A creamy, fluffy, easy vegan omelet loaded with 27 grams of protein in a single serving! It's wonderful for breakfast or for a light lunch. The batter is made in a blender in under five minutes. 🙂
These delicious vegan omelets, so light and fluffy, are my go-to breakfast. They are loaded with tons of vegan protein and I usually serve them up with a healthy vegetable filling that comes together quickly.
I have an Indian besan chilla recipe on the blog that is a nice stand-in for an omelet, but it doesn't really taste like one and it has a very different texture. And although I never really loved the flavor of eggs, I do miss the texture of a well-made, fluffy omelet that's soft and creamy inside. This vegan omelet hits that target spot on, and it tastes amazing - way better than eggs do.
Table of Contents
Omelet or omelette?
A look around the web reveals lots of confusion about how to spell an omelet, so I'm going to clarify that once and for all. An omelet is a French creation, and the French spell it the French way: "omelette." Subsequently, that's the way the British, who live just an English channel's breadth away from the French, spell it too. Ergo, every nation colonized by the Brits spells it "omelette."
But across the pond from the Brits, Americans simplified that spelling to a much more manageable "omelet," with nothing lost in pronunciation. Quel génie!
So here's the takeaway: an omelet, by either spelling, is the same dish. An easy, delicious food that's very likely one of the most popular breakfasts around the world, at restaurants and in homes.
Only, it's made with eggs.
The vegan omelet
An omelet doesn't have to be made with eggs, and as proof I present this delicious vegan omelet recipe! It comes together in just as much time as it would take to crack a few eggs, whisk them up, and pour them into a pan.
This vegan omelet recipe uses two key ingredients: tofu and chickpea flour. The tofu provides protein and a very creamy, egg-like texture and fluffiness. It also tones down the chickpea flavor. The chickpea flour, also loaded with protein and heart-healthy fiber, helps bind the omelet without any need for starches like potato starch, corn starch or rice flour. It adds a nice yellow hue, without the need to add ingredients that don't belong here, like turmeric.
This is a simple recipe and the batter comes together in a blender: toss all the ingredients in and then pour out the omelets directly in a pan.
This vegan omelet recipe is gluten-free and nut-free. It has 27 grams grams of protein and eight grams of fiber in one serving, making it one of the most satisfying breakfasts you can have.
Ingredients for vegan omelet
- Tofu. You can use extra firm, firm or silken tofu in this recipe, but you will have to adjust the quantity of water you add to the batter accordingly. I used extra firm tofu this time with a cup of water to make omelets that were fluffy and creamy but thin, because that's how Desi likes them. If using firm tofu add a little less water, and even lesser for silken tofu.
- Chickpea flour (besan). Use finely ground chickpea flour, not garbanzo bean flour, which is coarser.
- Kala namak (black salt). Kala namak, like eggs, has a high content of sulfur compounds that give it an egg-like smell and a lightly eggy flavor. If you have kala namak use it here, or just use regular salt.
- Dried rosemary. A soupçon of dried rosemary adds a lovely, smoky flavor to the vegan omelet. You can sub dried sage.
For the mushroom filling
- Garlic. I love lots of garlic in this filling and I use six garlic cloves. You can use less.
- Onions. You can also use shallots or leeks. The goal is to get a lovely, oniony flavor going.
- Cremini or button mushrooms. Fresh wild mushrooms of any kind will work as well.
- Fresh herbs. I used thyme and chives. You can use rosemary or sage.
How to make vegan omelet
Make the filling
- Heat a teaspoon of oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add 6 cloves sliced garlic, a small sliced onion, salt and ground black pepper. Saute until the onions are soft and translucent.
- Add 8 oz sliced mushrooms and saute another 2-3 minutes over medium high heat.
- Add a tablespoon of chives and a teaspoon of thyme to the mushrooms and onions in the skillet.
- Mix together and turn off heat. Set aside while making omelet.
Make the omelet
- Place all of the omelet ingredients in a blender in this order: 9 oz extra firm tofu, 1 cup chickpea flour, ½ teaspoon rosemary, and kala namak and ground black pepper to taste. Add ¾ to 1 cup of water--less water for thicker omelets and more water for thinner omelets. Blend for a few seconds until the batter is thoroughly mixed.
- Heat a nonstick skillet or well-seasoned cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Coat the bottom well with oil or use a cooking spray. Once the oil is hot, pour in approximately ⅓ cup batter to form a six-inch circle. Let the omelet cook, covered, until the top is quite dry and there is no wet batter on top. You can reduce heat to make sure the underside doesn't overcook.
- Place filling on one half of the omelet and carefully, using a thin spatula, fold the other half over it. Serve right away.
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Serve
Serve the vegan omelets with a side of toast or avocado toast or vegan hash browns. I highly recommend serving the omelets with roasted potatoes - try crispy fingerling potatoes, rosemary roasted potatoes or air-fryer potatoes.
More filling ideas
- Sauteed onions, cherry tomatoes and zucchini with fresh herbs. You can use other vegetables, including sauteed cauliflower or broccoli or greens like spinach, kale, watercress and arugula.
- Stuff with a fresh tomato-onion salsa or with a spicy salsa verde.
- Layer in avocado slices.
- If you like cheese in your omelet, add a few shreds of vegan cheese to the omelet along with or instead of the vegetable filling.
- For an even more protein-rich omelet, saute some vegan meat substitute with the veggies, including vegan sausage, vegan ground beef or vegan bacon.
- If you've never had a masala omelet, a popular offering in Indian restaurants, you can make one by adding finely chopped onions, green chilli peppers, turmeric, a smidge of ginger garlic paste and finely chopped cilantro to the omelet batter after you've mixed it up (don't blend them into the batter). You can also add finely chopped tomatoes and greens to the masala omelet.
Top tip
Cook the omelet for a couple of minutes to help the bottom get very lightly crispy at the edges. Then place a lid over the skillet to help the top firm up. The top should be completely dry before you add the filling.
To flip or not to flip an omelet
A purist would not flip an omelet, but that doesn't mean you can't because there are no rules when it comes to cooking in your kitchen (besides, you rebel, you already broke a cardinal rule by skipping the eggs, didn't you? 😉 ). If you feel more comfortable flipping the omelet and cooking both sides, just do it but be careful not to break it apart. Use a thin spatula to gently loosen the omelet from the pan, then carefully and quickly flip it (do this before adding the filling).
Storing the omelet
Cooked vegan omelets should be eaten right away. If it is a few minutes before you can get to it, warm it in the microwave but don't keep the omelet standing around for hours. You can store the batter in the fridge for up to two days, but it is not preferred because the texture of the batter will change.
More savory vegan egg recipes
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Vegan Omelet
Equipment
- Small skillet (for filling)
- Nonstick skillet or well-seasoned cast iron skillet
Ingredients
For mushroom filling
- 1 teaspoon avocado oil or any neutral oil
- 6 cloves garlic (thinly sliced. Use less if you prefer less garlicky flavor).
- 1 small onion (thinly sliced)
- 8 oz cremini mushrooms or button mushrooms or button mushrooms
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
- 1 tablespoon fresh chives
For vegan omelet
- 9 oz extra firm tofu (if using firm or silken tofu see notes below)
- 1 cup chickpea flour (besan, or very finely ground chickpea flour)
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- kala namak (black salt, or regular salt, to taste)
- Ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
Make mushroom filling
- Heat a teaspoon of oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add 6 cloves sliced garlic, a small sliced onion, salt and ground black pepper. Saute until the onions are soft and translucent.
- Add 8 oz sliced mushrooms and saute another 2-3 minutes over medium high heat.
- Add a tablespoon of chives and a teaspoon of thyme to the mushrooms and onions in skillet. Mix and turn off heat. Set aside while making omelet.
Make vegan omelet
- Place all of the omelet ingredients in a blender in this order: tofu, chickpea flour, rosemary, kala namak and ground black pepper. Add ¾ to 1 cup of water--less water for thicker omelets and more water for thinner omelets. Blend for a few seconds until the batter is thoroughly mixed.
- Heat a nonstick skillet or well-seasoned cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Coat the bottom well with oil or use a cooking spray. Once the oil is hot, pour in approximately ⅓ cup batter to form a six-inch circle. Let the omelet cook, covered, until the top is quite dry and there is no wet batter on top. You can reduce heat to make sure the underside doesn't overcook.
- Place filling on one half of the omelet and carefully, using a thin spatula, fold the other half over it. Serve right away.
Notes
- If you want thinner omelets, use 1 cup of water in the batter. For thicker omelets use ¾ cup. Also adjust the amount of water up or down if you substitute extra-firm tofu with firm tofu or silken tofu.
- Because I made the omelets thin, I had two servings of three six-inch omelets per person. If you add less water and make thicker, fluffier omelets, you will get two omelets per person.
Noola
This is the best omelet/omelette recipe I have tried and I have tried a lot! Have written it down to keep in my useful everyday recipes notebook. Thank you so much
Vaishali
That's lovely to hear! Thanks for the feedback. ❤️
Cynthia Garton
THE BEST .... easy and so delicious... perfect texture. I made half the mixture but was really too big a helping - will do third size from now on. CONGRATULATIONS!
Vaishali
Wonderful to hear you made it, Cynthia. ❤️It is a big helping, but I eat them up so fast lol. I guess it could serve three lighter eaters.
Colleen
This is a delicious recipe. This gave me more ideas for omelet, like a Spanish omelette with potatoes.
Thanks so much!
Vaishali
Hi Colleen, a Spanish omelet sounds delicious! So happy you made this recipe. ❤️
Charles Gill
The reason the French spell omelette in that way is because it is a female noun ie la omelette. The Americans have changed the gender!
Vaishali
Lol 😁
Cindy
I made this omelet for a light dinner yesterday. Used firm tofu because that's what I had and used 3/4 cup water. It was so yummy and it really was easier than making an egg omelet! Loved the flavor, especially the rosemary made such a difference. ❤️
Vaishali
Yay, Cindy, so happy you made it! I do love that rosemary in the omelet. ❤️