Vegan Biscuits and Gravy

I turned TOFU into Vegan Sausage Crumbles to make these incredible Vegan Biscuits and Gravy. Who says vegan food is boring?!

I can still remember stopping at the corner grill to meet up with mom and have some biscuits and gravy before school. This is definitely the comfort food I grew up with and one of the first recipes I had to convert after I became vegan.

I was stubborn back then, and didn't want to eat any of that "weird" food - I wanted MY food and I knew there had to be a way. Yep, I wanted my cake and I wanted to eat it too.

That's why so many of my recipes mimic the SAD foods we used to eat. Because I know somewhere out there, there are people like me, who feel the same way. They want to get healthier, but they still want their comfort foods - and not some weird ancient grain bowl they've never heard of before. (no offense - I love them now)

As one of my readers told me, her husband will only eat her food if it's from my website and it's my "Man Food". 😆

So while I agree that this may not be one of my healthiest recipes - I feel it does fill a niche for those people who are just starting out.

And taste? My wife said this tasted so much like the real thing it was freakishly incredible. Hope you enjoy it.

Vegan Biscuits and Gravy

Biscuits

Obviously, if you are going to make biscuits and gravy, you are going to need some biscuits. (And to all my friends across the pond - I mean American biscuits, not your biscuits that we call cookies, although I have this on toast too).

You can either buy those store-bought cans that are full of weird ingredients (and lots of oil), or you can make my Homemade Vegan Buttermilk Biscuits recipe.

Your choice.

Gravy

To make this gravy, I simply used my Southern Vegan Cream Gravy recipe. It only takes a few minutes and uses everyday ingredients you probably already have in your pantry.

The Tofu Sausage Crumbles

While you could make the first 2 recipes I just mentioned and have perfectly legit vegan biscuits and gravy - if you are a southern boy like me - it HAS to be sausage gravy.

And THAT is the focus of this week's recipe.

I have been playing with tofu these last few weeks, and discovered it makes an amazing meat replacement, especially when you turn it into crumbles.

Whole Foods Market carries a brand of Tofu called "Wildwood", and they make a "super-firm" organic tofu (I also found it at Fred Meyers).

So first, get that 16oz block of SUPER firm tofu and crumble it into a large bowl.

Note: If you have to use extra-firm tofu - be sure and press it really well to remove as much moisture as you can.

Then in another small bowl, whisk together the dry seasonings and then add the wet ingredients to form a paste.

A few of these wet ingredients, like the soy sauce, the bouillon, the marmite, etc are what is going to add that 'umami flavor' that savory breakfast sausage has, so I really can't recommend any substitutes

Note: Yes, I realize these are pretty salty, so if you are watching your sodium intake - you may want to skip these crumbles altogether. And yes, marmite can be hard to find - so here are a few affiliate links in which I do earn a few pennies on every purchase.

When your seasoning paste is made, add it to the tofu crumbles and gently mix it thoroughly.

Then transfer the crumbles onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and spread them evenly. Bake at 350° F for 30 -45 minutes or until the tofu looks dry and crumbly. Take them out and stir them around once in a while, you want dry chewy crumbles, not burned little pebbles,

Finally, transfer the crumbles to a skillet, add 1 cup of water to rehydrate, and simmer over medium heat until the water has evaporated.

These sausage crumbles are amazing and may just fool any carnivore in your house! I mixed them into my cream gravy and then served it over a couple of my vegan biscuits. Wow, just like I remember!

Hope you enjoy the recipe (and the memories if you do) and I'll see you next time.