Vegan Shakshuka with Tofu and White Beans

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An alternative to traditional shakshuka, this Vegan Shakshuka is made with protein-packed tofu, white beans, and a variety of spices. It makes an easy, wholesome and comforting weekend brunch or breakfast!
Prep 10 minutes
Cook 45 minutes
Total 55 minutes
5 from 4 votes

When I went vegan, I assumed I would have trouble giving up eggs. Why? Because I used to eat eggs almost every day for breakfast! And shakshuka—eggs poached in a spiced tomato stew with chili peppers, onion, and garlic—was one of my favorites.

Luckily, the human body is a very adaptable thing, and within a week, I had zero cravings for eggs. But I still had the desire to recreate hearty, savory, and flavorful breakfast dishes like shakshuka. Hence this recipe for a plant-based shakshuka using tofu and white beans. Yes, that means double the protein.

I don’t think there’s an easy way to substitute poached eggs, but crumbled tofu does mimic scrambled eggs pretty well. To achieve an “eggy” flavor and mouthfeel, I rely on kala namak, or Indian black salt. It’s a Himalayan rock salt that’s very pungent in flavor. That initial whiff can be really intense and sulfuric (appetizing, I know), but once you blend it into the tofu, the eggy taste is not overwhelming. Oh, also, it’s not actually black in color, so that’s confusing. You can find kala namak at South Asian grocery stores on Amazon (affiliate link), which is where I make 99% of my purchases. If you can’t find, just substitute kosher salt or sea salt. It’ll still taste very delicious.

Two plates of shakshuka on toast next to one large serving plate.

One of the most important parts of shakshuka is the slow-simmered tomato sauce. The slow simmering process helps build a deep, rich tomato flavor that’s full of umami. I like using fire-roasted tomatoes and a healthy dose of tomato paste for a little extra flavor and richness.

To bring some freshness to this slow-simmered dish, this shakshuka is finished with fresh cilantro and mint. You can serve as is, but to really sop up that delicious tomato sauce, I highly recommend serving alongside some crusty rustic bread.

Two plates of shakshuka on toast next to one large serving plate.

Vegan Shakshuka with Tofu and White Beans

5 from 4 votes
An alternative to traditional shakshuka, this Vegan Shakshuka is made with protein-packed tofu, white beans, and a variety of spices. It makes an easy, wholesome and comforting weekend brunch or breakfast!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Course: Breakfast
Diet Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Serving size: 4

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1-2 jalapeño peppers, diced (optional, omit for a mild version)
  • 1 large red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
  • 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
  • 2 teaspoons ground chili powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 (28-ounce) can fire roasted diced tomatoes, or tomato purée
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar or coconut sugar
  • ½ tsp kosher salt or sea salt + more to taste
  • Black pepper to taste
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 14- ounce block of firm tofu
  • 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • ½-1 teaspoon kala namak (Indian black salt*)
  • ½ teaspoon ground turmeric, optional**
  • 1 15- ounce can cannellini beans, drained, rinsed, and dried
  • 2 handfuls of cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
  • 1 small handful of fresh mint, roughly chopped (optional)
  • 1 handful of black or green olives (optional)
  • Garnishes: black or green olives, rustic bread

Instructions

  • Heat a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the olive oil, and once it is shimmering, add the diced onion and cook for 4-6 minutes or until translucent.
  • Add the garlic and jalapeño peppers and cook for another minute, stirring frequently to avoid burning. Then add the diced bell pepper and cook for 2-3 minutes until it’s starting to soften.
  • Stir in all of the spices (sweet paprika through cayenne pepper) and stir constantly for 30-60 seconds or until the spices have coated the vegetables and it smells very fragrant.
  • Add the diced tomatoes (or tomato purée), tomato paste, brown sugar or coconut sugar, kosher salt, black pepper, and bay leaves, and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to medium-low and allow the tomato sauce to thicken for 30 minutes, stirring once in a awhile.
  • Meanwhile, drain the tofu and pat down any excess water. Add the tofu into a food processor bowl and add the nutritional yeast, kala namak (or kosher salt), and turmeric (if using). Pulse the mixture a few times, but do not blend (or it will turn into a creamy purée). The final texture should resemble ricotta cheese. Taste the tofu mixture, and if you desire a more “eggy” taste, add ½ teaspoon more kala namak.
  • Once the tomato sauce has thickened up, taste it for seasonings. Add more salt or pepper as desired. If the sauce is too tangy, add more brown sugar or coconut sugar. If you’d like the sauce to be spicier, add some crushed red pepper flakes.
  • Add the crumbled tofu and drained cannellini beans on top of the tomato sauce. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and allow them to heat through and absorb the flavors, for 5-8 minutes.
  • When ready to serve, add in the cilantro and mint (if using) and lightly stir to combine. Garnish with olives, if desired, and serve with a a rustic bread.

Notes

*Kala namak gives the tofu an “eggy” flavor. If you don’t have it or don’t want an eggy flavor, just use kosher salt.
**The turmeric lends a nice yellow color to the tofu, making it feel more like “eggs” but is optional.

Calories: 345kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 838mg | Potassium: 467mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 3361IU | Vitamin C: 68mg | Calcium: 302mg | Iron: 7mg

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29 comments on Vegan Shakshuka with Tofu and White Beans

  1. Polina

    5 stars
    Thank you for a great idea for breakfast. I have a very picky vegan boyfriend, but so far all your recipes I cooked he loved (I can tell because he always asks for extra)
    It was also pretty easy to make, despite long ingredients list

    1. Kaitlin @ Rainbow Plant Life

      Hi Polina, thanks for trying the recipe! We’re honored your picky boyfriend is such a fan of the recipes :)

  2. Alejandra Quintero

    5 stars
    I made this today with a block of tofu that had accidentally frozen in my fridge and the texture was even better for substituting eggs than not previously frozen tofu. I added some kale to it as well to get an iron boost as it had tomato, came out amazing and I am looking forward to being able to have the rest of it over the next few days for breakfast or lunch. It will be an easy thing to be able to reheat and just serve.

    1. Kaitlin @ Rainbow Plant Life

      Thank you for sharing your experience with us, Alejandra! We’re happy you enjoyed the shakshuka.

  3. Mel

    Why is this recipe not printable like your others?

    1. Kaitlin @ Rainbow Plant Life

      Hi Mel, this issue has been fixed. Enjoy!

  4. Michelle

    Can I freeze this dish?

    1. Kaitlin @ Rainbow Plant Life

      Hi Michelle, we haven’t tried freezing this, but from our general experience, tofu recipes like this do not freeze great.

    2. Anonymous

      Swap the tofu for more beans to freeze the dish or omit tofu, freeze and them add the tofu afterwards. Or just freeze the fried veg/tomato sauce and add protein after defrosting. Lots of options to adapt :)

  5. Melissa

    This recipe is very easy to put together and is packed with so much flavor. Served with a side of garlic naan made it the perfect meal. We will absolutely be making the tofu eggs again for other recipes as we couldn’t get enough. The texture is so delightful and the flavor was just right (we did add the full teaspoon of black salt). We had the leftovers for breakfast and it was still just as delicious too. This recipe is going into our recipe book to be made many more times in the future!

    1. Support @ Rainbow Plant Life

      Awesome, Melissa. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!

  6. Liz

    This was one of the best dishes I have made at home since going vegan. Everything about this recipe is fabulous. I used less garlic and I feel like chick peas would also be really good in place of the white beans. I will be making this one over and over again. Thanks for sharing!!

    1. Support @ Rainbow Plant Life

      Awesome, Liz. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!

  7. Liz

    Can you please make these recipes have a link to print? I can’t wait to try this one!

    1. Support @ Rainbow Plant Life

      Hi Liz, this is one of our older recipes so it unfortunately doesn’t have a recipe card. We suggest copy and pasting the page content you’d like to print onto a word doc, resizing and printing from there. Sorry about that!

  8. Alain

    Hi. Great recipe and dish! It would be even more helpful if you provided the nutritional info, especially macros (proten, carbs and fat), since many of us are looking to ration our macros in very specific ways. Thanks!

    1. Support @ Rainbow Plant Life

      Hi there Alain, so happy to hear you love the dish! And we do have nutrition info for most of the posts on the site! This is just an older recipe without a recipe card. You can use an app like myfitnesspal to calculate the nutritional information on this post, though! Sorry about that :/

  9. Stephanie Wilser

    I would not make thus again. It had a “slop’ consistency and the flavors were muddled.

  10. August

    amazing!! this is my second time making this recipe and my only modification was adding just 1 teaspoon of sugar instead of the full tablespoon.

    1. Support @ Rainbow Plant Life

      Thanks for sharing, August!

  11. Jessi Doshier

    I loooove shakshuka and this was such a fun, delicious version! I loved the vegan eggs; at first i smelled them and they were a little sulfur-y but the taste blended into the dish really nicely. The fresh mint and cilantro were a must! Thanks for this amazing recipe :)

    1. Support @ Rainbow Plant Life

      Hi Jessi, we’re thrilled to hear you enjoyed this recipe! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating alongside your review? Star ratings are big help to readers who are thinking of making the recipe. Thanks!

  12. Sally

    Hi Nisha,

    we are looking for something to feed our non-vegan friends for brunch but don’t have a lot of prep time in the morning. Do you think this would be as good if made the night before and just reheated in the morning? Also, I just wanted to mention we have LOVED all of your recipes that we have tried. I can’t wait to make this one too!

    thanks,
    Sally

  13. Grace Gamble

    This was absolutely delicious (as it goes with your page :) ) and such a simple recipe to follow! We were looking for a tasty recipe to use up some tofu on a busy night, and this was perfect! We actually had it for dinner over rice and then today we are eating it with bread for breakfast. Both ways are delicious! It is so well balanced and flavorful and it definitely reminds me of shakshuka. The tofu works well as an egg substitute and has a rich and yummy flavor. I think next time I may pre-bake the tofu a bit to help it keep its form because I love coming across the bigger chunks of tofu as opposed to the crumbles. Thank you as always and we look forward to making again!

  14. Jessica

    This looks incredible, I’m just wondering how many people this is for?

    1. Nisha Vora

      Thanks, Jessica! It serves 4 people :)

  15. Nicola

    omg I have always loved the idea of shakshuka, but I don’t even like eggs (on the train to a more plant based lifestyle, so I still love your recipes). THIS SOLVES ALL MY PROBLEMS! Thank you SO much for creating a version that I will be able to enjoy! Sounds like I will have to make this very soon!!!

    1. Nisha Vora

      Hi Nicola, thank you for stopping by and for your kind words! So happy you’re moving to a plant-based lifestyle and enjoy my recipes :) If you try it out, let me know!

  16. Noelle / Too Precious For Processed

    What a fabulous and flavorful dish. I have never had shakshuka but it sounds incredible! I’m looking forward to trying something new :)

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