High Protein Vegan Breakfast Hash with Smoky Tempeh, Butternut Squash and Kale
Roasted butternut squash, garlicky kale and smoky maple tempeh crumbles come together in this hearty egg-free breakfast hash that reheats well all week.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Serves
- 4
High Protein Vegan Breakfast Hash with Smoky Tempeh, Butternut Squash and Kale is a vegan breakfast recipe made with butternut squash, red onion, olive oil. It takes 50 minutes of hands-on time, serves 4, and each serving has 417 calories, 27 g of protein and 5 g of fiber.
Simmering the crumbled tempeh in tamari and water before browning it softens its bitter edge and lets the seasoning soak all the way in, so the crumbles turn savory, a little sweet and crisp at the edges. The squash and onion roast on a sheet pan while the tempeh cooks on the stove. That way each part browns properly and nothing steams into mush. Kale goes into the skillet last so it stays bright green.
A dietary (fully vegan, egg-free) + protein boost (smoky maple tempeh crumbles for ~22g protein instead of jammy eggs) + seasonal produce (roasted butternut squash and kale instead of sweet potato and Brussels sprouts) take on our One-Pan Sweet Potato Brussels Sprouts Hash with Jammy Eggs.
Ingredients
Roasted vegetables
- 4 cups560 gbutternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1 medium110 gred onion, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
- 1½ tbsp20 golive oil
- ½ tsp1.2 gsmoked paprika
- ½ tsp3 gfine salt
- ¼ tsp0.6 gblack pepper
Smoky maple tempeh
- 16 oz454 gtempeh, crumbled into small pieces (two 8-oz packages)
- ¾ cup178 gwater
- 2 tbsp36 gtamari
- 1 tbsp20 gpure maple syrup
- 1½ tsp3.5 gsmoked paprika
- ½ tsp1.1 gground cumin
- 1½ tbsp20 golive oil
Kale
- 3 cloves9 ggarlic, minced
- 5 cups105 gkale, stems removed, leaves chopped (about 1 small bunch)
- 1 pinch0.4 gfine salt
To serve
- 2 30 ggreen onions, thinly sliced, for serving (optional)
- 1 tbsp15 ghot sauce, for serving (optional)
- 1 medium150 gavocado, sliced, for serving (optional)
Kit: rimmed sheet pan, large (12-inch) skillet, parchment paper
Tips
- Crumble the tempeh into pieces about the size of peas. Small crumbles soak up the tamari mixture evenly and crisp better than big chunks.
- To save time, cut the squash the night before and refrigerate it in a sealed container.
- Don't crowd the sheet pan. If your squash pieces touch, use two pans so they roast instead of steaming.
- Check the tamari label if you need the dish gluten-free. Most tamari is, but not every brand.
Swap ideas
- Use extra-firm tofu, pressed and crumbled, instead of tempeh
- Milder and softer, with a little less protein. Skip the simmer and brown it in oil first, then add the tamari mixture and cook until it's absorbed.
- Use sweet potato or acorn squash instead of butternut squash
- Sweet potato is a bit sweeter and roasts in about the same time. Acorn squash doesn't need peeling if you cut it small.
- Use spinach instead of kale
- Spinach wilts in under a minute and is softer, so add it at the very end.
- Add 1 cup rinsed canned black beans with the squash
- Makes the hash heartier and adds fiber and a bit more protein. It stretches easily to 5 servings.
The numbers
Nutrition per serving
417kcal per serving
Everything else · 4 servings per recipe
- Saturated fat
- 4.4 g 22%
- Sugars
- 7.8 g
- Sodium
- 867 mg 38%
- Potassium
- 1163 mg 25%
- Calcium
- 284 mg 22%
- Iron
- 5.3 mg 29%
- Vitamin C
- 57 mg 63%
- Vitamin B12
- 0.09 µg 4%
% Daily Value on a 2,000 calorie diet. Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient; optional ingredients are excluded. Estimates vary with brands and portions.
Sources: Squash, winter, butternut, raw, Onions, raw, Oil, olive, salad or cooking, Spices, paprika, Salt, table, Spices, pepper, black, Tempeh, Beverages, water, tap, drinking, Soy sauce made from soy (tamari), Syrups, maple, Spices, cumin seed, Garlic, raw, Kale, raw
Method
Heat the oven to 425°F and line a rimmed sheet pan with parchment. Toss the squash and red onion with 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp salt and the pepper. Spread in a single layer with space between the pieces.
Roast for 25–30 minutes, flipping halfway, until the squash is fork-tender and browned at the edges and the onion is soft and charred in spots.
While the vegetables roast, whisk the water, tamari, maple syrup, 1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika and the cumin in a measuring cup.
Put the crumbled tempeh in a large skillet, pour in the tamari mixture and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring now and then, until all the liquid is absorbed and the tempeh is hot through and softened, 6–8 minutes.
Drizzle 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil over the tempeh. Spread it out and cook over medium heat, stirring only every couple of minutes, until it is deeply browned and crisp in places, 7–9 minutes. Add a splash of water if the maple starts to scorch.
Push the tempeh to one side, add the garlic to the bare spot and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the kale and a pinch of salt and toss for 2–3 minutes, until the kale is wilted and bright green.
Tip the roasted squash and onion into the skillet and gently fold everything together. Taste and add more salt or a few drops of tamari if needed.
Divide among plates and top with green onions, avocado and hot sauce if you like.
Storage: Cool, then refrigerate in airtight containers for up to 4 days. To reheat, cook it in a lightly oiled skillet over medium heat for 4–5 minutes until it's hot and the tempeh crisps up again, or microwave it, covered, for 1–2 minutes. Freezing isn't recommended because the squash turns watery.
Questions
- How much protein is in high protein vegan breakfast hash with smoky tempeh, butternut squash and kale?
- Each of the 4 servings has 27 g of protein, 5 g of fiber and 417 calories, calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for every ingredient.
- Is high protein vegan breakfast hash with smoky tempeh, butternut squash and kale vegan?
- Yes. It contains no dairy, eggs, honey or other animal products.
- How long does high protein vegan breakfast hash with smoky tempeh, butternut squash and kale take to make?
- 15 minutes of prep and 35 minutes of cooking, so 50 minutes of hands-on time.
- Can you make high protein vegan breakfast hash with smoky tempeh, butternut squash and kale ahead?
- Cool, then refrigerate in airtight containers for up to 4 days. To reheat, cook it in a lightly oiled skillet over medium heat for 4–5 minutes until it's hot and the tempeh crisps up again, or microwave it, covered, for 1–2 minutes. Freezing isn't recommended because the squash turns watery.
- What can I substitute in high protein vegan breakfast hash with smoky tempeh, butternut squash and kale?
- Use extra-firm tofu, pressed and crumbled, instead of tempeh — milder and softer, with a little less protein. skip the simmer and brown it in oil first, then add the tamari mixture and cook until it's absorbed.. Use sweet potato or acorn squash instead of butternut squash — sweet potato is a bit sweeter and roasts in about the same time. acorn squash doesn't need peeling if you cut it small.. Use spinach instead of kale — spinach wilts in under a minute and is softer, so add it at the very end.. Add 1 cup rinsed canned black beans with the squash — makes the hash heartier and adds fiber and a bit more protein. it stretches easily to 5 servings..
- Does high protein vegan breakfast hash with smoky tempeh, butternut squash and kale contain gluten or nuts?
- None of the ingredients are a source of gluten, tree nuts or peanuts. That is a statement about the ingredient list, not a guarantee about the brands you buy — always read the labels if you're cooking for an allergy.
Nutrition is calculated from USDA data for every ingredient — how we work it out.
Published October 4, 2026 ·American
