Vegan Breakfast Sandwich

front view of a vegan egg and cheese sandwich on a wooden board with another in the background

This tofu-based vegan breakfast sandwich is a twist on the classic egg and cheese popular in New Jersey and New York delis. Also made gluten-free using gluten-free rolls.

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American, Gluten-Free, Vegan

Keyword breakfast sandwich, dairy-free, egg free, gluten free, tofu, vegan

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 6

Total Time 31

Servings

Calories 316kcal

Author Sherri Hall

Equipment

Tofu Press

Ingredients

1 (14 oz.) block organic extra firm tofu
4 teaspoon gluten-free, reduced sodium tamari
2 teaspoon nutritional yeast
½ heaping tsp kala namak (aka Indian black salt or Himalayan black salt)
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt or kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
⅛ teaspoon turmeric (optional, for color)
2 teaspoon olive oil (sub avocado oil, if desired)
4 gluten-free, vegan rolls
4 slices vegan American-style cheese (I used Chao original but you can use Follow Your Heart or Daiya's American-style)
4-8 tomato slices (use 1-2 per sandwich)

Instructions

Open the package of tofu and drain any excess water. Press the tofu using a tofu press or the kitchen towel/heavy object method as described in the notes below. Depending on the method used, the tofu will need to press for 20-30 minutes.
While the tofu is pressing, use a fork to whisk together tamari, nutritional yeast, kala namak, salt, black pepper and turmeric in a bowl.
Slice the block of tofu in half lengthwise. Cut each of the pieces in half to make 4 pieces in total.
Dredge each piece of tofu in the tamari mixture to coat it on all 6 sides.
Heat olive oil in a nonstick over medium-high heat. Cook tofu for 3-4 minutes on each side until outside is browned but not burned, carefully flipping with a spatula.
While the tofu is cooking, lightly toast the gluten-free rolls to your liking.
Add the vegan cheese to the tops of the rolls and place in the toaster oven on "toast" until the cheese is melted but the rolls are not burned. If you don't have a toaster oven, you can place the rolls on a baking sheet in a 425° oven to melt the cheese.
Place 1-2 tomato slices on the bottoms of the rolls, followed by one tofu "egg" and the "cheesy" roll tops.

Video

Notes

To press the tofu without a tofu press: Place the block of tofu in the center of a clean, absorbent kitchen towel on a sturdy plate. Wrap the tofu with the towel. Place a heavy object, such as a large pot or some books on top of the tofu. Please note that the item(s) you use will get wet.

If you are not going to eat all 4 sandwiches, I recommend only toasting the amount of rolls you need. The pan-fried tofu "eggs" can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. You can reheat them with a small amount of oil in a nonstick pan over medium heat until warmed throughout.

The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. Accuracy is not guaranteed. Information shown should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Nutrition was calculated using BFree rolls and Chao cheese.

Nutrition