This vegan chickpea scramble is a soy-free recipe that is so easy to make. It comes together in about 20 minutes and is the perfect vegan breakfast for meal prep. Enjoy as is or serve with toast!
I’m not going to lie, a chickpea scramble has been on my list of recipe ideas for quite a while now, but for some reason I didn’t really have high hopes.
But oh my gosh you guys this recipe is SO good. Based on past experience, I thought chickpeas would be too dry to work well in a scramble, but thanks to a few key tricks and ingredients, this recipe is super moist and has a texture similar to scrambled eggs or tofu.
We’ll be using some olive oil and hummus to make it creamy, turmeric to give it an eggy color, plus onion and garlic for lots of flavor.
If you have access to black salt (also known as Kala Namak) you can add a pinch of that which will give this an egg-like flavor. Serve this recipe at your next brunch alongside my breakfast potatoes and vegan donuts!
If you love this recipe, try my tofu scramble next!
Key ingredients
Chickpeas. You need just 1 can of chickpeas for this scramble. We’ll pulse them in a food processor to break them up and get a texture similar to scrambled eggs.
Red onion and garlic. Just a bit of red onion and garlic will add a lot of flavor here. You can definitely sub for white or yellow if that is what you have on hand.
Hummus. This is a very key ingredient to get a creamy texture! I like using just plain hummus, but if you want to mix up the flavors a bit, you can try my roasted red pepper hummus.
Oil. A bit of olive oil will contribute to the creamy texture and is needed to saute the onion and garlic. I do not recommend leaving this out.
Spices. Just some turmeric for color, then cumin, salt and pepper for flavor!
How to make chickpea scramble
Add the diced onion to a skillet with the olive oil and minced garlic. Saute for about 5-7 minutes.
Drain and rinse the chickpeas and add to a food processor. Pulse just a few times until broken up. You can also mash by hand, but I find the food processor is a bit easier!
Add to the pan with all remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Let simmer for a few minutes to allow the flavors to blend.
Taste and adjust flavors as desired and enjoy!
Serving suggestions
I love to serve this with some gluten free toast, greens like arugula and a bit of avocado. It’s also delicious with my gluten free bagels in a breakfast sandwich with cheese, greens and avocado.
I love it as a wrap (or even a lettuce wrap for a lighter option!) or just as is with some salt and pepper.
How to store
Once prepared, these vegan chickpea scramble will keep in the fridge for 3 days. You can reheat it on the stove or microwave or even enjoy it cold!
Spice it up!
I sometimes make this into more of Mexican chickpea scramble by sauteing some bell peppers with the onion and adding 1/4 tsp of chili powder.
Feel free to get creative and use other herbs and spices! You can also add other veggies like spinach, kale or tomatoes.
Can I use tofu instead?
If you’re looking for a tofu scramble, I would recommend this recipe. I don’t recommend swapping the chickpeas for tofu as this will change the ingredient proportions, so I would follow the recipe as written for best results!
Try these vegan breakfast recipes next!
If you make this recipe, leave a comment below and let us know how they turn out! As always, be sure to tag me on instagram so I can see your creation!
Vegan Chickpea Scramble
by: claire cary
Ingredients
- 1 can chickpeas
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ¼ cup diced red onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2-3 tbsp plain hummus
- ¼ tsp turmeric
- ¼ tsp cumin
- 1/4-1/2 tsp salt
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add the diced onion to a skillet with the olive oil and minced garlic. Saute for about 5-7 minutes.
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas and add to a food processor. Pulse just a few times until broken up. You can also mash by hand, but I find the food processor is a bit easier!
- Add to the pan with all remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Let simmer for a few minutes to allow the flavors to blend.
- Taste and adjust flavors as desired.
- Serve with toast, greens, avocado or enjoy as is!
Whack says
#eatwithclarity! I made this and followed instructions / ingredients to the “T” as they say.
On my second attempt, I performed the following modifications:
— Skin the chickpeas —
1). Drain and rinse the chickpeas.
2). Put chickpeas in a small mixing bowl and add 4-5 TBS baking soda, mix and let stand for 30-45 (or longer) mins.
3). Rinse the chickpeas to remove the baking soda
4). Put chickpeas into large container (one where you can get your hands into ) and cover chickpeas with water then pick up a small handful of chickpeas and rub vigorously between your hands. The skins of the chickpeas will come off and float in the water. Continue doing this until all the chickpeas have all their skins removed. (you may need to drain off the water with the skins and recover the chickpeas with water and repeat the process several times).
While removing the skins of the chickpeas seems like a step that can be skipped, the enhanced flavor of the chickpeas is brought out. (Note: if you’re making your own hummus, do the same thing to make the hummus)
— Saute using water —
5). Forget using olive oil, it only clouds the flavor profile of the scramble. Use water to “saute” for about 5-7 minutes. This way I get the taste of the diced onion and not the oil. (besides you get to lose 40-50 calories from the recipe)
The flavor profile is so much better!
Thanks for sharing your recipe and to all your work and efforts.
—Whack
Claire Cary says
I’ll have to try it with these changes! Sounds delicious and I’m so glad you enjoyed it.