You’ll be strong to the finish when you start your day with a hearty, spinach-filled Popeye Tofu Scramble! It’s the ultimate vegan breakfast, brunch or brinner dish!
The Vegan Popeye
There’s a small chain of independent pancakes houses in Northern New Jersey that has quite a few vegan items on the menu, including a few tofu scrambles. The Vegan Popeye is loaded with spinach and mushrooms, and it’s my favorite. They serve it with home fries and whole wheat toast, and it makes for a deliciously filling weekend brunch.
Sunday Morning Tofu Scramble
We like to treat ourselves to breakfast at one of the pancake houses on weekends, but when on super cold and dreary winter Sunday mornings, we don’t want to change out of our warm and cozy jammies, much less leave the house and drive to Rutherford (or Morristown), so I often find myself making my favorite tofu scramble at home.
This scramble is easy to make, yet it makes a terrific breakfast treat. It might not build instant muscles or help you fight Bluto, but it will definitely satisfy your taste buds and fuel you through your morning.
The Vegan Popeye Tofu Scramble
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon neutral vegetable oil
- 1 medium-sized onion diced
- 10 ounces mushrooms sliced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- pinch sea salt
- 1 14-ounce block of firm or extra-firm tofu drained and pressed
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon black salt (kala namak)
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 16 ounces baby spinach
- 1 avocado sliced
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until it begins to brown, about five minutes. Add the mushrooms, garlic, and pinch of sea salt, and cook for about five more minutes, until the mushrooms begin to brown and become fragrant.
- Crumble the tofu and add it the pan along with the nutritional yeast, onion powder, garlic powder, turmeric, black salt and black pepper. Stir to coat the tofu in the spices. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, or until the tofu begins to brown.
- Fold in the spinach and cook for just a minute or two longer, until it begins to wilt and turn bright green.
- Divide among four plates and serve with the avocado slices.
Ooh this looks like my kind of scramble! Loving all of the fresh spinach. And of course everything is better with avocado!
Thanks, Becky. It is true that everything is better with avocado!
I love spinach and mushrooms in my scramble!! SO good and the perfect any time meal!
I agree – we have scrambles for dinner often!
I’ve actually had the Popeye before! It was good but I’ll be honest, I think yours looks even better!
Aw… thanks, Mary Ellen!
This hearty breakfast is calling to me! Love tofu scramble with mushrooms – love the spinach addition too. These pics are making me want breakfast #2!
Thanks, Jenn!
I love the name! I used to love Popeye. This would be perfect for weekend brunch.
Thanks, Mel!
Looks fabulous, Dianne! I love spinach in my scrambles.
Thank you, Amy!
Love love love tofu scramble! This breakfast scene looks so dreamy <3
Thank you, Leah!
This sounds so delicious, Dianne! A good tofu scramble is the quintessential cozy Saturday breakfast. I love that this one is packed with spinach and mushrooms.
Thanks, Cadry!
How awesome for you that you can find vegan items on a breakfast menu. Love the name of this dish, it looks great.
Thank you, Linda!
I love tofu scramble! And this one is so great, with so many veggies mixed into it. What a great start to the day!
Thank you, Sarah!
Yummy! I love tofu scramble. And adding mushrooms and spinach is such a great idea. 🙂
Thank you, Sina!
I can see myself starting the day with a recipe like this one! Thanks a bunch for sharing it, Dianne!
Thank you, Agness! I hope you enjoy them.
I wrap my tofu scramble in a spinach tortilla with some salsa. Take to work to eat later!
Sounds delicious, Arian!