This Vegan White Bean Scramble with Almond Bacon is super easy to make, full of flavour and perfect for a healthy brunch!
I've been having a lot of fun with white beans recently. Wow, never thought I'd hear anyone say that. Never thought I'd hear myself say that either. White beans seem kinda slimy and bland-tasting, right?
However, I am absolutely loving how versatile they are, thanks to their malleable texture and neutral flavour. I've used them to make everything from Italian Hummus to White Bean Mac and Cheese, and even this Stretchy Melty Grilled Cheese!
I've experimented with scrambled tofu before, and was trying to think of good alternatives, when I thought of a scramble made with white beans. I'm glad I tried it because the results were amazing!
This scramble is fluffy, moist and tender in texture, and the plain taste of the white beans makes them the perfect base for other flavours: a pinch of turmeric adds a wonderfully cheery colour and cumin gives them a subtly-spiced hum.
But for me, the BEST part of this Vegan White Bean Scramble is the almond bacon! Yes, that's bacon made from almonds, and yes, it's 100% delicious.
I was thinking about how great coconut bacon is, and then my mind wandered to flaked almonds and wondered if they'd be good to make 'bacon' with, as they have a similar size and texture. I was so pleased to discover that I actually preferred the flaked almond version.
It's just as easy to make, coming together in a frying pan in just 5 minutes, but I felt it was just a little bit crispier and crunchier than the coconut version, and I loved the nutty sweetness of the almonds.
Seasoning them with soy sauce (or tamari) and maple syrup creates a salty-sweet flavour, paprika adds a subtle smokiness and a pinch of cayenne is perfect for a kick of heat.
I also added spinach and sweet red peppers for extra colour and nutrients, as well as varied texture and flavour.
This Vegan White Bean Scramble makes the perfect for breakfast or brunch, or light dinner, or even a side dish. It's really versatile and can be enjoyed in so many different ways. It's delicious with:
- cherry tomatoes (fresh or roasted)
- sautéed mushrooms (bonus points if there's garlic involved)
- roasted potatoes
- sweet potato fries
- thin slices of creamy avocado
- salad
- or just some good old crusty bread or toast.
It would also be great with a condiment such as this garlic and herb dip or this lemon, tahini and dill dressing!
Looking for more similar recipes? You might like my:
- Lazy Falafel Lettuce Wraps
- Mediterranean Chickpea “Tuna” Pittas
- Vegan Egg Mayonnaise Salad
- Lazy Samosa Lettuce Cups
- Vegan Stretchy Melty Grilled Cheese
- Vegan "Crispy Duck" Lettuce Wraps
If you try out this recipe or anything else from my blog, I’d love to hear how you get on! Please give it a rating, leave a comment, or tag photo #rhiansrecipes on Instagram! I’d really love to hear any feedback – thank you!
Vegan White Bean Scramble with Almond Bacon (GF)
Ingredients
For the almond bacon:
- 5 tablespoons flaked almonds
- 1 teaspoon tamari (sub soy sauce if not gluten-free)
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup (or sub any other sweetener)
- Pinch of smoked paprika, to taste
- Pinch of cayenne chilli pepper, to taste
For the white bean scramble:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (or sub coconut, vegetable or rapeseed oil)
- 1 small onion or shallot, finely diced
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
- 400 g (14oz) tin of white beans, drained and rinsed (cannellini beans, butter beans or haricot beans)
- Few handfuls of spinach or kale
- 1 red pepper, cut into matchsticks
- Salt + pepper, to taste
To serve (optional):
- Cherry tomatoes
- Sautéed mushrooms
- Fresh parsley or coriander, roughly chopped
- Roasted potatoes
- Sweet potato fries
- Avocado, thinly sliced
- Salad
- Bread
Instructions
For the almond bacon:
- Place all ingredients in a small bowl and mix well
- Heat in a frying pan on medium heat for around 5 minutes, until crisp
- Set aside on a plate, making sure they're spread apart as this will help them crisp up
For the white bean scramble:
- In the same frying pan, heat up the oil and add onion and garlic once hot
- Fry for around 10 minutes, until very soft
- Add cumin and turmeric and fry for about a minute until fragrant
- Add white beans along with a splash of water (or any kind of milk)
- Leave to cook for a few minutes until white beans have softened slightly, then use your stirring utensil to gently break the beans up into smaller pieces. Add a little more water or milk if it's looking a little dry.
- Add spinach and red peppers, season with salt and pepper to taste and cook for another few minutes until spinach has wilted and peppers are lightly cooked but still retaining some crunch
- Serve onto plates, sprinkle over the almond bacon and serve with desired ingredients from the list above
Disclosure: This posts contains affiliate links to Amazon. If you purchase any of these products, a small percentage will come to me with no extra cost to you! This income will go towards the running of this blog – thank you.
Kate
This recipe is brilliant! It has become a staple weekend brunch in my house and also keeps well for meal prep into the week. I also use a potato masher to get the beans creamier, and serve with sourdough toast, avocado and tomato. The almond bacon is so good it’s an effort not to snack on it all before the rest of the meal is made!!
Rhian Williams
Thank you so much, so happy to hear that!