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    You are here: Home / Entrees / Vegan Egg Foo Young

    LAST UPDATED: June 12, 2019 • FIRST PUBLISHED: September 6, 2018

    Vegan Egg Foo Young

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    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!

    Vegan Egg Foo Young with Napkin, Chopsticks, and Water Glass

    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.

    Close Up of Vegan Egg Foo Young Topped with Scallions and Sesame Seeds

    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.

    Blender Filled with Batter Ingredients for Vegan Egg Foo Young

    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.

    Gravy Simmering in a Pot to Make Vegan Egg Foo Young

    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.

    Collage Showing Steps for Cooking Vegetables for Vegan Egg Foo Young: Sauté Mushrooms, Add Ginger and Garlic, and Stir Fry Celery

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

    Batter Being Poured into a Bowl with Veggies to Make Vegan Egg Foo Young

    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.

    Collage Showing Steps for Cooking Omelets for Vegan Egg Foo Young: Pour Batter in Skillet, Cook 4 Minutes, Flip and Cook 4 Minutes More

    Drizzle with gravy and serve with rice.

    Spoon Drizzling Gravy on a Vegan Omelet to Make Vegan Egg Foo Young

    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!

    Overhead View of Vegan Egg Foo Young on a Plate with Rice

    Like this recipe? If so, be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram, or subscribe to my newsletter. And please stop back and leave me a review and rating below if you make it!

    Vegan Egg Foo Young with Napkin, Chopsticks, and Water Glass
    4.89 from 17 votes
    Print

    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
    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 ⅓ cups low sodium vegetable broth
    • 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
    • 1 teaspoon sriracha sauce (or to taste)
    • ½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
    • 3 tablespoons cold water
    • 1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch

    For the Omelets

    • 1 cup chickpea flour
    • ¼ pound firm tofu
    • 1 cup water
    • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
    • 1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
    • ½ teaspoon baking powder
    • ½ 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, baking powder, and kala namak, if using, 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 ½ 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*
    Fat 11.9g18%
    Saturated Fat 1.1g6%
    Sodium 769mg32%
    Potassium 438mg13%
    Carbohydrates 16.5g6%
    Fiber 3.4g14%
    Sugar 2.9g3%
    Protein 8g16%
    Calcium 60mg6%
    Iron 2.7mg15%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    « 100 Irresistible Vegan Sandwiches
    Vegan Manicotti with Blush Sauce and Kale »

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    About Alissa Saenz

    Hi, I'm Alissa! I'm a former attorney turned professional food blogger. I love creating vegan recipes with bold flavors! You can read more about me here.

    I'd love to connect with you on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jayne says

      September 06, 2018 at 7:22 pm

      I can't wait to try this. I used to like this dish a lot so I'm excited to bring it back into my recipe rotation.

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        September 09, 2018 at 9:06 pm

        I hope you enjoy it as much as your old favorite!!

        Reply
    2. Kat Mack says

      September 07, 2018 at 9:06 am

      5 stars
      Being Asian, egg omlete and rice was a staple in our house. In Thailand we add fish sauce to the egg when whipping it up. Being vegan for over a year now, that simple dish is what I miss the most!
      Coming across this recipe made my dreams come true!! I'm nervous to try it as I haven't tried tofu based "egg", but will let you know how it goes!!! Thank you for creating this!!
      Happy veganing!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        September 09, 2018 at 9:06 pm

        Oh wow - I hope you enjoy it as much as the stuff you grew up eating! I'm always nervous with egg dishes but my husband is always a good gauge since he misses eggs so much. I'd love to hear what you think if you try it!

        Reply
    3. Anna says

      September 07, 2018 at 12:39 pm

      so excited for this one!!!!!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        September 09, 2018 at 9:03 pm

        I hope you enjoy it!!

        Reply
    4. Anna says

      September 07, 2018 at 12:40 pm

      do you have a recipe for okonomiyaki?

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        September 09, 2018 at 9:03 pm

        I don't, but I'm adding it to the list now. Thanks for the idea!

        Reply
    5. Lisa says

      September 12, 2018 at 7:22 pm

      5 stars
      I can’t wait to try this.....and that black salt is the truth.... who would of thought it can give you that egg taste.....

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        September 16, 2018 at 3:24 pm

        It really is amazing stuff! I hope you enjoy!!

        Reply
    6. Jim says

      September 14, 2018 at 4:08 pm

      4 stars
      My complaint with comments on recipes is that most say how exciting they anticipate the recipe to be. When evaluating a recipe to prepare that "it sure looks good" tells me nothing. What I need are comments from people who have actually prepared the recipes. Their evaluations, suggestions afterward have much more value to this reader.

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        September 16, 2018 at 3:16 pm

        Well, you know the old saying about not being part of the solution... ;)

        Reply
    7. Ellen Lederman says

      September 25, 2018 at 4:27 pm

      5 stars
      This was good. Fun to have egg foo young again. Made it with bean sprouts and mushrooms, as well as the celery and scallions. Definitely liked the taste. I thought the omelet part was just a little mealy----my husband cooked it and I think it needed to go just a little longer, so that's his fault, not yours!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        September 30, 2018 at 6:16 pm

        Oh yeah, it will be a bit gritty if undercooked! I'm glad you enjoyed it though! Thanks Ellen!!

        Reply
    8. Erin says

      October 03, 2018 at 5:23 pm

      5 stars
      Made the recipe as written and we LOVED it! Tasted even better than a restaurant meal, thank you so much! Your recipes are amazing!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        October 07, 2018 at 4:35 pm

        Woo hoo!! So happy to hear that! Thanks Erin!

        Reply
    9. LB says

      October 19, 2018 at 9:35 pm

      5 stars
      I made this for dinner tonight and it was WONDERFUL!! I've bookmarked several of your recipes. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        October 21, 2018 at 11:38 am

        Awesome! I'm so glad you enjoyed it!!

        Reply
    10. Anna says

      November 04, 2018 at 10:46 pm

      5 stars
      I don't often come back to comment on recipes-- but this was delicious!!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        November 11, 2018 at 8:56 pm

        Yay!! I'm glad to hear that!

        Reply
    11. Rach says

      November 18, 2018 at 3:57 am

      Would these cope being frozen and reheated, they look like a tasty OAMC recipe.

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        November 18, 2018 at 5:16 pm

        I haven't tried, but I think they should freeze and reheat just fine. :)

        Reply
    12. Holly says

      January 01, 2019 at 9:37 pm

      Any thoughts on how to adapt this to be soy- free? I'm wondering about mashed potato or mashed garbanzos? Garbanzos get really creamy if soaked in baking soda water before cooking. Do you think either of these ideas might work?

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        January 06, 2019 at 8:52 pm

        Hi Holly! Try leaving the tofu out and just adding a bit more chickpea flour if needed - only if the batter seems too thin to hold together! The tofu helps give the omelet an eggy texture, but I'll sometimes skip it when I'm in a hurry and the omelet is still delicious. :)

        Reply
    13. Cap'n Dave says

      January 10, 2019 at 3:49 pm

      Hi, Alissa! Making this tonight - down with the beginnings of what appears to be a nasty chest cold (yay) so I'm needing comfort food, and Chinese has always been my go-to. Found a WONDERFUL vegan Chinese restaurant here, but sadly, no "egg" foo young. Then I remembered YOUR recipe!

      No scallions, so I thought I'd use julienned shallots instead. No mushrooms either, unfortunately (my last three went all soft and yucky - need to do some shopping). Thought I'd toss in some broccoli and cauliflower florets, maybe tempura battered and fried beforehand? Oh, and definitely some asparagus.

      Serve up with some steamed jasmine rice and smother the entire thing in that savory gravy - just the thing to chase the blahs away! I'll be sure to do a follow-up post so people like Jim are satisfied. ;-)

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        January 13, 2019 at 3:06 pm

        Broccoli and cauliflower would be delicious, and tempura battered should make it taste AMAZING! That definitely sounds like a delicious meal! I hope you enjoyed it and are feeling better!

        Reply
        • Cap'n Dave says

          November 13, 2020 at 12:54 pm

          5 stars
          Forgot to come back and now, here it is, nearly two years later??? The nerve of me!!! 😊

          It was fantastic. Didn't do the tempura batter then, just sautéed the veggies before adding; however, tonight? I'm going all out! Tempura battered mushrooms, cauliflower, broccoli, and carrots, and mixed together with sautéed peppers and bean sprouts! I am going to be SO stuffed!!!

          Reply
    14. Kayla says

      January 11, 2019 at 9:07 am

      so it's looking like i'm gonna have to buy this special salt online because i can't find it at any specialty stores in my area but i saw it offered as course granulated or as a fine ground and i was wondering which would work better?

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        January 13, 2019 at 3:04 pm

        I'd go with fine - it'll dissolve and blend in quicker.

        Reply
    15. Melanie says

      January 11, 2019 at 10:41 am

      5 stars
      I made these for dinner last night, but I had to do without the kala namak. A few stuck to the pan a little, but other than that, the recipe worked perfectly. I thought they were just okay, but my husband and son really, really liked them (my husband hated traditional egg foo young, so I was surprised). But when I warmed one up with white rice and leftover sauce for lunch today, I liked it so much more than I did last night! I'm definitely going to make them again. We had your Smoky Tofu Dumplings on the side, which was awesome. I've made a lot of your recipes, and I can't think of any I haven't liked--thank you so much!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        January 13, 2019 at 3:02 pm

        That sounds like a delicious meal! I'm so glad these were a hit and so glad you're enjoying the recipes! Thanks so much Melanie!

        Reply
    16. Colleen Thorne says

      January 21, 2019 at 8:53 pm

      5 stars
      I've been vegan for years and this is one of the best vegan meals I've ever made. The flavor of the omelette is much better than that of the vegan restaurant I frequent that serves a similar dish. I really liked the gravy for this recipe, but I thought it overpowered the delicate flavor and texture of the omelette. Next time I won't smother the omelette in gravy, although my husband liked it that way. I added a chopped carrot to the celery for color, and that worked fine. Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        January 27, 2019 at 3:26 pm

        That's so great to hear!! I'm glad you and your husband enjoyed it! Thank you so much Colleen!

        Reply
    17. Cami Jo Hafner says

      January 29, 2019 at 7:51 pm

      Made these and scarfing them down as I type. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!! Never thought I would ever get to taste Egg Foo Young since becoming vegan! BLESS YOU!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        February 01, 2019 at 6:39 pm

        Yay!! I'm so glad you're enjoying them!! Thank you so much!

        Reply
    18. Elaine Jacy says

      February 25, 2019 at 3:42 am

      5 stars
      This was so good. My family LOVED it!!! Even my picky 14 year old who refuses to eat anything, loved it. I followed it exactly as written. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        March 03, 2019 at 5:11 pm

        Awesome!! I'm so glad it was a hit!

        Reply
    19. Angela says

      March 11, 2019 at 3:55 am

      Made the sauce and substituted bean curd parcels for the egg (lazy!). Loved it; sauce was a teensy bit salty but I will try again and use a different veggie broth or soy sauce to see how that goes. Thanks so much for this!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        March 17, 2019 at 5:27 pm

        I'm glad you like it! Thanks Angela!

        Reply
    20. Tina Doeke says

      October 17, 2019 at 12:18 pm

      4 stars
      I just made the 'egg' part of this dish without the gravy. The flavor itself was amazing. I was actually shocked at how good it was because in the past my vegan 'egg' experiments just tasted like salt and not much else. This was savory and delicious. The texture, however, did not really remind me of egg, more like the outer part of an egg roll. I think it would be pretty easy to get more of an 'eggy' texture by substituting some of the chickpea flour with more firm tofu, or even silken tofu. Thank you for this awesome recipe, I cannot wait to try it out again with the gravy :)

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        October 20, 2019 at 2:24 pm

        Glad you thought it was tasty! You can certainly add more tofu to make it more eggy. I think the gravy will help too - it adds moisture which makes the texture seem more eggy. :)

        Reply
    21. Cami Jo Hafner says

      February 20, 2020 at 1:14 pm

      5 stars
      I make this A LOT!
      Its fantastic---easy to change up and use whatever veggies I have in the fridge too.
      Do what the author says and let them take their time cooking...although this is SO HARD especially
      when they taste so wonderful!

      Reply
    22. Amy says

      September 27, 2021 at 8:56 am

      Is there any way to make this oil-free?

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        September 29, 2021 at 8:34 pm

        Maybe! You could try sauteing the mushrooms and aromatics in some water, then cooking the omelet without oil as long as you have a really good nonstick surface and are really diligent about letting it preheat and giving the omelet plenty of time to cook. You can also leave the sesame oil out of the gravy - it adds flavor but should still be good without it.

        Reply
      • Nuffy says

        January 22, 2022 at 4:43 am

        Bake it in the oven....

        Is there an alternative flour Alissa?

        Thank you...

        Reply
        • Alissa Saenz says

          January 23, 2022 at 8:39 pm

          You could make your own red lentil flour by blending dried red lentils in a food processor. Aside from that I'm not sure. Bean flours work best for replicating eggs and while you could probably get the recipe to work with something like wheat or oat flour, the result would taste more like a pancake than an omelet.

          Reply
    23. kam says

      June 11, 2022 at 9:54 pm

      5 stars
      This recipe was amazingly delicious. I have a friend who loves egg foo young but I have been eating vegan so talked them into trying a vegan version. We all loved it, hardly could tell it was vegan. Will definitely be making again.

      Reply

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    Hi, I'm Alissa! I'm a former attorney turned professional food blogger. I love creating vegan recipes with bold flavors!

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