In just 25 minutes you can have this ultimate Vegan Breakfast Sandwich in your hands. It's layered with a crispy tofu patty that's smothered in melty cheese, topped with smoky veggie ham, and sandwiched together with a buttery English muffin.
This delicious recipe is a Vegan Huggs classic and has been a part of my breakfast collection for many years. However, the old photos were unbearable to look at, so I shot fresh new ones and simplified the recipe, too. Change is good!
So, if you want a quick, easy, and hearty meal to add to your routine, this Vegan Breakfast Recipe is perfect for you! Plus, it's completely versatile so you'll never get bored. It's perfect for lazy Sundays or for on-the-go mornings, too.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO MAKE A VEGAN BREAKFAST SANDWICH
(FULL AMOUNTS IN RECIPE CARD BELOW)
For the Tofu Eggs, you'll need Tofu, Nutritional Yeast, Granulated Garlic, Granulated Onion, Kala Namak (black salt), Smoked Paprika, Turmeric, and Fresh Cracked Pepper
To Assemble, you'll need Vegan Cheese, Vegan Ham, English Muffins, Tomato, Vegan Butter, and Tabasco Sauce.
HOW TO MAKE A VEGAN BREAKFAST SANDWICH
To prep, you'll need to press the tofu for 20-30 minutes. Press by placing a block of tofu in a dish towel and place it on a rimmed plate. Add a cast iron skillet on top (or something heavy) and let it drain. You can also use a Tofu Press to make it easier or you can use Pre-Pressed Tofu or High-Protein Tofu.
- STEP 1 - Place the tofu on its side and cut into four ¼ - ½-inch slices.
- STEP 2 - Cut each slice into a circle using a glass or cookie cutter.
- STEP 3 - In a small bowl, add the nutritional yeast, garlic, onion, paprika, turmeric, salt, and pepper. Whisk to combine.
- STEP 4 - Place a piece of tofu into the dry mixture and move around to coat. Flip and repeat on the other side. Repeat with the remaining tofu.
- STEP 5 - Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the oil and wait until it shimmers. Now add the tofu pieces and cook until it's lightly golden and crispy for 2-3 minutes.
- STEP 6 - Flip the tofu and add a slice of cheese on top of each piece. Cover the pan to melt the cheese and brown the other side of the tofu for about 2-3 minutes.
To assemble the breakfast sandwich, toast the English muffins and butter each slice. If preferred, you can lightly pan-fry the vegan ham or just leave it as is. Top a slice of tomato on a muffin half, then the tofu, then ham, and add hot sauce if preferred. Close together with the other muffin half and serve immediately.
SUBSTITUTE IDEAS:
- Instead of Tabasco sauce, you can use Chipotle Sauce, Ketchup, Mayonnaise, Salsa, Avocado Pesto, or your favorite condiment.
- You can exchange the store-bought Vegan Cheese for my Vegan Nacho Cheese, or Vegan Hollandaise Sauce.
- Instead of English Muffins, you can use Sandwich Bread, Bagels, or a Baguette.
- You can switch out the Vegan Ham for Vegan Turkey, Vegan Sausage Patties or Baked Tempeh Bacon.
ADD-ON IDEAS:
- Sandwich Pickles
- Jalapeños
- Avocado
- Leafy Greens
- Vegan Cream Cheese
MORE VEGAN BREAKFAST RECIPES TO ENJOY:
I’D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU
If you make this Vegan Breakfast Sandwich, let me know what you think by ★ star rating it and leaving a comment below. It would really make my day. You can also follow me on Instagram and share your creation with me. Just tag me @veganhuggs and hashtag #veganhuggs so I don’t miss it.
Vegan Breakfast Sandwich
Ingredients
Tofu Eggs
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil (or preferred cooking oil)
- 14-16 ounces extra firm tofu , drained and pressed (see note)
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- ½ teaspoon granulated garlic
- ½ teaspoon granulated onion
- ½ teaspoon Kala Namak (black salt) , more to taste (sub regular salt)
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ⅛ teaspoon turmeric
- Fresh cracked pepper , to taste
To Assemble
- 4 slices vegan cheese (one that melts)
- 4 English muffins (sub with bread of choice)
- Vegan butter , to taste
- 1 large tomato , sliced
- 4 slices vegan ham or vegan turkey
- 1-2 dashes tabasco sauce (see note for alternatives)
Instructions
- Place the tofu on its side and cut into four ¼ - ½-inch slices. Cut each slice into a circle using a glass or cookie cutter (you can save the scraps for tofu crumbles). You can also cut the tofu into squares instead - just make sure it fits the muffins or bread you've chosen.
- In a small shallow bowl (that will fit one tofu circle), add the nutritional yeast, garlic, onion, paprika, turmeric, salt and pepper. Whisk to combine well.
- Place a piece of tofu into the dry mixture and gently move around to coat well. Flip and repeat on the other side. Repeat with the remaining tofu.
- Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat for a few minutes. Add the oil and wait until it shimmers. Now add the tofu pieces and cook until it's lightly golden and crispy on one side for about 2-3 minutes. Flip the tofu and add a slice of cheese on top of each piece. Cover the pan with a lid to melt the cheese and brown the other side of the tofu for about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Toast the English muffins and butter each slice. If preferred, you can lightly pan-fry the vegan ham or just leave it as is. Top a slice of tomato on a muffin half, then the tofu, then ham, and add hot sauce if preferred. Close together with the other muffin half and serve immediately. Enjoy!
Amber
This was so good! I actually can't believe how good this turned out. I will be making this over and over again and will probably keep the spice blend on hand o quickly whip these up. Even my meat-and-egg-eating boyfriend loved this!
Support @ Vegan Huggs
Hi Amber! We're so glad you both loved the recipe, thank you so much for sharing! 🙂
Kim
I was wondering how these would freeze?
Melissa Huggins
I haven't tried freezing them yet. The texture of the tofu might change a little after freezing. I'll have to experiment next time I make them. Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
Alexandria West
I make a batch of the seasoning at the beginning of the week and pre slice my tofu. Then in the morning I coat the tofu and put it in the skillet while my English muffins toast. Quick tasty breakfast!
Melissa Huggins
Hi Alexandria, Such a great idea! Thank you for sharing your prepping tips. Have a great week! 🙂
Tal
So good and easy. I didn't press the tofu but I had extra firm and it worked great. I ommitted the vegan ham and added sauteed mushrooms. So good! My non vegan bf loved it so much, he wants me to always have the blend on hand and said it tasted BETTER than an egg sandwich.
Melissa Huggins
Yay! I love this! Thank you for giving it a try. It sounds delicious with the mushrooms. YUM!
Michael
Recipe looks fabulous, We're getting away from oil so we use a air fryer for cooking the tofu, less crumbling of the coating into the pan that way. On an "off note" Can't believe you have adds for Tyson Chicken popping up on your site. Doesn't that go against what you're promoting?
Melissa Huggins
Thank you, Michael! I love cooking tofu in an air fryer too. It's magical!
I'm sorry about the ads. I have many categories for ads shut off through my network, but sometimes they still get through. I will report it to my ad network. Thank you for letting me know.
Rosalie A Gilchrist
Yummy tastes really good
Melissa Huggins
So glad you liked it! Thank you 🙂
Jen
Delish! Simple yet satisfying:)
Melissa Huggins
Thank you, Jen! I'm so glad you liked it! 🙂
Chandra
Just made this and it was so good!! I wasn’t sure about the pickle, but added it anyway and it totally makes the sandwich!! We are just over a year into a vegan diet and love love love your blog!!! Thank you!!
Melissa Huggins
This is so nice to hear, Chandra! Thank you so much! Congrats on your 1-year vegan journey, too! 🙂
Jason
What a way to start the day! Thanks for the recipe and the great pictures!
Melissa Huggins
Hi Jason, you're most welcome! Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
Nikki
This looks amazing! What is the cheese and bread that you used for this calorie count? Im new to vegan, and your recipes are so helpful!
Melissa Huggins
Hi Nikki, the bread is from a local bakery, but I recommend Ezekiel Bread or Dave's Killer Bread. I used Daiya cheese in this photo, but lately, I've been using Follow Your Heart and Chao Cheese.
Congrats on your new vegan journey! Let me know if you need help with anything 🙂
Shauna
This sandwich looks amazing!!! I can't wait to try it. I was wondering if you could tell me how many calories it is? Thanks so much!!!!
Melissa Huggins
Thank you, Shauna! It has 298 calories per sandwich. This will vary slightly depending on the bread and vegan cheese you use. 🙂
Margaret
What a wonderful recipe idea. I will make it soon. This was recommended by Sam Turnbull (It doesn't taste like chicken.com). I'm glad I discovered your blog. Thank you.
Melissa Huggins
Hi Margaret, thank you for stopping by. I love Sam's blog! So many tasty and easy recipes on there. Have a great weekend! 🙂
Maggie
I love this recipe! This tofu is so simple but also tastes amazing. Looking forward to trying more of your recipes.
Melissa Huggins
Hi Maggie, I'm so happy to hear this. I love the simplicity of this recipe, too. I make it often. Thank you for stopping by, and for your kind feedback. 🙂
Nico @ yumsome
This looks amazing... and so filling too. I don't generally eat until at least 14h, so this would be such a perfect brunch for me. Thank you for sharing such a yummy recipe!
Wishing you and yours a wonderful 2017, Melissa! xx
Melissa Huggins
Hi Nico, thank you so much! I'm a late eater too, and not usually hungry in the morning. I'll have some tea or maybe a smoothie. Wishing you a wonderful 2017, too! 🙂
Josh
This looks like it would be good! I noticed that this is currently the only recipe in the breakfast section. I am sure you are still working on it but wanted to offer an idea. Personally I have found it really difficult to figure out what to eat for breakfast. My stomach is usually not ready for most foods until midday....
But recently I discovered that I really enjoy hash browns and black beans together. I was wondering if you might use your skills to come up with an elevated breakfast dish based on those ingredients? Maybe something like a breakfast bowl or even a sandwich, everything mixed up with vegan cheese, mushrooms, etc...but some flavor should send it over the top.
mhuggs
Hi Josh, I do have other recipes in the breakfast section, but they are pancakes and smoothie bowls (that might not be your thing) I'm currently working on adding more variety though (I'm still a newbie blogger). I also have a hard time deciding what to have for breakfast sometimes. I usually wind up having a smoothie, until my tummy is craving something specific. I love hash browns and black beans. I will definitely work on a recipe using those ingredients together. Thank you for the suggestion 🙂