Turmeric Tofu Scramble with Spinach
Firm tofu crumbled into a hot pan with onion, turmeric and spinach makes a warm, savoury breakfast that comes together in about twenty minutes. A pinch of black salt (kala namak), a mineral salt with a distinctive sulphurous aroma, gives it a surprisingly familiar breakfast flavour.
By Vegan Cook. Published 1 November 2026
Ingredients
Serves 2.
- 400 gfirm tofu
- 1 tbspolive oil
- 1small onion, finely chopped
- 2garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1/2 tspground turmeric
- 1/2 tspground cumin
- 2 tbspnutritional yeast, a dried yeast flake with a rich, savoury flavour
- 3 tbspoat milk or other plant milk
- 60 gbaby spinach, about two handfuls
- 1/4 tspblack salt (kala namak), or ordinary salt
- to tastefreshly ground black pepper
- to servetoast, sliced avocado or chopped chives
Cookware
- Large non-stick frying pan
- Wooden spatula
- Clean tea towel
Method
Read each step end-to-end before starting.
- 01
Drain the tofu
Drain the tofu, wrap it in a clean tea towel and press it firmly with your hands to squeeze out as much water as you can. Removing the water lets the tofu take on the spices and brown a little in the pan, rather than stewing in its own liquid.
- 02
Soften the onion
Warm the oil in the frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring now and then, until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
- 03
Crumble in the tofu
Crumble the tofu into the pan with your fingers, breaking it into uneven pieces, since a mixture of large and small pieces gives a better texture than a uniform crumb. Sprinkle over the turmeric and cumin and stir well, so that the tofu turns an even golden yellow. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring only occasionally, so that some of the pieces catch and brown lightly.
- 04
Add the yeast, oat milk and spinach
Stir in the nutritional yeast and the oat milk, which loosens the scramble and makes it softer and richer. Add the spinach and stir for a minute or two, until it has just wilted.
- 05
Season and serve
Take the pan off the heat before adding the black salt, because its distinctive aroma fades with prolonged cooking. Season with black pepper, taste, and serve straight away on toast or alongside sliced avocado.
Allergen profile
Every recipe here is fully plant-based. Cross-contamination risk depends on your kitchen, so check all packaging.
Swap note
Tofu is made from soy. The scramble itself is free of gluten, though some brands of nutritional yeast are processed alongside wheat, so check the label and serve it on gluten-free bread if you are avoiding gluten.