Ever wondered how to cook with tofu?
Tofu is one of our favourite vegan protein sources to cook with. It’s so versatile; it works in almost every cuisine, and it can also be used in both sweet and savoury dishes. What’s not to love?! We’ve rounded up our favourite six easy ways to cook with tofu.
01. SCRAMBLED TOFU
Looking for the perfect vegan scrambled egg alternative? Tofu is your best friend! It has a great texture and absorbs any flavour you add to it. Crumble the block into a pan, add a pinch of turmeric for that familiar yellow colour, and lots of nutritional yeast for that egg umami flavour. Perfect on toast, in a fry up, or cooked into a vegan shakshuka.
02. MARINATED TOFU SLICES
The simplest way to cook things can sometimes be the best! We love to slice a firm block of tofu, marinate it in a soy-based sauce, then lightly fry it with its marinade. It goes perfectly in a bowl of ramen with steamed veggies, pickled ginger and sesame seeds. Easy, quick and tasty! It’s best to use extra-firm tofu for this or press your tofu at home.
03. CRISPY TOFU CUBES
This is our favourite way to cook tofu. The super crispy outside and the soft inside is just delicious to us! The key to getting it crispy is to coat the tofu in cornflour first, after chopping into cubes. You can get creative and add other ingredients into the flour, depending on what cuisine you’re making. We always add a pinch of salt and pepper as a base. We usually use this method to cook tofu for stir-frys, with either a peanut satay sauce or a Korean gochujang sauce. Serve with your favourite veggies and some rice or noodles.
04. CRUNCHY COATED TOFU NUGGETS
Are you missing chicken nuggets but not a fan of fake meat? We feel you! Tofu can be used to create the most delicious crispy nuggets, perfect for dipping in tomato ketchup. Cut your tofu block into large triangular pieces and then coat in an extra crunchy coating. You could use breadcrumbs, cornflakes, whatever takes your fancy! Either shallow fry in oil for a lovely golden crunch, or bake in the oven as an oil-free alternative.
05. CREAMY SILKEN TOFU SAUCE
Silken tofu is another form of tofu. It comes in a carton, and it’s much softer and has a higher liquid content that the firm stuff we use in other recipes. This makes it a fab option for using in sauces. It gives things a lovely creamy texture, as well as adding some extra protein to your dishes. We’ve used it to make creamy pasta sauces for things like carbonaras or alfredo sauces. It works particularly well when mixed with nutritional yeast, vegan cream or cheese.
06. CREAMY CHOCOLATE POTS
Using tofu in a dessert may not be the first way you would imagine using it. However, we think it works very well, particularly in sauces or liquid-based dishes where you need a creamy texture. Mix it with melted chocolate, maple syrup, and salt, then refrigerate for a decadent chocolate mousse dessert.
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