For me, a vegan cooked breakfast is an easy and satisfying go-to meal that’s just as comforting in the evening as it is energising in the morning. It’s also one of the things that’s super easy to veganise, and for the average British person thinking of going vegan, is a staple meal worth mastering without the animal components. The good news is that half of the trusty British cooked breakie is vegan anyway – hash browns, baked beans, tomatoes and mushrooms are all good to go, so it’s just the meat and egg you need to swap out. You can be as fancy as you like with your vegan cooked breakie now there are so many fabulous plant based products widely available and easily accessible in the shops. Here’s my low-down of some of the yummy products out there that I like to use to replace meat and eggs in this classic meal without loosing any of the flavour.
Linda McCartney Sausages
If I’m honest I was never a sausage fan – all that gristle and fattiness really put me off. Linda McCartney sausages are a great substitute as they have a yummy flavour which to me is quite realistic, and none of the grease or gristle. Linda sausages come in three delicious flavours – red onion and rosemary, chorizo and red pepper, or plain – so you have plenty of choice to vary the flavours in your breakie. I try to make sure I always have a pack of these on hand in the freezer, because a good sausage is a crucial part of vegan breakie and these also make a great butty with a squirt of ketchup or hP sauce! A pack of 6 is £2.20 and available from most supermarkets.
Plant Pioneers Vacon Rashers
These delicious plant based rashers are a really easy go-to as a bacon replacer as you can get your hands on them in Sainsbury’s. The flavour is really strong and smokey which I love, and is very good compared to lots of the other bacon alternatives out there. For best results, fry it for a good while until it goes nice and crispy.
Tofurkey Smokey Maple Bacon Tempeh
This Tofurkey offering is one of my favourites for a bacon sandwich alternative. If you’re not convinced by the bacon alternatives that are made to resemble the look of bacon, then this might be a better option for you as it’s not really trying to look like bacon, just suggesting the flavour of it while packing in some protein. The texture is not like bacon, because it’s made from tempeh, but the flavour is perfect. I love this with a cooked breakie and it’s my favourite pick for a vegan BLT. This is £4.60 for a pack, but is not as readily available as some of the other bacons substitutes so will take a little more effort to get your hands on it. You can find it in Holland and Barrett or online vegan supermarkets like The Vegan Kind Supermarket and Planet Organic. I definitely recommend getting a few packs for the freezer!
Tofu Scramble
Tofu scramble is a simple and delicious alternative to scrambled eggs. I make mine with a mixture of whatever plant milk I have in the fridge, nutritional yeast, garlic, ground black pepper and a bit of turmeric for colour. You can also add black salt (Kala Namak) to get an eggy flavour. I fry up some sliced silken tofu on both sides for a couple of minutes in a little bit of oil, and then mush it up with my flavourful mixture. You can use any tofu really, it’s just that the really soft tofu is a bit more realistic in texture to me. You can use Cheap Lazy Vegan’s hack of making up a jar of the seasoning mixture so that it’s extra easy to throw some tofu in the pan and chuck in the flavours without getting out loads of different jars. Check our her video here.
Avocado
Because it has such a creamy flavour and a rich texture, avocado makes a fantastic replacement for a fried egg in a vegan cooked breakfast. It’s much more healthy than an egg, and quicker and easier to prepare. I’m pretty lazy so I normally just add it by itself but if I’m feeling fancy then I might slice some spring onion or add some lemon juice into my avo mash.
Flora
You don’t need dairy butter to enjoy a lovely piece of toast with your cooked breakie. Get yourself a tub of Flora instead! It’s super easy to get hold of at any shop, even your local corner shop, and tastes really delish under a pile of baked beans or your avo mash. It’s only £1.25 for a tub, will last you ages and you can use it in all your vegan baking too.
Hope this has shown how simple it can be to adapt a pretty standard non-vegan meal format using vegan alternatives. If you have any favourite vegan bacon or eggs swaps, share them with us in the comments below!
Love, Vic x
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