Makes 4 omelets
Time: 30 minutes || Active time: 30 minutes
There’s something about an omelet that says “It’s the weekend, dig in and get ready for a day that’s all your own!”. Whether you need a big meal because you plan on taking on the Tour De France or because you intend to laze about in your PJs watching movies with a full tummy, an omelet is the quintessential brunch food.
Omelets are pleasing on so many levels. Aesthetically, of course, with some of the filling peeking out of the omelet’s fluffy, pillowy fold. And then there’s the texture. There’s nothing like, sinking your teeth into a chewy but tender omelet and, delighting in what’s inside— – juicy sauteed mushrooms, velvety spinach, sweet onions. — the world is yours.
But what to expect from a tofu omelet? Not an exact replica of an egg omelet, but a delicious translation nonetheless. Chickpea flour gives the tofu a bit of fluffiness and a an eggy taste. Nutritional yeast adds color as well as a delectable savoriness. Turmeric goes the rest of the way for that, adding a sunshine- yellow hue. And then… black salt. If you haven’t tried it before, and you love the taste of eggs, you are in for a real treat. This Indian salt, also called kala namak, has a sulfuric taste that is reminiscent of egg yolks. I like to add some to the omelet batter, and also sprinkle it on at the end for an even stronger taste. If, however, you are adverse to the taste of eggs you may skip this and just use 3/4 teaspoon of regular sea salt in the omelet. This recipe is modified from Vegan Brunch.
Tip: If using soft tofu instead of silken, some trial and error may be required because the water content varies so drastically from brand to brand. Some of my recipe testers added up to 1/2 cup water and it worked beautifully. But if you’re going to experiment, and you should, do it in half batches and try to have fun with it. (For example, don’t do it if you’re PMS-ing and apt to throw a blenderful of pureed tofu at the wall.) I find it’s best to start by adding 1/4 cup of water to the batter. Do a mini-omelet test by pouring 2 tablespoons into the pan. If the batter spreads out on its own and firms up when cooking then you are good to go. If it just sits there in a mound and doesn’t budge, then add another 1/4 cup of water to the batter.
2 cloves garlic (optional)
1 14 oz package silken tofu, lightly drained (not the vacuum packed kind), or soft tofu (see tip)
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon fine black salt, plus extra for sprinkling
1/2 cup chickpea flour
1 tablespoon arrowroot or cornstarch
Chop up the garlic up in a food processor. Add the tofu, nutritional yeast, olive oil, turmeric and salt. Puree until smooth. Add the chickpea flour and cornstarch and puree again for about 10 seconds, until combined. Make sure to scrape down the sides so that everything is well incorporated.
Preheat a large, heavy bottomed, non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Well-seasoned cast iron works great, but if you’re not sure of the non-stickness of your cast iron, do a test (see tip above) or use a regular non-stick skillet. Lightly grease with either cooking spray or a very thin layer of oil. (The less oil the better for the nice brown speckles we’re going for.) Also, make sure that you use a large skillet, as you need room to spread out the omelet and to get your spatula under there to flip. Don’t use an 8- inch omelet pan or anything like that. Here you’ll need at least 12 inches (tee hee).
In 1/2 cup measurements, pour omelet batter into skillet. Use the back of a spoon or a rubber spatula to spread the batter out into about 6- inch circles. (It’s okay if it isn’t a perfect circle.) Be gentle when spreading it out, if there are any rips or holes, that is fine, just gently fill them in as you spread the batter. Let cook for about 3 to 5 minutes before flipping. The top of the omelet should dry and become a dull matte yellow when ready to flip. If you begin to flip it and it seems like it might fall apart, give it a little more time. When the omelet is ready to be flipped, the underside should be flecked with light to dark brown when it is ready to flip. Flip omelet and cook for about a minute on the other side. Keep warm on a plate covered with tin foil as you make the remaining omelets.
Stuff omelet with the fillings of your choice then fold over. Once the omelet has been filled, sprinkle with a little extra black salt, since some of its flavor disappears when cooked.
Fillings options: It’s What’s Inside That Counts
It’s hard for me to imagine produce that wouldn’t find its calling stuffed into an omelet. When it comes to omelet fillings, think fresh and you can’t go wrong. Look deep within yourself that morning and find your spirit vegetable. And if that doesn’t do it for you, hit up your farmer’s market and go with what’s in season. Each of these fillings makes enough for 4 four omelets. Mix and match them to your heart’s content and come up with scrumptious fillings of your own.
Mushrooms And Spinach
Preheat a large pan over medium heat. Sautée 4 cups sliced cremini mushrooms in 2 tablespoons olive oil. After about 5 minutes, when mushrooms are soft, add 2 cloves minced garlic and about 3 tablespoons fresh chopped thyme. Sautée about 3 minutes more, add fresh black pepper and a few dashes of salt to taste. Stuff into omelets and divide 2 cups of fresh, chopped spinach amongst them. The spinach will wilt in the omelet. Top with homemade cheezy sauce or shredded vegan cheese and fold.
Grilled Marinated Asparagus
Marinate 1 pound asparagus, ends trimmed, in a mixture of 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, 1/4 cup olive oil, 2 smashed cloves of garlic, fresh black pepper and a generous pinch of salt. Let sit for at least an hour or overnight. Grill asparagus on a preheated hot grill or grill pan for about 8 minutes, flipping once. Divide amongst omelets, top with tahini sauce and fold.
Roasted Tomatoes, Ricotta And Basil
Preheat an oven to 300° F. Slice 2 pounds of plum tomatoes lengthwise. Toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and fresh black pepper. Place tomatoes face down on a rimmed baking sheet and roast for about an hour and a half. Stuff omelet with Cashew Rriccotta and about 10 leaves fresh basil for each, then add tomatoes and fold.
Sausage And Peppers
Preheat a large pan over medium high heat. Saute 4 sliced sausages and 2 medium diced red peppers in 2 tablespoons olive oil. Stuff into omelets and, if you like, top with homemade cheezy sauce or shredded vegan cheese and fold.
Shredded Swiss Chard
Use one bunch of chard. Remove stems and layer leaves on top of each other. Roll up into a bundle and thinly slice. Preheat a large pan over medium heat. Saute 3 minced cloves of garlic in 2 tablespoons olive oil for about 2 minutes. Add chard and saute until completely wilted, add splashes of water if necessary to get it to cook down. Salt to taste. Stuff into omelets and top with homemade cheezy sauce or sprinkle with shredded vegan cheese and fold.
Burnt Broccoli
My aunt Bonnie invented burnt broccoli, probably by accident. It’s simple and even a little silly, but I absolutely love it. Preheat a large pan over medium. Sautée 4 cups of broccoli florettes in 2 tablespoons olive oil. Leave them alone for 2 minutes at a time so they can get a bit charred, then mix. Do this for about 15 minutes. Sprinkle on salt to taste. Stuff into omelets and sprinkle with shredded vegan cheese if you like, and fold.
Omelet Rancheros
Use the bean recipe from butternut rancheros to stuff into omelets. Top with fresh salsa and guacamole.
Capers And Broccoli Rabe
This is a favorite, and maybe the only one where vegan cheese is a requirement for me. Preheat a large pan over medium heat. Saute 3 cloves minced garlic in 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add 1 bunch of chopped broccoli rabe. Saute for about 7 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons capers and sauté just until heated through. Divide amongst omelets, top with shredded vegan cheese and serve.
Guacamole And Potato
Stuff with guac and homefries or roasted potatoes. Serve salad on the side instead of potatoes.
Denver Omelet
Preheat a large pan over medium heat. Sauté 1 1/2 cups of diced seitan, 1 small diced red onion and 1 diced green pepper in 2 tablespoons olive oil for about 10 minutes, or until browned. Drizzle in 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke and cook for a minute more. Stuff filling into omelets, sprinkle on vegan cheese if you like, and fold.
Oh, yeah, and the comment about the camel farts made me laugh….who in their right mind would ever admit to having eaten a camel fart??!!??
I agree with Carol–“mushy” was the predominate adjective I would use to describe these. My partner called these the worst thing I have ever cooked. We definitely didn’t expect them to be exactly like egg omelets, but, man, I’d (almost) rather eat eggs than these. I’ll try them again, tweaking the recipe–but following it exactly got two thumbs down and an alternate dinner cooked in my house.
(I just wanted to add–I feel terrible leaving such a negative comment. We LOVE PPK and really appreciate the site. However, the overwhelmingly positive recipe reviews had left me wholly unprepared for the rare experience of binning a PPK dish. I’ll try my hand at these again (user-error / atmospheric anomalies could have corrupted my batch) but am prepared to accept these as a polarizing vegan comestible (or just not to our taste) and move on. Thanks, though, for your seemingly endless creativity!)
I made these this morning, and my toddler and I couldn’t get enough. SO good. A really delicious, savory pancake. YUMMY!
For more of an omelette finish, prepare your filling(s) first and set aside. Then stir into finished batter before pouring onto the pan (or better yet, a griddle).
what about using egg replacer instead of the flour?
Nope.
Thank you ! I love love love this recipe! I tried to make a vegan omelette a few years ago, and it turned out a gooey mess. I resigned myself to scrambled tofu and no omelettes from then on. Your recipe rocks, and the instructions are detailed enough that I had no more fear. Seriously, it’s an easy recipe and good enough that we had them 4 days in a row after I discovered it, with different fillings every time. Fresh spinach from the backyard is the best!
I will only add that I did have mori-nu tofu, firm (the vacuum packed) and did add some water. When I tested it on the skillet, I could easily tell when it was the right consistency. I think it was slightly less than 1/4 cup.
Just came across this recipe on facebook and tried it out on my meat eating husband. Didn’t have any cornstarch but used all the other ingredients and it was really tasty. Even got the thumbs up from my husband!
Wonderful! I had this for breakfast yesterday morning. I used Nasoya Lite Firm and halved the recipe because I was only cooking for myself. I didn’t have any starch so I used AP flour as a sub. I poured the entire batter into a crepe pan and cooking and flipping it was a breeze. I used vegan sausage, asparagus and Daiya provolone for the filling. Awesome!! I could barely finish it from being so full, but it was just too good. Keeping this recipe for future use! I can’t wait to try it on my newly-vegan, former egg-loving fiancé to see what he thinks. 🙂
I cant pin anything because the pictures do not show up
Such an inspiration! I cooked this morning because I had some silken lying around and the flavor was fantastic! I added a bit more oil (I also halved the recipe) to make it smooth and used a gf baking flour mixture. I may have needed to put more flour in there but it still came out so tasty and pretty. Thanks so much!
I just made this from Vegan Brunch before reading this and realize now how important adding the water would have been. Mine didn’t spread and also the first two stuck to the pan because I didn’t let it get hot enough before pouring the batter. My stuffing was great though — tofurkey sausage stir fried with red onion, mushrooms and red pepper.
Just made a batch of these and we devoured them. They were absolutely FABULOUS! I used water packed extra firm tofu because that’s what I had and I pressed it in my Tofu x-press first (out of habit) then I added about 1/2 cup of water to mixture as I blended it. I used Bob’s Redmill gluten-free baking flour which is a mixture of oat flour, chickpea flour and fava bean flour. They were easier to fold than I remember an egg omelette to be. I filled them with a sauteed mixture of diced red onion, garlic and mushrooms and a sprinkling of Daiya pepper jack. The flavor was spot-on and the texture was perfect. My husband who doesn’t love tofu scrambles ate 2 1/2 of these omelettes and would have eaten more if I hadn’t stopped him. The black salt, which I know is difficult to find, is essential. My head is spinning with all the filling possibilities. Thank you!!!
These look gorgeous! I can’t eat yeast, it makes me mega-sick…which is so sad, I can no longer enjoy delicious craft brews *sniffle*. Can you suggest a substitute for nutritional yeast? Looking at the ingredients, I’m thinking these will be yummy without the powder too. <3 I love your non-fake fake cheese substitute—thank god I can eat cashews with impunity.
I made these today for myself and my 14 yr old vegan daughter. We loved omelettes and it has been about a year since either of us had one. This was a huge surprise and so delicious! I didn’t even have all the ingredients you suggested and it was still delicious. I didn’t have black sea salt (cooudln’t find it anywhere around me) or the tumeric. We filled it with spinach, mushrooms and a drizzle of daiya cheese. She used to douse her omelettes in ketchup but didn’t want any for this because the flavors were so delicious on their own. We have two extras for a quick breakfast later in the week! Thank you!
These have become a favorite in my house! Thank you so very much for this yummy treat. I am going to make some right now for dinner with potatoes and sautéed veggies. Yum. I do not have access to black salt, but they are yummy with sea salt. 🙂
Tried this recipe tonight and with a learning curve it worked out pretty well.
I’d first say, I did use the recommended silken tofu and adding the 1/2 c. of water was essential to forming a pourable batter. As well, I was hesitant to used the entire teaspoon of black salt right off the bat, which did have a very strong sulfur odor when immediately added, but it indeed lost a good deal of its “flavor/scent” during cooking.
Letting the mixed batter sit for a good 10 minutes might help the chickpea flour fully absorb the liquid thus reducing any unnecessary grainy texture inside.
While I love cast iron pans, yours MUST be well seasoned, but even so I’d recommend against it and use a non-stick sprayed with PAM (as much as I hate to use it). The batter is very sticky, a challenge to hold together and “non-stick” quality is absolutely essential so as to ensure the best success possible. On this note, the longer it cooks the more the center will firm up, so cooking at slightly less than medium heat for the full 5 minutes as opposed to a higher heat for 3 minutes is again my recommendation. Check the bottom for over-browning and adjust your heat accordingly, but try the proper heat which will enable a full 5 minutes cooking time. Make sure all edges are not stuck to the pan and gently flip with as wide a spatula as you can and leave for the remaining minute.
As for thickness, try not to spread the batter too thin to ensure as ‘thick’n’fluffy’ an omlette as possible – hence the importance of a longer cooking time. I made the initial mistake of trying to turn half cup of batter into an 8 inch diameter omlette and in the end it deflated to a very thin floppy one after cooling. I’d like to experiment with the addition of maybe a half or quarter teaspoon of baking soda for extra lift and saltiness, but that shall be another day. All in all, nice flavor and texture when properly cooked inside 🙂
This recipe looks awesome! Can’t wait to try it. Will the batter keep overnight?
I adore these. One of my favorite recipes from *VB,* which is my favorite Isa cookbook. They do usually split and I have to use a t-fal nonstick pan, or I end up with scramble, but it doesn’t bother me at all to eat them that way. I live in the Deep South, so humidity affects these…sometimes more or less water is called for, depending on the day. My favorite filling is olive and onion with some lemon zest and juice sprinkled on and dill added to the batter. It mimics the feta cheese Greek omelet I used to be obsessed with when I was vegetarian. I also do barely sautéed peppers, onion, and garlic folded in the omelet and stuffed into Italian or French bed to mimic the egg heroes my Italian family used to wolf down with abandon.
Wow.. , sounds amazing .
Just tried this – not so hot for an omelette or scrambled egg. (I have difficulty flipping omelettes)….HOWEVER – This is the best frittata base! Mix it all up; stir in fried ‘shrooms, onions, spinach, daiya cheese – pour it into a pan and bake! Yum!! Thank You! Go to recipe for brunch food!
I loooove these omelettes! And I just got my hands on some black salt..looking forward to using it!! 😀
Oh my gosh. I’ve just been thinking about how I want greek food. This looks perfect. tofu is so so good. Pinning!
Omg I can’t wait to try this