Short answer: Crumble 450 g of firm tofu into a hot pan with oil and shallot, season it with turmeric, soy sauce, black pepper and a pinch of black salt for an egg-like taste, add a splash of plant milk for softness and finish with plenty of scallions. Spoon it into warm baguettes with a little vegan mayo, cucumber, cilantro, chili and a few drops of soy sauce. It takes about 30 minutes and serves 4.
Ask people in Vietnam what they eat for a quick breakfast and bánh mì trứng (egg banh mi) comes up again and again: a fried or scrambled egg with scallions, a drizzle of seasoning sauce and chili, tucked into a hot baguette from a street cart. It is simple, cheap and filling, and it is one of the easiest banh mi to make vegan. Tofu scramble captures the soft, savory, peppery comfort of the original, and with a couple of tricks it even gets close to the flavor. This is the banh mi to make on a weekday morning, when you have 30 minutes and no pickles in the fridge.
Ingredients for 4 sandwiches
| Ingredient | Metric | US | Notes and substitutes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Firm tofu | 450 g | 1 lb | Medium tofu for a softer, wetter scramble; extra-firm for a drier one |
| Neutral oil | 30 ml | 2 tbsp | Or vegan butter for a richer taste |
| Shallot, minced | 30 g | 1 small | Yellow onion |
| Scallions, sliced | 40 g | 4 stalks | Chives |
| Ground turmeric | 1.5 g | 1/2 tsp | For color only; too much tastes bitter |
| Soy sauce | 20 ml | 4 tsp | Tamari for gluten-free |
| Black salt (kala namak) | 1 g | 1/4 tsp | Optional; gives a sulfurous, egg-like note. Use regular salt if unavailable |
| Ground black pepper | 1 g | 1/2 tsp | Generous, as in the street version |
| Unsweetened soy milk | 60 ml | 1/4 cup | Oat or other plain plant milk |
| Nutritional yeast | 5 g | 1 tbsp | Optional; adds savoriness |
| Baguettes | 4 x 20–25 cm | 4 x 8–10 in | Light French rolls |
Toppings: 4 tablespoons vegan mayo, 1 small cucumber in thin spears, a handful of ngò (cilantro), sliced fresh chili or chili sauce, and soy sauce or a Maggi-style seasoning sauce. Pickled carrot and daikon are welcome if you have them, but they are not essential here; the street version is often just egg, cucumber, herbs and sauce.
Step 1: Prepare everything before the pan goes on (8 minutes)
Scrambles cook fast, so set up first. Drain the tofu and pat it dry with a towel; there is no need to press it properly, because a little moisture keeps the scramble soft. Slice the scallions and keep the white and green parts separate. Mince the shallot. In a small bowl, mix the soy milk, turmeric, soy sauce, black salt and pepper. Slice the cucumber and chili, pick the cilantro and heat the oven to 200°C (400°F) for the bread.
Black salt deserves a word. Sold as kala namak in Indian groceries and online, it is a mineral salt with a distinct sulfur aroma that reminds most people of hard-boiled eggs. A quarter teaspoon transforms a tofu scramble. It is strong, so add it at the end, taste, and add more only if needed; the smell softens with heat.
Step 2: Cook the scramble (10 minutes)
Heat the oil in a large nonstick pan over medium heat. Add the shallot and the white parts of the scallions and fry for 1–2 minutes until soft and fragrant; in Vietnam the scallion oil, mỡ hành in its plant-based form, is a big part of the flavor. Crumble the tofu into the pan with your hands, breaking it into uneven pieces, some small and some the size of a grape. Uneven pieces look and eat more like scrambled egg than a uniform crumble.
Cook for 4–5 minutes, turning occasionally, until the tofu is hot and any water has evaporated. Pour in the soy milk mixture and stir gently to coat; the tofu will turn bright yellow. Cook another 2–3 minutes until most of the liquid is absorbed but the scramble still looks moist and glossy. Stir in the nutritional yeast and the green scallions, take the pan off the heat and taste for salt and pepper. Do not let it dry out: a scramble that looks slightly wet in the pan is perfect once it is in the bread.
Step 3: Warm the bread and assemble (5 minutes)
Put the baguettes in the oven for 4–5 minutes until the crust crackles when you squeeze it. While they warm, the scramble rests and settles. Split each roll along one side, spread a thin layer of mayo inside, and lay cucumber spears along the bottom. Spoon in about a quarter of the scramble, roughly 120 g, pressing it gently into the bread. Top with cilantro and chili, then add a few drops of soy or seasoning sauce right on the scramble. Serve immediately with coffee or a glass of soy milk.
If you want the bread to taste even closer to a street cart, brush the inside of the split roll with a little oil or vegan butter and toast it cut-side down in the hot pan for 30 seconds before filling. Our bread section covers which supermarket rolls come closest to the light Vietnamese baguette.
Variations worth knowing
- Vegan "ốp la" (fried egg) slab: instead of crumbling, cut 1.5 cm slabs of firm tofu, sear them in oil for 3 minutes per side, then spoon the turmeric-soy milk mixture over them and let it reduce. Season with black salt and pepper. You get a neat, sliceable "egg" that holds its shape in the bread.
- Chickpea flour omelet: whisk 90 g (3/4 cup) chickpea flour with 180 ml (3/4 cup) water, 1/4 teaspoon turmeric, black salt, pepper and scallions. Cook thin omelets in a lightly oiled pan for 2–3 minutes per side, fold and tuck into the bread. Soy-free.
- Breakfast "sizzling pan" style: serve the scramble in a hot skillet with sautéed mushrooms, sliced vegan sausage and tomato, with the baguette on the side for dipping, inspired by the Vietnamese bánh mì chảo breakfast.
- Extra heat: stir 1 teaspoon chili sauce into the scramble or top with a vegan chili oil; our sauces and spreads section has a recipe.
Common mistakes and fixes
A dry, crumbly scramble usually means the tofu was pressed too hard or cooked too long; skip pressing, add the soy milk and take the pan off the heat while it still looks moist. A watery scramble that leaks into the bread comes from very soft tofu or not cooking off the water before adding the milk; give it two more minutes in the pan. If it tastes flat, it needs salt, pepper and allium more than spice: add a few more drops of soy sauce, a pinch of black salt and extra scallions. If it tastes bitter or dusty, you used too much turmeric; half a teaspoon is enough for 450 g tofu, since turmeric is there for color. And if the bread goes soggy, the scramble was too wet or you assembled too early; eat within 10 minutes of filling.
Make ahead and nutrition
Tofu scramble keeps 3 days in the fridge in a covered container; reheat it in a pan with a spoon of plant milk to loosen it, or in the microwave for 60–90 seconds, stirring halfway. For weekday mornings, cook a double batch on Sunday and portion it into four containers; assembling a hot breakfast banh mi then takes five minutes. Tips on packing and storing fillings are in our meal prep and storage section.
USDA FoodData Central lists firm tofu made with calcium sulfate at about 144 kcal and about 17 g protein per 100 g. With roughly 110 g tofu per sandwich, the scramble supplies about 19 g protein, and an 80 g baguette adds around 9 g, based on USDA figures for French bread, so this is a genuinely filling breakfast. Calcium-set tofu also contributes calcium; check your label, as tofu made with nigari contains less.
Sources
- USDA FoodData Central – fdc.nal.usda.gov (tofu, firm, prepared with calcium sulfate; bread, French or Vienna)
- USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service – fsis.usda.gov (storing and reheating leftovers)
- Vietnam National Authority of Tourism – vietnam.travel (Vietnamese food culture)
Frequently asked questions
What is black salt and do I need it?
Black salt, or kala namak, is a mineral salt with a sulfur aroma that tastes remarkably like egg. It is optional but makes the scramble taste much closer to the egg banh mi. Find it at Indian grocers or online, and use only a pinch.
Which tofu makes the best scramble?
Firm tofu gives a soft, curd-like scramble that is closest to egg. Medium tofu is softer and wetter, extra-firm is drier and chunkier. Silken tofu is too soft on its own but can be mixed in for a creamier texture.
Is bánh mì trứng normally vegetarian in Vietnam?
The egg itself is vegetarian, but street versions often include pâté, butter, meat floss or fish-based sauces and are not vegan. When ordering in Vietnam, ask for the egg banh mi without pâté or meat, and check the sauces if you avoid animal products.
Can I make the scramble without soy?
Yes, use the chickpea flour omelet variation above. It gives a similar color and savory flavor, especially with black salt, and folds neatly into a baguette.
Can I add pickles?
Yes. Pickled carrot and daikon add crunch and acidity that work well with the rich scramble. Squeeze them well so their brine does not soak the bread.
Breakfast banh mi at home, or 24/7 in Saigon
A tofu scramble banh mi is the fastest way to start a morning with Vietnamese flavors. If you are in Ho Chi Minh City and someone else should do the cooking, Bánh Mì XANH is a fully vegan banh mi chain with 5 central shops open 24/7, so breakfast is available at any hour, with nut-milk coffee alongside.
Explore the Bánh Mì XANH menu · 24/7 hotline / Zalo +84 923 183 183
