Mung Bean Frittata
Serve this easy mung bean frittata at breakfast for extra protein and veggies to fuel your morning. Vegan and gluten-free!
If you’re looking to get more protein in at breakfast, you need to try this mung bean frittata! It’s simple to make, great for meal prep, and packed with protein and fiber to keep you satiated. The mung bean filling is made with just a few essential ingredients, and the veggies can be customized to your preference. I make a batch every weekend to enjoy for breakfast with oatmeal or toast throughout the week!
Key Ingredients
- Yellow Split Mung Beans ⟶ Yellow split mung beans cook much faster than the green mung beans. Mung beans are fairly neutral in flavor, and not as “beany” as chickpeas or lentils in my opinion.
- Miso & Nutritional Yeast ⟶ These add umami, so I highly recommend using them if you can. Without them your frittata won’t be as flavorful.
- Veggies ⟶ I like using broccoli and tomatoes since they’re quick to prep and I don’t need to cook them on the stove, but you can use whatever veggies you have (see tips below for suggestions).
Tips for Success
Use yellow split mung beans ⟶ They should be yellow, not green. The green mung beans are still whole and will not work for this recipe. Yellow split mung beans have the outer green skin removed and cook much faster.
Switch up the veggies ⟶ Spinach, zucchini, mushrooms, asparagus, bell peppers, or onions would be great as well – most vegetables need to be cooked first. Zucchini, mushrooms, asparagus, and onions would be good sautéed. Spinach can be blanched with excess water squeezed out, then chopped. Bell peppers can be diced and added raw since they don’t release too much liquid. You can use about 2-3 cups total of chopped veggies.
Use black salt* for eggy flavor ⟶ Black salt, or kala namak, has a sulfurous flavor and aroma similar to hard-boiled eggs. However, I usually make this frittata with regular salt and it’s still delicious!
Mung Bean Frittata FAQ
Where do I buy split mung beans?
Mung beans are used in a lot of Asian and Indian cuisine, so check these aisles at your supermarket or visit ethnic markets. I have found split mung beans at HMart in the US.
Can I make this with a different bean?
I have only tested this frittata with yellow split mung beans, so I can’t say whether another bean will work, but you can try split red lentils.
Is mung bean frittata gluten-free?
Yes! There is no flour/wheat used in this recipe, just mung beans!
Is mung bean frittata soy-free?
There is soy in the miso, but you can easily make this soy-free by using chickpea miso or just omitting the miso (add extra salt if you omit the miso).
How should I serve mung bean frittata?
This frittata is great any time of day, though I prefer it at breakfast for a little protein boost in the morning. Serve it with avocado, toast, oatmeal, or a muffin if you want a sweet and savory breakfast. This frittata is great on its own, but even better with a sauce like chimichurri, pesto, hot sauce, or even ketchup.
More Savory Vegan Breakfasts
If you make this mung bean frittata, don’t forget to leave a comment/rating down below and tag me in your photos on instagram @ellielikes.cooking. I love seeing all of your tasty recreations!
Recipe updated August 25, 2024. Changes include: 1 tbsp olive oil, range for water, increase baking powder from 1/4 tsp to 1 tsp.
Mung Bean Frittata
Ingredients
- 1 head of broccoli chopped
- ½ cup tomatoes chopped
- 1 cup
yellow split mung beans* rinsed and soaked - 300-350 ml water**1
- 1 tbsp olive oil optional
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2 tsp miso
- ¼-½ tsp salt
use black salt* for eggy flavor - ¼ tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp baking powder
- pinch of turmeric optional for color
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp dried oregano
Instructions
- Soak rinsed mung beans in a large bowl of water overnight. If short on time, boil a pot of water, turn off the heat, add mung beans, and let them soak for 1-2 hours.
- Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. Grease or line a 12×8-inch baking dish or 8-inch square pan.
- Steam chopped broccoli, either in the microwave for 2 minutes, or in a steamer on the stove for about 5 minutes. (I use a Lekue* microwave steam case.)Tip: Use the broccoli florets and stems! You can peel the stem if yours is particularly tough, but I just chop them into small pieces.
- Blend soaked mung beans, water, olive oil, nutritional yeast, miso, salt, pepper, baking powder, and turmeric (if using).
- Pour mung bean mixture into prepared baking dish. Sprinkle broccoli and tomatoes on top and use a spoon or spatula to press the veggies down into the mung bean batter. Sprinkle thyme and oregano on top.
- Bake for 40 minutes, until the filling is set and the edges are browned. Cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing.
- To store, let the frittata cool completely, then cover and store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Notes
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I’ve been enjoying this recipe, thank you 🙂 Is there any way too make it a little more fluffly/less dense?
So glad you’ve been enjoying it! You can try adding more baking powder (maybe a teaspoon?) and cutting back on the liquid. When I first made this I used 1 cup of water for 1 cup of beans, and the result was more of a bread-like texture. I wanted it more dense, but you might like it with 240ml of water instead. Let me know how it goes! 🙂