This Easy 3 Minute Vegan Bodega-Style Breakfast Sandwich is my take on the classic NYC breakfast staple.  If you’ve been missing these babies since going vegan, then prepare to have your mind blown. Using just a few simple pantry staples and your trusty microwave, you’re just 3 minutes away from a quick and easy protein-packed breakfast.

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What’s it made of?!

I have been in love with chickpea flour for about as long as I’ve been vegan, and my first video to really take off was my Vegan Air-Frying 101 video in which I use a chickpea flour and water batter to adhere panko breadcrumbs to tofu and cauliflower before air-frying them. The batter was perfect for that type of work, and I’ve even used the same water to chickpea flour ratio to replace eggs in baked goods, but I never really thought about using it as an egg substitute for an egg dish.

I mean, I have made chickpea flour omelets in the past, and I’ve always been happy with the results, and I have used chickpea flour to create the base for a breakfast casserole, but I don’t know why it didn’t fully click that I could just use that batter to make “eggs”.

JUST Egg is fairly ubiquitous at this point, and it’s main ingredient is mung bean, so why would an “egg” made of chickpeas be any different?

An (Vegan) Egg-cellent Journey:

A few weeks ago I found myself watching some cooking shows on TV, and I saw the host making an egg sandwich using the microwave. My hunger led me into the kitchen, and I decided it was a good time to test out just how well chickpea flour would do if it was asked to star as an egg in a dish. 

I added equal parts chickpea flour and water; tossing in a pinch of baking powder to give a bit of lift to the “egg”. I added a bit of salt and lots of pepper, and a generous amount of nutritional yeast for flavor. Lastly, because egg yolks are pretty much all fat, I added a glug of olive oil to my batter to make it a bit richer. 

The bowl went into the microwave, I let it cook for 30 seconds, and then I checked it out. As I tried to stir it, I could see that “curds” were starting to form. I mixed it around a bit and started to form it into a disc. It went back in for 30 more seconds, and when it came out, it was fairly set on top. I tried to flip it, but it was still very wet on the bottom, so I sent it back for 30 more seconds. After that, I could easily flip it. I added a bit of shredded vegan cheddar on top, and let it go for 30 more seconds. 

What I had after about 3 minutes was a cooked “puck” of chickpea flour that looked just like an egg. I opened the fridge, found a burger bun, some mayo, and a slice of vegan salami that was leftover from my Italian sandwich video. 

Mayo went onto the bun to help it brown on the griddle, and I grilled the salami a bit to warm it through. I added a bit more mayo on the bun before adding the chickpea “egg” topped with melted cheese, and the salami. 

It was love at first bite. I had done it. 3 minutes. Chickpea flour. Bodega style breakfast sandwich. Done!

That batter was my new best friend. I started making crepe-like omelets to serve under lightly-dressed salads, feeling like I now had something equivalent to eggs, that I could just whip together in a pinch, and have a delicious and protein-rich meal within minutes. 

Watch the video below to hear me glorify this amazing ingredient, and talk about all of the ways that I have used it on my YouTube channel. I’ve also provide links to a number of other videos that utilize this incredible pantry staple in the description box below the video. 

Below is the the full printable recipe for my Easy 3 Minute Vegan Bodega-Style Breakfast Sandwich. Make it as I have using a burger bun and vegan meats, or take it in a more “whole foods” direction and serve it on a Ezekiel English muffin with some avocado and tempeh bacon.

Easy 3 Minute Vegan Bodega-Style Breakfast Sandwich

5 from 6 votes
Print
Easy 3 Minute Vegan Bodega-Style Breakfast Sandwich
Prep Time
1 min
Cook Time
3 mins
 

There’s nothing like a quick and easy, 3 minute breakfast sandwich to get your day going. The “egg”portion of this dish can be made ahead and just reheated, or you can even make a large batch of the batter and store it in your fridge so that you can have freshly made breakfast sandwiches every morning.

Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Servings: 1 sandwich
Author: Michael Monson
Ingredients
For the chickpea omelet:
  • ¼ cup garbanzo bean flour (also called chickpea or gram flour)
  • ¼ cup water
  • ½ teaspoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon nutritional yeast, or more to taste
  • pinch baking powder
  • salt and pepper to taste
For the sandwich
  • vegan cheese
  • vegan deli slice or vegan bacon
  • vegan mayo
  • burger bun, bagel, or English muffin
Instructions

  1. Start by toasting or grilling your bread of choice. I like to add a bit of vegan mayo the the cut sides of my buns to help it brown on the griddle. Warm your vegan meat of choice.

  2. In a microwave safe bowl*, combine all of the omelet ingredients. Cook on high for 30 seconds. Carefully remove the bowl from the microwave and lightly stir the mixture. Begin to form it into the size and shape that you want. Cook 30 more seconds. Form the omelet, and begin trying to loosen it from the bottom of the bowl. Cook 30 more seconds. Try to flip the omelet without it falling apart. If it’s still stuck to the bottom, and won’t flip, cook it for 15 more seconds before trying again. Once flipped, cook for 15 seconds. Add your vegan meat and cheese of choice. Cook for 30 more seconds or until the cheese is melted

  3. Spread mayo on both sides of your burger bun, add your chickpea omelet and vegan meat, Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

*This recipe was designed for the microwave. If you don’t have one or don’t want to use one, you can cook the chickpea egg in a pan, using an egg mold to help it keep its shape.