Fluffy, Almost-Eggy Chickpea Scramble Recipe

Move over tofu scramble, there's a new plant-based breakfast in town — this fluffy almost-eggy chickpea scramble. Creamy mashed chickpeas sauteed with classic aromatics and vibrant red peppers are seasoned to perfection with nutritional yeast, smoked paprika, and turmeric. The addition of a clever slurry made with chickpea flour and aquafaba gives this dish an incredible texture. This delicious plant-based meal is perfect for those who follow a vegan diet, but even non-vegans will love it.

Wellness coach and recipe developer Miriam Hahn brings us this recipe and says, "In less than 30 minutes, you'll have a hearty and nutritious breakfast that's bursting with flavor and protein. You can swap out different veggies that you have on hand and even chop them the night before to make it even quicker to put together on a busy morning. I love eating a breakfast like this that will keep you full until lunch but won't give you that over-full feeling." No need to mess with pressing tofu, this delicious chickpea scramble will shine without it.

To make this recipe, start in the produce aisle and grab an onion, garlic, red pepper, plum tomato, and spinach. Cilantro, avocados, and jalapeños make nice additions to the dish when serving also, so if any of those interest you, add them to your cart.

Then you'll need a can of chickpeas, chickpea flour, and broth. For seasonings, there is a very important ingredient that will change your vegan recipes forever — kala namak (aka black salt). The other condiments and spices on the list are avocado oil, nutritional yeast, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, and turmeric. If you want to pair the scramble with some toast, Hahn recommends a hearty whole-wheat bread.

Drain the chickpeas over a bowl to collect the aquafaba.

Measure out 2 tablespoons and set aside.

Mash the chickpeas to a chunky texture with a fork, a food chopper, or a food processor. Be careful not to overprocess.

Add the oil to a frying pan and bring the heat to medium.

Add the onion, garlic, and red pepper and saute for 5 minutes stirring frequently.

In a small bowl combine the aquafaba with the chickpea flour, stir with a small whisk to make a slurry, and then set it aside.

Add the mashed chickpeas, nutritional yeast, salt, kala namak, smoked paprika, turmeric, pepper, and broth. Stir to combine.

Add the chickpea flour slurry and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes.

Add the tomato and spinach and cook on simmer for about 3 minutes until the spinach wilts.

Serve on toast topped with optional fresh cilantro, avocado, and jalapeño, and serve.

Kala namak, also known as black salt, is a very unique spice often used often in Asian cuisine that is mined from volcanos in India, Pakistan, Nepal, and Bangladesh. What makes it unique is the resemblance its aroma has to the smell of eggs, specifically hard-boiled eggs. This eggy smell and flavor is caused by kala namak's high sulfur content.

"Years ago, when I started eating primarily plant-based, I came across a recipe calling for kala namak. Once I tried it, I knew it would become a valuable pantry staple for any dishes trying to mimic eggs. I use it in vegan egg salad, tofu scrambles, vegan deviled eggs, and vegan quiche," Hahn explains.

It is perfect in this chickpea scramble because it gives you the illusion that you are eating eggs. Whether you have an egg allergy, prefer to eat vegan, or just want a more nutritious breakfast, this delicious chickpea scramble with kala namak is for you.

You may have heard of aquafaba — the liquid from a can of chickpeas — and one of its most common uses, making a stable vegan meringue. It proves to be helpful in this recipe also. Since there are no eggs involved in this scramble, the aquafaba acts in the same way that an egg would in binding the ingredients together. "I'm not sure who figured out that aquafaba could be used as an egg replacement, but it is a very handy tool to use in vegan cooking, especially if you happen to always have a good supply of chickpea cans on hand," Hahn shares.

The aquafaba also provides quite a bit of moisture to the scramble and adds to the "fluffy" component that helps mimic scrambled eggs. The thick gel-like consistency of aquafaba adds liquid without watering the mixture down. Lastly, the aquafaba is a healthy addition that has zero cholesterol, is allergen-free, and is a great protein and fiber source.