27 Tofu Recipes That Will Change The Way You Think About Vegan Food (2024)

FAQs

How do you make tofu more interesting? ›

Use a steak marinade, grill with onions and barbecue sauce, and serve on a toasted bun at your next BBQ. Cube it, coat with cornstarch, pan fry, and serve with honey mustard and sweet potato fries for super-easy "chicken" nuggets.

Basic tofu is a completely vegan product.

It is made from soybeans (i.e. plants) and set using non-animal coagulants such as calcium sulphate or magnesium chloride. With a firm texture and a capacity to take on other flavours, it is a popular ingredient in vegan and vegetarian cooking around the globe.

For Baking

Tofu is simply curdled soy milk, so heating and adding liquid result in a similar consistency that's also creamy, moist and rich. In baking, four tablespoons or 1/4 cup of silken tofu can substitute a single egg.

Tofu is categorized as silken, regular, firm, extra-firm and super-firm. Silken, the softest type of tofu, can be compared to a young white cheese. Firm tofu, the most common, has the same consistency as feta, while the texture of super-firm can be compared to that of meat.

Tofu is low in calories but high in protein and fat. It also contains many important vitamins and minerals, including calcium and manganese.

Incorporating tofu into your daily meals and snacks can bring several health benefits. Those benefits include brain health promotion, ease of menopause symptoms, and heart disease prevention. However, eating tofu has some risks, as it might lead to digestive issues or interact with certain medications like MAOIs.

Similarly, the American Cancer Society sees no dangers from eating soy. "For the vast majority of people, it should be reasonable to incorporate tofu in their daily diet without any issues," Sun said.

Fermented soy products also contain microbes which could act as a probiotic if these microbes escape digestion in the upper gut, such as tofu, which commonly contains Bacillus, Enterococcus, Streptococcus, Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria [27].

Tofu is great for egg substitutions in recipes that call for a lot of eggs, such as quiches or custards. To replace one egg in a recipe, purée 1/4 cup of soft tofu. It's important to keep in mind that although tofu doesn't fluff up like eggs, it does create a texture that's perfect for “eggy” dishes.

Is tofu as good as eggs? ›

Head to head, tofu scramble and scrambled eggs are nutritionally comparable and both healthy choices. They are complete sources of protein, providing all essential amino acids; are low in calories; and relatively low in saturated fat.

Mashed Tofu.

Using tofu to replace half the butter reduces calories, fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium by about half.

Where firm tofu might crumble or silken tofu might fall apart, spongy tofu simply jiggles and bounces, like an omnipotent Jell-O. Under heat, especially moist heat, this structure shapeshifts, puffing up to triple its size and becoming pillowy, tender, and silky. This mouthfeel is unique among tofu and other proteins.

This pink tofu is made from red lentils but unlike other red lentil tofu, it's high protein and low carb.

Known as "mao doufu," this unique Anhui delicacy is a must-try for adventurous food lovers. The tofu is fermented for weeks. During this period, it develops a white, velvety coating that gives it its "hairy" appearance. But don't let looks deceive you – this delicacy packs a powerful punch of tangy, umami flavor!

Press tofu and cube it. Coat it in garlic, black pepper, salt (plus more of your favourite seasonings), liquid aminos and some olive oil. Then mix it into some cornstarch and toss it all together, then bake for about 20 minutes. Cornstarch also helps to draw out excess moisture so it really gets the tofu crispy.

Soy sauce: Marinating tofu in soy sauce helps the tofu absorb flavor quickly. You can mix soy sauce with sesame oil and rice vinegar for a punchier marinade. If you want a similar taste but cannot eat soy sauce because of dietary restrictions, try using tamari, a gluten-free soy sauce, or coconut aminos.

Because you can create whatever you want out of it! The flavor of tofu won't matter because whatever marinade you add, it soaks it up! It takes on the flavor of whatever your heart desires. Once you nail the texture, you're going to have so much fun creating new and fun dishes that make tofu taste good.