Lemony Baked Tofu (inspired by the delicious banh mi sandwiches at Oh Mai in Salt Lake City, Utah) is a simple recipe that can easily be broken down into short, manageable steps. With a “building block” recipe like this, you can follow the technique and easily change up the flavors. What I like about this technique is that the resulting baked tofu is firm and chewy with concentrated flavor – perfect for layering onto crusty bread with a zesty olive tapenade, roasted red peppers, spicy fresh arugula, or hummus. Or, thinly slice and sprinkle over salad or tomato soup.
I use a TofuXpress to effectively remove the liquid from tofu. An EZ Tofu Press also works well. I use one or the other of these products nearly every day, making them very cost-effective (they aren’t cheap!) over the long run. This recipe also calls for a little bit of lemon oil. Not necessary, but it adds an extra powerful zing of lemon.
Lemony Baked Tofu
- Prep Time: 1440
- Cook Time: 30
- Total Time: 1470
Description
Follow a few easy steps to tofu deliciousness with this “building block” recipe. Use in sandwiches or on top of salads or soups. Makes a healthy snack, too!
Ingredients
Tofu
- 1 14-ounce block extra-firm tofu
Marinade
- 1/2 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1/4 cup lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
- zest of 1 lemon
- 1 Tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce, tamari, or Bragg Liquid Aminos
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp. lemon oil
- pinch turmeric, for color (optional)
- 1 garlic clove, minced
Instructions
Prepare the tofu
- Press tofu for several hours or overnight. You really want to get it as firm and dry as possible.
- Layer a baking sheet (I used a quarter sheet) with parchment paper or paper towels. Set aside. Cut the tofu into very thin slices. You should get 18-20 per block of tofu. Place the slices of tofu onto the paper towels; stacking layers is fine. Cover slices with more parchment paper or paper towels, top with another baking sheet and place in the freezer overnight.
Make the marinade
- Whisk together all of the ingredients and store in the refrigerator until needed.
Bake the tofu
- When you’re ready to bake the tofu, remove the pan from the freezer and let the slices thaw. At first the slices will be dark yellow, but they’ll return to white once thawed.
- Preheat the oven to 425-degrees F. Place the slices into a baking pan or sheet and pour the marinade over top. Again, don’t worry about having the slices in one layer. Bake the tofu for about 30 minutes or until the marinade is nearly absorbed. The edges of the slices should be brown and the tofu should be fairly dry. Let the slices cool as they’ll firm up even more. They are now ready to use in sandwiches.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 101
- Sugar: 1
- Sodium: 252
- Fat: 6
- Saturated Fat: 1
- Unsaturated Fat: 5
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 4
- Protein: 10
- Cholesterol: 0
I love your accent! Great wee video, and those sandwiches look delicious. It often amazes me that I’m reading your blog straight after my breakfast, when I shouldn’t really be hungry, but I get the munchies for whatever you’ve made.
I have the classic midwestern accent, Lorna. Nasally, flat. I’ve been away from Cleveland (Ohio) for almost 30 years now, but you can still hear it in my voice!
I love the video! Don’t be put off making more! Good tips for cooking tofu too xx
Thanks for the encouragement, Rebecca! Truth is, making How Dos is addictive!
Tofu is the best, I have never tried it with lemon though, love to try it 😀
Cheers
CCU
Everything’s better w/ lemon… 🙂
I’m seeing a virtual vegan how to event in your future….great job and a must try recipe now!
Ha! You never know…
that was easy step buy step guide to make this fabulous looking Lemon tofu recipe. I think yuzu would go great with this recipe too.
Great video! I haven’t frozen tofu before…thinking I should try it though.
I love all things lemony 🙂
It makes quite a difference in the texture. I don’t do it every time, but for some tofu recipes it works really well.
I never get tired of new variations on tofu! Definitely making this!
I never get tired of a new tofu recipe! Can’t wait to try it!
Me either, Laura!
Isn’t it funny how one negative remark/comment can really set you back? I take things waaay to personally myself, & admire those who just let that kind of stuff slide. Glad you gave it another go!
Thanks, Janae. I know it. At my age, you’d think I’d be well past those feelings! I’m getting better at letting negative stuff roll off my back, but some things still get to me.
Lovely recipe, wrote it down, sounds absolutely delicious!
The lemon comes through so nicely!
That was exactly my impression! Thanks for sharing it 🙂
Well, now I want a banh mi immediately. 🙂 This tofu sounds perfect for tasty vegetarian sandwich action!
I know, right?!
Thank you so much for this recipe–I love baked tofu!
Courtney
Me too!
I love having baked tofu in the fridge, it makes meals so easy. And I’ve never heard of a tofuXpress but the picture at the top of the page–a plate, a jar, a can, another plate, books, a VW bug, etc. piled on top of the tofu–made me laugh because that’s totally me. 🙂
Oh! My mouth is watering! Lovely recipe!
Thanks, Susan!
Well done! I always love Susmitha’s HowDo videos too. I like the clear and concise manner of the HowDo videos. They’re quick and streamlined. You did a really nice job on yours! I rarely freeze my tofu before baking. I should do it more often.
Sounds lovely. Such a great way to enjoy a hearty sandwich without meat!
Thanks for sharing this recipe. I found it an easy and delicious way to bake tofu. I even experimented with some of my own marinades that worked quit well.
Excellent! So glad to hear that! Do you have a favorite marinade?
Great video and the tofu sounds delicious! Even if you get one negative comment, just remember that there are a whole bunch of positive ones to counteract it. Besides, maybe that person was a just a crankypants that day.
Thanks, Maggie! Can’t let a Crankypants get ya down!
What a great format to share recipes! Don’t let the haters deter you from what you want and love to do! Haters will always hate- rise above and realize how awesome you are! Because let’s face it- you’re fantastic!
This looks delicious and a great basic recipe to have on hand!
Thanks, Gabby! So lucky to have such good blogging buddies :-).
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