Lunch

Whipped Peas on Toast with Za’atar spiced Tofu

Name: Whipped Peas on Toast with Za’atar spiced Tofu
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 17 min
Yield: 1
Ingredients: 100 g peas; 1 half avocado; 1 lime; 1 tsp garlic powder; 1 tsp cumin; 1 tbsp soy milk; 1 tsp nutritional yeast; 50-70 g tofu; 4-6 mushrooms; 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil; 1/2 tsp cumin; 1/2 tsp paprika; 1 tsp za'atar; 1 tsp soy sauce; 1 tsp maple syrup; 2 slices bread; pickled red onions; cilantro

Hannah Hendricks April 20, 2026

Servings: 1 Total Time: 17 mins Difficulty: Beginner

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Oh how I love viral recipes. Particularly when they include underdogs of nutritional veggies. Peas are wonderful in their balance of vitamins, minerals, protein and fiber! Here we are adding in fats from an avocado and some beloved EVOO for cooking the mushrooms and tofu. Additionally, good carbs from the toasts. A quick and tasty meal perfect for a busy lunch.

I know I prioritized talking about this recipe for my busy people out there, but — honestly — this one is for my LAZY folks and me. Like most recipes, timing and coordination, along with some multitasking, are the bigger hurdles. Toasting the toast, sauteing the tofu and mushrooms, heating up, then blending the peas, it’s a handful of things to keep track of, but doing them at the same time allows for this meal to come together in around 15 minutes.

I’ll talk about the ingredients for a moment, as I have tried different combinations and have settled on the ones listed below. Peas, of course, given that they are the star of the show and the main ingredient, are blended with avocado and soy milk (any plant-based milk works, but soy milk–my opinion–is creamier than most others). This makes the whipped peas creamy and fluffy, so they sit on the toast without dripping off and serve as a good base for the toppings. Lime juice will remove a bit of that garlicky flavor so it is not overpowering and complements the avocado’s flavor. Then cumin gives the whipped peas some extra, subtle flavor. If you want something cheesy, then adding in nutritional yeast will do the trick!

There are various flavors of the tofu-mushroom topper to experiment with. Teriyaki would give you that umami flavor, with a bit of sweet and salty. Perhaps you have some BBQ sauce to use up or an Italian-spiced balsamic glaze. In this recipe, we go for a savory-and-sweet za’atar-spiced variation. Adding sweet paprika, along with the maple syrup, gives us this sweeter take on the za’atar spice with a hint of saltiness from the soy sauce. As you may expect, I like this combination the best (that’s why it’s on the recipe card after all).

Garnishes are a “whatever tickles your pickle” type of deal. Always. My listings are merely suggestions of what I tend to use the most. Since the lime juice loses some of its punch when blended with the peas, adding something acidic like pickled red onions further complements the whipped peas. Cilantro is just my favorite herb, and when given the opportunity, I will be putting it on EVERYTHING.

Make sure you don’t add too much soy milk so that the blended mixture isn’t too runny.

In case you are curious, I do plan (somewhat) how I plate the food. On most any given day, I simply dump the pan’s contents straight over the toasts. The plate holds just as much topping as the toasts do, and that is what my chopsticks are for.

Now, time to break down the instructions. We will do them in pieces, even though the recipe card mixes them together.

Whipped Peas:

Using canned peas, simply drain, rinse, and measure out the quantity. If using frozen peas, add the measured amount to a microwave-safe dish and cover with water. Microwave for 1-2 minutes. Or you may steam the peas. If steamed or microwaved, leave them to sit on the countertop to cool to room temperature before blending.
To a blender, add in half of an avocado, spices, lime juice, and soy milk. Optional: add in nutritional yeast as well. Then go in with your room temperature peas.
Blend until the mixture is fluffy but also homogenous (the same everywhere).

Za’atar Spiced Tofu (& Mushrooms):

To a pan over medium heat, place in an even layer of the sliced mushrooms and let the water cook out. When the mushrooms begin to crisp on one side, flip them over and reduce the heat to medium-low.
Pour in a tsp of EVOO and swirl it around the pan. Then add the cubed tofu. Optional: You can crisp up the tofu by letting it cook on one side for a minute, then flipping. Add the spices and mix well. Then pour over the maple syrup and deglaze the pan with soy sauce.
Sauté for a few minutes to let the spices cook into the tofu and mushrooms.

Assembly:

Toast your choice in toast. If you want my recommendations, then go with one of these three: multi-grain, sourdough, or rye. Spoon your whipped peas onto a spoon and form a fluffy bed to top the za’atar-spiced tofu & mushrooms with. Then add any additional garnishes you like!

It is a very simple lunch, a few jugglings of time management. But the flavor is present and subtle, yet well-balanced with a mix of carbs, protein, and fats. (Fiber is a carb by the way!) A perfect, once viral recipe that is sure to please.