Building Block Recipe: Lemony Baked Tofu

Lemony Baked Tofu by An Unrefined Vegan

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 by An Unrefined Vegan

Lemony Baked Tofu by An Unrefined VeganLemony Baked Tofu by An Unrefined Vegan

Lemony Baked Tofu by An Unrefined Vegan

Baked Lemony Tofu by An Unrefined Vegan

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Lemony Baked Tofu

  • Author: Annie
  • 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

Scale

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

  1. Press tofu for several hours or overnight. You really want to get it as firm and dry as possible.
  2. 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

  1. Whisk together all of the ingredients and store in the refrigerator until needed.

Bake the tofu

  1. 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.
  2. 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

 Baked Lemony Tofu by An Unrefined Vegan

Baked Lemony Tofu by An Unrefined Vegan

35 thoughts on “Building Block Recipe: Lemony Baked Tofu

  1. tearoomdelights

    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.

    Reply
  2. janae @ bring joy

    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!

    Reply
  3. emmycooks

    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. 🙂

    Reply
  4. Cadry's Kitchen

    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.

    Reply
  5. Maggie Muggins

    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.

    Reply
  6. Gabby @ the veggie nook

    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!

    Reply
  7. Pingback: Oil-free, Gluten-free Easy Vegan Spicy Baked Tofu

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