Loaded up with all of your favorite vegetables and prepared using a simple silken tofu base, this vegan frittata is entirely dairy-free and totally plant-based!
For this most delicious of recipes, you’re going to need a selection of your finest vegetables. We’ve gone for potatoes, peppers, onions, tomatoes, and zucchini for this veggie frittata, but don’t be afraid of experimenting.
You then need your dairy-free frittata base. The secret ingredient is tofu, and we’ll explain how to mix up this egg-free frittata base in the recipe below. Keep reading, and find out how to make the best vegan tofu frittata.
What is a vegan frittata?
A frittata is wonderful comfort food. Soft yet firm and slowly baked to perfection in the oven or fried in a large skillet (the word ‘frittata’ comes from Italian and means to fry), frittatas are loaded with all of your favorite vegetables and toppings.
But if you’ve ever made a frittata before, you’ll remember that any recipe for frittata traditionally requires egg. After all, a frittata is an egg-based dish!
Preparing a vegetarian frittata is easy. We simply remove any meat fillings that might be in the recipe and add extra vegetables. Preparing a vegan version, however, is a whole other story. We need to find a substitute for the main ingredient, the eggs.
The secret is silken tofu! Let’s take a look at our frittata ingredients in a little more detail.
Vegan frittata base
As we mentioned, traditional, simple frittata recipes are going to have an egg base because this popular Italian-inspired dish is a little like a glorified omelet or a crustless quiche. For vegans, that just doesn’t work. So we need to find a substitute that we can whip up into a batter to provide a similar eggy texture that also binds our ingredients together well.
The best option is silken tofu, which is super soft, super silky, and rather egg-like in texture when mixed with a few other ingredients. If you don’t have silken tofu, then other soft forms of tofu will do the job. As with all tofu, remember to use a Tofu press to remove all that excess water before cooking!
Tofu isn’t the only ingredient we need, though. We mix the silken tofu with cornstarch and with plant-based milk to produce a vegan frittata base.
Frittata fillings and toppings
With your vegan frittata base sorted, you then need to select your easy vegetable frittata fillings and toppings. This is where you can get creative because there are plenty of options to go for. In fact, a vegetarian frittata is traditionally seen as a great way to use up all of those leftover vegetables, so don’t be too picky during your selection process!
Simple recipes can use as little as one or two vegetables, while a more complex veggie frittata could empty your pantry. Our recipe below is somewhere in the middle. We opt for a simple yet tasty blend of potatoes, onions, bell peppers, zucchini, garlic, and grape tomatoes.
Other great options include mushrooms, broccoli, chili peppers, sweetcorn, green beans, and so on. There are also a number of spices and seasonings that add that extra flavor boost - see the recipe below for specifics.
How to make frittata (vegan)
Learning how to make a frittata is as easy as whipping up the fritta base, cooking a few vegetables, then baking or slow-frying the batter with the vegetables.
Our baked vegetable frittata recipe is cooked in the oven once all of the ingredients have been prepared and assembled (you’ll need a 9-inch pie dish or oven-proof skillet). It’s also possible to slow cook the frittata in a deep skillet on the stovetop - if this is your preferred method, then keep the heat low as you need it to cook all the way through without burning the bottom!
Now, let’s get to the vegan-vegetarian frittata.
Vegan frittata FAQ
How long does it last?
Your plant-based frittata leftovers need to be kept in the refrigerator. Keep covered or stored in a resealable container. The leftovers will last for at least 5 days. You can enjoy the leftovers cold or reheat in the oven or microwave.
It’s possible to freeze the leftovers, too. Place into a resealable container, then leave in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw thoroughly before reheating in the oven or microwave.
What’s the difference between a frittata and an omelet?
Frittatas are closely related to omelets, but they aren’t quite the same thing. Frittatas are slow-cooked, usually in the oven, but sometimes on the stovetop. Frittatas are served hot or cold and are usually sliced.
Omelets are quickly cooked over high heat and are often folded over before being served up hot. You can try preparing a vegan omelet using the same silken tofu base in our recipe above. Simply cook it on high heat on the stovetop, and flip over halfway through.
How does a frittata differ from a quiche?
A healthy frittata recipe is also quite similar to a quiche recipe but there’s one major distinction. A quiche traditionally has a pastry crust, while a frittata has no crust. Other than that, the fillings and base are actually very similar.
Prepare a vegan quiche by preparing a vegan pie crust, then baking the same frittata base in our recipe above inside the crust.
The final say
Plant-based frittatas are surprisingly easy to prepare once you know the secret to whipping up an eggless batter using silken tofu!
This wonderful, healthy recipe is entirely vegan - there’s no meat, eggs, or dairy in this frittata - and it’s a great way to use up all of those leftover vegetables for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
If you’re looking to prepare this tasty dish, then why not bookmark our best frittata recipe for later?
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