Make Ahead Savory Vegan Breakfast Jars
These savory vegan breakfast jars are a great make ahead protein packed breakfast that you can grab and go with. Each jar is loaded with a fluffy scrambled tofu that you can mix and match to customize to your liking.
“I don’t like oatmeal,” is something I would never say. However, it is a comment I see and hear on social media a lot. And while I have feelings about that, I totally get the idea of preferences. So, how about I just share a savory vegan breakfast option instead that you can make ahead and take along with you if you are working on the go. All components are mix and match and time is dependent on what you’re willing to prep.
I also like meal prepping these jars because I’ll use leftovers of these ingredients to also use in main lunches/dinners throughout the week. For example, I’ll purposely make extra quinoa or I’ll use left over marinated tomatoes to pair with other nourish bowls. So when making these, be strategic and save time in other parts of your life too.
Why You’ll Love These Make Ahead Breakfast Jars
- A great alternative to overnight oats. A lot of times I like to make 3 overnight oat jars a week and then mix-in 2 of these savory jars to keep things fun and interesting.
- Protein packed. A great protein option to start your day with especially if you are using the tofu scrambles with other high protein options like black beans or quinoa.
- Customizable. Similar to overnight oats, you can mix and match what you put in each jar. So use this as an example or blueprint and create your own personalized jar that meets your nutrition needs.
- Plant-based goodness. As always, these jars are 100% vegan, all gluten-free and nut-free for anyone dealing with allergies.
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
- Tofu: I personally like to use extra firm tofu from Nasoya as it has a really great texture and I do like my scrambles to be more firm. If you like a softer scramble, definitely use a firm tofu instead. Allergic to soy? You can opt for a chickpea based scramble and replace the soy sauce with some coconut aminos.
- Beans: For ease and to save time I used canned beans. As always, making fresh beans will yield the best flavors, but you can dress up your canned beans as well to help them taste better and I shared some suggestions below.
- Quinoa: I cooked my own and have instructions below for my prepping process. Feel free to use frozen or shelf-stable quinoa that just requires reheating.
- Cherry Tomatoes: I just halve these cherry tomatoes. You can swap with store bought salsa if you want to save on any chopping or preparation.
- Potatoes: I used baby potatoes and quartered them. You can swap out the type of potato you use. Sweet potatoes or regular potatoes also work well here. If you want something fun, you can also add some hash browns or cooked tater tots on top.
- Kale: This was what I had on hand at the time, but you can swap for any other greens like arugula and spinach as a time saving option.
- Seasoning: I used garlic, onion powder and turmeric in the tofu scrambles and some adobo seasoning on the potatoes. Feel free to change these seasonings up based on your preferences.
How to Make Savory Vegan Breakfast Jars
You can make these jars as simple or complex as you like. When I make these jars, I focus on the main ingredients I have the energy to prepare and for extra things I might rely on prepackaged items to help make them come together faster. The following steps are meant to explain any parts of this process if you wanted to make any of the components from scratch.
Quinoa
To save time, use frozen quinoa and reheat according to instructions. If cooking from scratch, cook the quinoa using a 1:2 ratio of quinoa to water (example, if you make 1 cup dry cook it in 2 cups water). Add a vegetable bouillon cube, bring to a boil, reduce to the lowest heat setting and cover with a lid for 17 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to sit with lid still on for 5 minutes. Remove lid, fluff it with a fork and then allow to come to room temperature.
Tofu Scrambles
I used my favorite fluffy tofu scrambles, but modified them slightly. Start by sauteing the white parts of the scallion in a pan with some oil for about 1-2 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant. Crumble your tofu into the pan and sauté to coat in the garlic and onion mixture. Pour in the soy sauce and spices and again toss to coat. Add the tahini and plant based milk and continue to stir and coat the tofu until everything is evenly mixed and most of the liquid is absorbed. Taste and adjust seasonings to your preference then set aside to cool.
Beans
Rinse and drain your beans in a bowl. If you do wish to flavor, you can toss them with a small splash of extra virgin olive oil, pinch of salt, onion powder, garlic powder and oregano. Mix to combine and set aside.
Vegetable Prep
There are a number of different vegetables that you can make in advance. Part of my meal prepping during the week involves making pickled onions, so I did include them in my jars. I also chose some baby potatoes, cherry tomatoes and kale as that is what I had on hand, but using some baby spinach, arugula or even some salsa is a great alternative as well that doesn’t require any prep.
Cherry Tomatoes
Leave them whole or if you want more flavor, cut them in half, sprinkle with a pinch of salt and fresh garlic. Allow to sit and marinate until you assemble the jars.
Potatoes
Cube your potato and coat in adobo seasoning, cornstarch and oil. Toss to coat and place in the oven or air-fryer to crisp up.
Kale
I like to massage my kale, but you can also sauté it. To massage just tear your kale into small bite sized pieces in a bowl along with some extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Use your hands to rub these ingredients into the kale until it starts to breakdown and soften. You should notice the kale start to turn a brighter green color.
Assemble Jars
In an airtight container layer or portion ingredients as desired. Prioritize layering hearty items at the bottom of your jar like the quinoa or tofu and then leaving more delicate items like your tomatoes and greens for the top of the jar.
As an example, the potato jars were layered with tofu, black beans, kale, potatoes, avocado and pickled onion. Another example is layering the quinoa, then tofu, kale, tomatoes and pickled onions. Have fun and make it your own.
Expert Tips
- Make sure you allow any hot ingredients to cool before storing. I find spreading out the ingredients in their pans or in a sheet pan will help bring them to temperature quicker.
- If using avocado, add it before serving. This will help you avoid avocado that browns over time and keep it fresh.
- Mix and match your ingredients. Use this as a guide and not necessarily the rule in how you build your own breakfast jars. You can choose different grains, use more vegetables, swap the tofu scrambles for more beans, etc. The fun of these jars, similar to overnight oats, is that they are customizable to your preference.
- Use prepackaged items to help make these jars faster. I like to use frozen quinoa so I don’t have to prep it myself. I’ll rinse and drain a can of beans and then season and toss them to my liking. Pre-chopped veggies can also help save a lot of time too.
- Repurpose leftovers. I like to make larger batches of certain ingredients like quinoa so that I can use the excess in other meals like lunch and dinner throughout the week. This helps save time since I’m already in the kitchen prepping these breakfast items.
Frequently Asked Questions
It’s totally up to you. I personally enjoy these hot, while my husband eats them cold. If wanting to reheat, just place the ingredients in a microwave safe dish or container and reheat for a minute or longer until it is to your preferred temperature.
If using avocado, I recommend making sure not to use an overly ripe one. Riper avocados tend to brown much faster once cut. If using a very ripe avocado, just add it the day you plan to eat it. For slightly ripe avocados, just cube and squeeze over with some lemon juice before adding to the jar. Make sure you have an airtight container to reduce air circulation and place in the fridge for up to 24-48 hours.
Without the avocado on top, you can store these savory breakfast options in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 4 days. If your container is microwave safe, you can heat it up in your container then add any additional toppings if desired. I do not recommend freezing this breakfast as the consistency will change significantly.
Nope! Use your favorite airtight container. You can use ones that have individual compartments so you can separate some of the ingredients, or just use a regular container and layer like you would in the jar. It still works the same!
Nutrition and How to Serve
Assembly of these jars is completely up to you. Once you’ve chosen what ingredients you want to layer in your jars, I recommend placing ingredients in an order that help to keep the jars lasting through the week. I’ll usually add grains or the tofu scramble towards the bottom and keep more delicate items like vegetables towards the top, with preference of fresh greens like spinach to be set towards the very top to keep them fresh longer.
When ready to eat, add some avocado or hot sauce on top and enjoy.
More Make Ahead Vegan Breakfast Ideas
- Fudgy Chocolate Baked Oatmeal
- Easy Blueberry Chia Pudding
- High Protein Lemon Blueberry Overnight Oats
- Vegan Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins
- Chocolate Cherry Granola
Make Ahead Savory Vegan Breakfast Jars
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 jars 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These savory vegan breakfast jars are a great make ahead protein packed breakfast that you can grab and go with.
Ingredients
Quinoa (or use frozen)
- 1 cup dry quinoa
- 2 cups vegetable broth
Tofu Scrambles
- 1–2 tsp olive oil
- 3 scallions, sliced with white and green parts separated
- 3–4 cloves garlic, crushed or finely minced
- 1, ~400g block extra firm tofu, drained
- 1/2 tsp each garlic powder and onion powder
- 1/4 – 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tbsp reduce sodium soy sauce or coconut aminos
- 1 tbsp tahini
- 1/4 cup plant-based milk (I used soy milk)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Air Fried Potatoes
- 5 baby potatoes, quartered
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp adobo seasoning or old bay seasoning
- 1–2 tsp olive oil
Jar Assembly Ingredient Options (optional)
- Cherry Tomatoes, halved
- Baby Spinach or Massaged Kale
- Avocado, cubed
- Pickled Onions
- 1, 15 oz can blacked beans, rinsed and drained
Instructions
- Quinoa. If making from scratch, just cook 1 cup quinoa in 2 cups vegetable broth. Bring to a boil in a sauce pan, reduce the heat to low and cover with a lid and cook for 17 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to sit with the lid on for 5- 10 minutes before fluffing with a fork.
- Tofu Scramble. In a sauté pan over medium heat, add oil and warm through. Add the white parts of the scallions and a pinch of salt and sauté until softened. Add the garlic and sauté an extra minute until fragrant. Crumble your tofu into the pan and add the soy sauce and dry seasonings then toss to coat. Add the tahini and the milk and continue to stir until the tofu has absorbed most of the liquid. Sprinkle with remaining green parts of the scallion, salt and pepper to taste.
- Potatoes. If making potatoes, coat potatoes in cornstarch, seasoning and oil. Toss to coat and place in air fryer at 400F for 10 minutes, giving the potatoes a shake at the 8 minute mark.
- Assemble. In an airtight container layer or portion ingredients as desired. For the potato jars I did tofu, black beans, kale, potatoes, avocado and pickled onion. Another example is quinoa, tofu, kale, tomatoes and pickled onions. Have fun and make it your own.
Notes
Make sure you allow any hot ingredients to cool before storing. I find spreading out the ingredients in their pans or in a sheet pan will help bring them to temperature quicker.
If using avocado, add it before serving. This will help you avoid avocado that browns over time and keep it fresh.
Mix and match your ingredients. Use this as a guide and not necessarily the rule in how you build your own breakfast jars. You can choose different grains, use more vegetables, swap the tofu scrambles for more beans, etc. The fun of these jars, similar to overnight oats, is that they are customizable to your preference.
You don’t need to store these in jars. Use the container that works best for you and that can be a standard Tupperware container or more bento-style containers. Just make sure it is airtight so you don’t have any food leakage if you are taking it on the go.
Use prepackaged items to help make these jars faster. I like to use frozen quinoa so I don’t have to prep it myself. I’ll rinse and drain a can of beans and then season and toss them to my liking. Pre-chopped veggies can also help save a lot of time too.
If you tried this recipe or any other recipe on the blog, then let me know what you thought in the comments below! And if you loved it, don’t forget to rate it too. Feel free to follow on Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok for the latest nutrition tips and recipe videos.
★ Catherine
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