 at 12:36 pmThanks! I finally made it today.I was not sure how will it fit in my every day indian menu, but i still made it. While it was getting cooked, i was making my lunch salad. I hate to use store bought dressings, so i thought, voilla!!! lets add scrambled tofu-kale to my lettuce-cucumber-bell pepper salad! awesome! I don’t need dressing now on my salad and it taste soooo good!
Thanks! I will bake sweet potatoes in evening to go with it for dinner for my husband and kids…
Julia Burke
November 4, 2013 at 8:48 pmHi
Please can you explain why you add the nutritional yeast to the receipes. Thanks
Susan Voisin
November 4, 2013 at 8:56 pmThe short answer is that it gives an eggy, cheesy flavor. For more information, see this post: https://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2011/10/what-the-heck-is-nutritional-yeast.html
Monica
November 12, 2013 at 9:38 pmI’ve made this several times and we always love it! It’s quick, easy (one wok or big skillet) and really fun to make. Sometimes I cut down on the nut yeast to save some WW calories (yes, it does have calories!) but for 5 “old” WW points, we can have an amazing dinner that is healthy and delicious, including the fries! Sometimes, I cut the tofu into tiny cubes instead of crumbling it, and it actually looks even prettier. My family and I LOVE this recipe!
meshell
February 27, 2014 at 5:04 amCan you freeze and reheat this?
Susan Voisin
February 27, 2014 at 5:28 amYes. The texture may change a little, but it will still be good.
anna
March 26, 2017 at 1:50 pmI just made this, and it was fantastic! The flavor was on point and so very delicious. Great recipe!
Laina
September 9, 2017 at 6:55 pmHi Susan,
I made this again tonight (I love it) and ate it for supper. I had a pot of slow-cooked pinto beans on all day too. So I cooked my husbands SAD meal and used some of the tofu scramble for his side dish and he loved it! I added some red pepper flakes so that helped. 🙂
I plated my potion and added some pinto beans with added salsa to my dish. I was eating them separately and then decided to mix them all together because the flavors complimented each other so well. 🙂 It was a nice accident waiting to happen. 🙂
What I wanted to ask is if I wanted to add some oregano to the dish, how much would I use? It didn’t really need it, but I thought it might be a nice addition next time I prepare this dish.
Thanks so much, Susan! I miss your emails. 🙂
Susan Voisin
September 10, 2017 at 8:10 amThis sounds so good, Laina! For the oregano, I would use 1/2-1 teaspoon and see how you like it.
I know I owe you an email! Things are going well-the three of us are all healthy, at least, though there are some worries in my extended family. We just adopted a 13-week old puppy, and he is keeping me hopping. It’s hard to get anything done while training him. Are you on Facebook at all? I’ve been posting photos of him on my personal page.
Laina
September 10, 2017 at 1:03 pmI went to your Facebook page and clicked follow. Aww, Foxly is adorable. 🙂 And so is Bandit. 🙂
Our minpin (Bandit) is a grouchy old man since our new puppy arrived. He’s been with us over a year now and Bandit still doesn’t like him very much. 🙂
I’m happy to hear you’re all doing so well.
And thanks for the suggestion. I’ll do 1/2 teaspoon to begin with.
Susan Voisin
September 10, 2017 at 6:20 pmYay! I’m so glad you followed so you can see the photos. Our Bandit has had a few moments of playfulness, but today he is really being a grouch. The honeymoon is over, and the gloves are off! (How’s that for mixing metaphors?) 😉