Vegan Egg Foo Young

These egg-free Chinese-style omelets are made with a savory batter with tofu, chickpea flour, and a secret ingredient for eggy flavor. Served over rice with gravy, this vegan egg foo young is way better than takeout!

This recipe goes all the way back to spring of 2015. I think that’s a record for me! Anyway, I wasn’t a fan of the first set of photos, so I put it on the back burner with the intent to remake and rephotograph the dish…sometime soon.  Looks like “sometime soon” means three years and change. Oh well!

I got a little nudge recently when a reader responded to my vegan omelet recipe on Facebook by asking if it could be turned into a vegan egg foo young. And I was able to confirm with certainty that it could, because I’d actually tried it! And then I decided it was time to get moving and snap some new pics so I could unleash my vegan egg foo young on the world already.

Have you had regular old egg foo young? I was surprised that my egg loving husband had never heard of it before. Basically it’s a Chinese-style omelet with a bunch of fillings and savory sauce. So yeah, my husband really dug this one.

And I guess I already spilled the beans: I basically just took my old omelet recipe and added veggies and gravy. Oh, and I went with the suggestion in the notes of that post to add some tofu to the omelet base. It makes things more eggy! Whip everything up in the blender until smooth.

I like to make the gravy first, so it’s ready to go when the omelets are done. It’s a super simple mix of some veggie broth, sriracha (if you like a little kick), sesame oil, and soy sauce. Simmer for a few minutes, then add a slurry of cornstarch and cold water to thicken the mixture up.

You can use just about any kind of veggies in egg foo young, but I had button mushrooms and celery on hand, so I went with them. It worked great because the mushrooms add savory flavor while the celery adds crunch. The old ugly photograph version was made with julieened carrots and shiitake mushrooms, so I can confirm that they work well too!

Cook the mushrooms first in some oil. Resist the temptation to stir-fry them! Just let them sit in the skillet in a nice even layer. This is how you get them to brown.

Out with the mushrooms and in with ginger and garlic. Then in with the celery for a quick stir-fry.

Transfer your veggies to a bowl and mix them with your omelet base.

Next, heat up an oiled skillet and drop a bit of the batter onto it. Let it cook for a few minutes, until you see bubbles in the center and they very gently flip the whole thing! Cook a few minutes more until it’s browned on both sides.

Drizzle with gravy and serve with rice.

Tips for Making Delicious Vegan Egg Foo Young

• You can substitute your favorite veggies for the mushrooms and celery if you like. Carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, and snap peas are great choices and can all be stir-fried using the same method as the celery.
• Make sure to chop your veggies finely so the omelet holds together nicely.
• On that note, I should mention that these omelets are more delicate than their egg-based counterparts. Be very careful when flipping, and be patient when cooking: if you find yours are breaking, try turning down the heat and letting them cook a bit longer. 
• When cleaning your mushrooms, don’t douse them in water! They’ll suck it up and never brown. Instead, wipe them down with a damp paper towel.
• This recipe calls for black salt (also known as kala namak). It’s the secret to making the omelets taste eggy, so don’t skip it! You can buy it at Indian supermarkets or online.
• Traditional egg foo young is usually topped with bean sprouts, and they do make a nice addition. Lately, I can’t find them anywhere, so that’s why I skipped them. But feel free to sprinkle some on yours if you can get ahold of them!

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4.67 from 3 votes

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Vegan Egg Foo Young

These egg-free Chinese-style omelets are made with a savory batter with tofu, chickpea flour, and a secret ingredient for eggy flavor. Served over rice with gravy, this vegan egg foo young is way better than takeout!

Course Entree

Cuisine American, Chinese

Keyword chickpea flour, omelet, tofu

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings 6 omelets

Calories 198 kcal

Author Alissa Saenz

Ingredients

For the Gravy

• 1 1/3 cups low sodium vegetable broth
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
• 1 teaspoon sriracha sauce (or to taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 3 tablespoons cold water
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

For the Omelets

• 1 cup chickpea flour
• 1/4 pound firm tofu
• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kala namak (or to taste)
• About 4 tablespoons canola oil (or high heat oil of choice), divided
• 2 cups button mushrooms, cleaned and sliced (dice them if they're large)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
• 2 scallions, white and green parts separated and chopped
• 1 cup diced celery

For Serving

• Cooked rice
• Sesame seeds

Instructions

To Make the Gravy

1. Place the broth, soy sauce, sriracha, and sesame oil into a small saucepan and set it over high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil.

2. Lower the heat so the mixture is just at a simmer.

3. Stir the cornstarch and cold water together in a small cup or bowl, until the cornstarch is fully dissolved.

4. Stir the cornstarch mixture into the simmering broth mixture. Allow it to simmer for about 2 minutes more, until it thickens up a bit.

5. Remove the pot from the heat. Give it a taste test and adjust any seasonings to your liking. 

To Make the Omelets

1. Place the chickpea flour, water, tofu, nutritional yeast, soy sauce, and baking powder into a blender and blend until smooth. 

2. Lightly coat the bottom of a large skillet with 2 tablespoons of oil and place it over medium heat.

3. Add the mushrooms in an even layer and cook for about 5 minutes, flip and cook 5 minutes more, until browned and tender. Transfer the mushrooms to a plate.

4. Add the garlic, ginger, and white parts of scallions to the skillet. Sauté them for about 1 minute, until very fragrant.

5. Raise the heat to high and add the celery to the skillet. Stir-fry it for about 2 minutes, until tender-crisp. 

6. Transfer the celery to the plate with the mushrooms, then Lower the heat beneath the skillet to medium.

7. Pour the chickpea flour mixture into a bowl, and stir in the mushrooms and celery mixture. 

8. Coat the bottom of the skillet with the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. 

9. When the oil is hot, ladle a heaping 1/2 cup of the batter and veggie mixture into the skillet. You can ladle a few more omelets into the skillet, but make sure not to crowd them.

10. Allow the batter to cook for about 4 minutes, until bubbles start to pop up in the middle. Test it with a spatula and flip the omelet if it feels ready.

11. Cook the omelet for about 4 minutes on the other side.

12. Repeat until all of the batter is used, adding oil to the skillet between batches as needed. You should get about 6 omelets.

13. Serve the omelets over rice and top with gravy, green parts of scallions, and sesame seeds. Serve.

Recipe Notes

Nutrition information does not include rice or sesame seeds.

Nutrition Facts

Vegan Egg Foo Young

Amount Per Serving (1 omelet with gravy)

Calories 198 Calories from Fat 107

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 11.9g 18%

Saturated Fat 1.1g 6%

Sodium 769mg 32%

Potassium 438mg 13%

Total Carbohydrates 16.5g 6%

Dietary Fiber 3.4g 14%

Sugars 2.9g

Protein 8g 16%

Calcium 6%

Iron 15%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.