Rise and Shine!
Gooood mooorning!!! It’s time for breakfast, and today we’re having Vegan Breakfast Burritos!!
You know those foods that you wish you ate more of but don’t just because they aren’t part of your daily routine? Well, breakfast burritos are one of those foods for me. And breakfast bagel sandwiches, and cereal, and french toast, and waffles, and pancakes.
If you couldn’t already tell, I love breakfast foods. The majority of the people I know hate breakfast, and I think that’s absolutely insane! But a large part of why I love breakfast is probably because I’m a morning person.
Wake Up and Smell the Roses
I learned to really appreciate my time in the morning during my freshman year of college. I lived in a cramped dorm room with two other girls, so I was constantly surrounded by people and never had my own space. As an introvert, this was a little hard to adjust to because it felt like I could never fully escape. After I worked out in the early morning, I would walk to the Starbucks we had on campus to get my breakfast. One day, during my walk to Starbucks, I noticed how quiet and peaceful it was. The sun was just rising, the Fall air was crisp, and no one else was awake and walking around campus. It made me feel like I could finally breathe. Ever since then, I came to really love the morning.
This daily routine of waking up early has become part of my life now. If it’s the weekend and I don’t have an alarm set, I’ll naturally wake up at anytime from 7 to 8:40 AM. I’ll wake up, hit the gym, shower, and then eat breakfast. Tackling my workout first thing in the morning makes me feel like I’ve already accomplished a huge task all before 9AM. And after I workout, I can just eat my breakfast, drink my coffee, and chill.
The fact that I’m voracious after working out is probably another reason why I love breakfast so much. It’s like when you’re starving — someone could hand you the most sub-par food, but it’ll taste amazing to you because you’re so hungry. I also just love the idea of refueling my body after a grueling workout to replenish my energy.
Fuel Your Body!
And whether you’re vegan or not, these Vegan Breakfast Burritos are great to have after a workout because they’re filled with protein! If you’re vegan and don’t have much interest in nutrition, it may be hard for you to find sources of protein. But fear not, these Vegan Breakfast Burritos have you covered!
We’ve got “scrambled eggs,” “breakfast sausage,” mushrooms, spinach, tomatoes, caramelized onions, and cheese! The trick to making “scrambled eggs” is crumbling extra firm tofu and mixing it with spices. The turmeric is what really helps the tofu to develop that yellow color.
Then for the “maple sausage,” I used vegan ground meat and cooked it with some of the spices often used in breakfast sausage. And to add a little of the sweet and salty element, I added a touch of maple syrup.
Then, we’ve got some good ole sautéed mushrooms, spinach, and tomatoes just to get some fiber in. I also added in some caramelized onions because why not? You can never go wrong with them! We finish it off with a sprinkling of vegan cheese, and there you go! You’ve got yourself some bangin’ Vegan Breakfast Burritos, my friends!
These burritos are also great to make ahead of time so that you can eat them in the mornings to come! After you finish wrapping the burritos, freeze them, and then you can heat them up on the days you want them.
To reheat the burritos, you can microwave or bake the burrito. If you microwave the burrito, remove the wrapping and wrap the burrito in a damp paper towel. Microwave it in 1 minute increments for 2-4 minutes. If you decide to bake the burrito, preheat the oven to 350˚F. Place the burrito (wrapped in foil) into the oven on a sheet tray and bake for 10 – 15 minutes. I prefer to reheat the burritos in the oven. If you’ve ever tried to reheat a frozen burrito in the microwave, you know that the edges tend to become dry and hard. It’s honestly not the best, but it does get the job done.
Have a Fabulous Morning
So, if you’re looking for a great breakfast recipe, try these Vegan Breakfast Burritos! Sometimes it’s good to step outside of your routine and make yourself something special during the weekends. Though this recipe is vegan, it’s hearty and sure to leave you full! Let me know if you’re a morning person or whether you like breakfast foods in the comments! Thanks for reading, and I’ll talk to you in my next post!
Vegan Breakfast Burrito
Ingredients
For the Caramelized Onions
- 1 1/2 -2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/4 tsp Kosher Salt
- 1 Large Onion (sliced)
For the Vegan Scrambled Eggs
- 1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 16 oz Extra Firm Tofu
- 1/2 tsp Turmeric
- 1/4 tsp Onion Powder
- 1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/2 tsp Cumin
- Pinch Cayenne
- 3/4 tsp Kosher Salt
- 1/4 tsp Ground Black Pepper
- 2 tbsp Water
For the Vegan Breakfast Meat
- 1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 10 oz Plain Vegan Ground Meat (*see notes)
- 1/2 tbsp Maple Syrup
- 1/4 tsp Dried Sage
- 1/4 tsp Dried Thyme
- 3/4 tsp Fennel Seeds
- 1/8 tsp Nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp Allspice
- 1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/4 tsp Onion Powder
- 1/4 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
- 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
- 1/4 tsp Ground Black Pepper
For the Burrito
- 2 Garlic Cloves (minced)
- 8 oz Mushrooms
- 10 oz Cherry Tomatoes (about 1 pint)
- 2.5 oz Spinach
- 8 (8 inch) Vegan Tortillas
- 4 oz Any Kind of Shredded Vegan Cheese (I used cheddar)
Instructions
For the Caramelized Onions
- Heat a sauté pan over medium heat with 1 1/2 tbsp of oil. When the pan is heated, add in the sliced onions. When the onions turn translucent and begin browning, add in the salt and decrease the heat to low. Continue to cook while stirring constantly until the onions become jammy and develop a deep brown color, about 30 minutes. If your pan begins to dry during the cooking process, add in 1/2 tbsp of oil. When the onions have caramelized, set it aside for later.
For the Vegan Eggs
- Remove the block of tofu from the package and drain the liquid. Wrap the tofu in paper towels and place it on a cutting board. Place a heavy object (ie: a cast iron pan) on top of the block of tofu and let it stand for 30 minutes. This process presses out any excess liquid in the tofu. After 30 minutes, use a fork or your hands to crumble the tofu into pieces.
- In a small bowl, combine the turmeric, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, cayenne, salt, pepper, and water together. Set aside.
- Heat a pan over medium-high heat with 1 tbsp of oil. Add in the crumbled tofu and allow it to slightly brown. Add the spice mixture to the tofu and mix until the spices have coated the tofu and turned it yellow.
For the Breakfast Sausage Crumbles
- In a pan, add in the fennel seeds and toast until fragrant. Transfer the seeds to a mortar and use the pestle to crush the fennel seeds.Alternatively, you can crush them in a coffee or spice grinder. Then mix all of the spices for the meat mixture together in a small bowl.
- Heat a pan over medium high heat with 1 tbsp of oil. Add in the vegan meat and cook it until it slightly crisps. Add the spices and the maple syrup to the vegan meat and stir until combined. Set aside.
For the Burrito
- Heat a pan over medium-high heat with 1 tbsp of oil. Add in the minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Then add in the mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms have browned and are no longer releasing moisture. Next, add in the halved cherry tomatoes and sauté with the mushrooms until they begin to soften and burst. Lastly, add in the spinach and 1/2 tsp of kosher salt and cook until the spinach wilts.
- To assemble the burrito, lay the tortilla on a flat surface. Place about 1/4 cup of the "eggs" onto the center of the burrito. Then add 2-3 tbsp of the ground breakfast meat on top of the eggs. Next, add a spoonful of the cooked vegetables over the breakfast meat. Spread about 1 tbsp of the caramelized onions over the vegetables. Finally, finish the burrito with a sprinkling of cheese.
- To wrap the burrito, start by folding in both of the sides. If the filling is piled too high, you can push down on it to slightly flatten it. While keeping the sides folded in, fold the bottom edge (the edge closest to you) over the filling and tuck it in. Then, while keeping the sides and bottom edge tucked in, roll the burrito up towards the top edge (the edge furthest from you) until the tortilla is completely wrapped. If your ingredients have cooled during the process, you can wrap the burritos in aluminum foil and heat them in a preheated 350˚F oven for about 10 minutes. Enjoy!
