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This super healthy vegan frittata is made with chickpea flour and red lentils and packs 12 grams of protein per serving! All you need is 20 minutes of prep time and your favorite well-seasoned, oven safe skillet.
When I first went vegan, finding a good substitute for savory eggs recipe was tough! And in the last 5 years, I’ve tried all of the options.
This vegan frittata made with chickpea flour is my absolute favorite and extremely versatile. If you’re having trouble giving up eggs, give this recipe a try.
Why This Recipe Works
- Chickpea flour has been used for centuries in Indian, Italian and French cooking and has recently been gaining popularity in North American vegan cooking as a great egg substitute. If you haven’t, check out these Chickpea Egg Breakfast Sandwiches!
- Red lentils add protein to this frittata without changing the texture!
- This frittata reheats really well, making this a perfect healthy optional for vegan meal prep!
Ingredients and Substitutions
- chickpea flour – Sometimes called besan or garbanzo bean flour. The key to getting the texture of traditional eggs. Unfortunately no good substitutes. You should be able to find it
- red lentils – Adds protein. You can skip this if you don’t have it in your pantry, but I don’t recommend trying to substitute any other lentil.
- canned coconut milk – The best frittatas are a little creamy. Coconut milk helps us achieve that without the use of dairy. You can substitute it with water here, but if you like a creamy egg frittata, highly recommend!
- sweet potato – You can substitute in any potato or even butternut squash here, but I find sweet potato balances the savory so nicely!
- kale – Can be substituted with dino kale or spinach or even any other vegetable that’s finely diced! Use what you’ve got.
- onion and garlic – You can leave these out if desired but consider increasing the spices if you do. The onion and garlic provide a great flavor base.
- kala manak – Also called black salt. Amazing Indian spice that replicates that traditional eggy flavor. A little goes a long way!
- spices – Boosts the flavor and makes this frittata delicious.
Step by Step Instructions
- In a high powered blender, blend the red lentils, coconut milk, water and chickpea flour until completely smooth. This will help the red lentils cook fully into the frittata and keep the texture creamy!
- In your 12″ oven safe skillet, sauté the onion, garlic and spices in two tablespoons of oil.
- Add in the diced sweet potato and sauté for another 7 minutes.
- Add in the chopped kale and sauté for an additional 2-3 minutes, or until the kale is bright green and just softened.
- Pour the chickpea flour mixture over top the vegetables and push the vegetables down into the mixture so they are completely submerged.
- Transfer the skillet from the stovetop into the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes.
FAQs
While both are similar, frittatas are started on the stovetop and finished in the oven. They’re also generally much thicker than omelets and the vegetables are cooked in the eggs as opposed to folded inside. If you’re looking for a good vegan omelet substitute, I’d try a Besan Chilla (Gram Flour Pancake).
The edges will be golden brown and it would be completely cooked through. Unlike with a traditional frittata, you don’t want this vegan version to wiggle on top.
I love to keep it simple and eat this frittata with a side of arugula drizzled with olive oil. You can also serve it with breakfast potatoes, oven roasted tomatoes, or any simple green salad.
Expert Tips
- You need to use a well-seasoned cast iron skillet or it’s going to be difficult to slice and remove from the skillet after baking. If you are oil free or you do not own a well-seasoned cast iron skillet, I recommend using an oven safe ceramic skillet.
- If you use a different sized skillet, the baking time will need altering. I recommend using a 12″ skillet for best results.
- Make sure to pre-cook the sweet potatoes before baking. If you don’t give them the full 10 minutes to saute on the stovetop, they likely will be undercooked.
- If you’re looking for a really good store-bought vegan egg option, give Just Egg a try! You can use it just as you would traditional eggs.
More Vegan Breakfast Ideas
- Vegan Bacon Bits
- Vegan Chilaquiles with Silken Tofu Scramble
- Crustless Vegan Quiche
- Vegan Zucchini Bread with Chocolate Chunks
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Vegan Frittata with Sweet Potato and Kale
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 cups sweet potato diced
- 2 cups red kale tightly packed and finely chopped
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 1/2 cups chickpea flour
- 1 cup red lentils
- 3 1/2 cups water
- 1/2 cup full fat coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 3/4 teaspoon kala namak (black salt) substitute himilayan pink salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 cup vegan cheese shreds optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Add water, chickpea flour, red lentils, and coconut milk to a high powered blender and blend until completely smooth. Set aside.
- Sauté the diced onion in two tablespoons oil over medium heat until translucent and fragrant. Then add in the minced garlic and spices, excluding the kala namak and sauté another minute, stirring frequently to prevent burning.
- Add in the diced sweet potato and sauté for an addition 7 minutes.
- Add in finely chopped red kale and sauté for 2-3 more minutes, or until kale is brightly green.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and pour the chickpea flour mixture over the sautéed vegetables until completely covered. Push the vegetables down into the mixture as necessary to be sure completely submerged. Sprinkle with kala namak and vegan cheese shreds, if using.
- Transfer the frittata to the oven and bake for 35-45 minutes, or until a tooth pick comes out clean.
- Serve with a side of greens, vegan sour cream and salt to taste! I also love this with ketchup or hot sauce.
- When making for meal prep, allow frittata to cool completely and then transfer to refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave.
Notes
- This recipe is very customizable! Use any vegetables you would like, just shoot for similar ratios.
- If you do not use a well seasoned skillet, this frittata will stick and be difficult to remove.
- If you use a different sized skillet or baking dish, it will effect the bake time considerably.
- This frittata is a bit more dense than a traditional egg frittata. Be careful not to over bake or the frittata will be dry.
- Kala namak or black salt provides the sulphur-y taste of traditional eggs. If you do not have it or cannot find it at your local grocer, simply substitute with traditional salt.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: The Nutritional Information provided for this recipe is only an estimate. The accuracy of the facts listed is not and cannot be guaranteed.
Did You Love This Recipe?
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This recipe was originally published November 22, 2019 and was updated on March 19, 2020 to include new recipe photos, step by step instructions, FAQs, expert tips and an improved recipe.
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So good! Even the nonvegans among us liked it. We swapped the kale with spinach and didn’t add the kala namak, because we didn’t have any on hand.
That’s so great to hear! I’m glad you enjoyed it.
I have tried other frittata recipes in the past and they have generally turned into soupy inedible disasters. This recipe was a pleasant surprise. I didn’t have exact ingredients but I knew I had to try it. We used gold potatoes and bell peppers instead of kale and sweet potato and it was delicious. We will definitely be making this again!
Yay! So happy to hear this!