I’m always compelled to share brunch recipes in December because Christmas brunch is my family’s thing. If you’re holiday brunching it up like we are you’ll probably need a killer vegan main dish. This is one of my family’s favorites!
What is Huevos Rancheros?
Traditional huevos rancheros is a Mexican breakfast recipe involving eggs served on tortillas. Aside from that, the concept is pretty flexible and the dish can include any number of other ingredients or toppings, like salsa, cheese, or refried beans.
How to Veganize Huevos Rancheros
The big obstacle in making huevos rancheros vegan is the eggs. Fortunately, there are a bunch of ways to replace eggs in vegan cooking. Chickpeas and tofu both make great vegan scrambles. I went with tofu for this dish because it goes so nicely with the refried beans and salsa.
How to make Vegan Huevos Rancheros
Make the Refried Beans
Start by heating up some oil in a skillet, then add some onion. Give the onion a minute to cook and soften up, and then add some garlic and spices. Toast everything in the skillet for a few minutes until it smells wonderful, then add the beans and some water. Bring the water to a simmer and let the beans cook for about 10 minutes, until they soften up. You can add more water while they cook if the skillet gets too dry. Tip: Keep a cup of hot water on hand so you can add it to the skillet as needed. Using hot water will prevent the mixture from cooling down as cold water would. Once the beans have had some time to simmer and soften up, mash them up with a fork or potato masher. I like to leave a few chunks, but you can make them as creamy as you’d like. Season the beans with some salt and a bit of lime juice.
Scramble the Tofu
I kept this scramble super simple since this dish has a lot going on. To make your tofu scramble, heat up some oil in a skillet, then break a block of tofu into a few large chunks and add them to the skillet. I like to keep my chunks pretty big — you can always break them into smaller pieces at the end. Cook the tofu for a few minutes, until it starts to dry out and crisp up in spots, then add your seasonings — soy sauce, nutritional yeast, cumin, and some turmeric for color. Cook the tofu for a minute or two longer until the liquid from the soy sauce dries up. For extra eggy flavor, season your tofu with kala namak, also known as black salt. This type of salt can be found at Indian markets and has a high sulfur content, so it makes things taste eggy!
Assemble the Vegan Huevos Rancheros
Heat up your tortillas in a skillet and pile the beans and scrambled tofu on top. Add your favorite toppings: salsa, hot sauce, avocado, fresh cilantro, chives, vegan cheese and cashew cream would all be great! Dig in!
Can this dish be made gluten-free? Yup! Just substitute gluten-free tamari for the soy sauce. Feel free to substitute a different variety of bean. Pinto or navy beans would work well. Can this dish be made with dried beans? Yes, but you’ll need to soak and cook them first. Try this method. You’ll need 1 ¾ cups of cooked beans. How should I store leftovers? Store any leftover scramble and beans in separate containers. Both can be reheated in the microwave or on the stove, and you might need to add a splash of water to the beans. What is kala namak and where can I get it? Kala namak is a type of salt with a high sulfur content, so it’s great for making things taste eggy. Look for it at Indian markets or online.
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