Back in the day when I was a baby vegan, and by baby I mean a new vegan because I was already a grown ass woman, I wasn’t a big tofu fan. Not just blocks of tofu but anything that was made with tofu was just kind of…blah.
And then about 2 or 3 years later there was an explosion of vegan food products on the market in Germany and my dislike of tofu was no longer an issue.
And then I had this amazing Korean hot pot dish which contained several types of tofu. And I’m not talking about products made with tofu, either. There was silken tofu, firm tofu and then puffy tofu and you know what? They were all so, so good. So good it kind of blew my mind actually.
Who knew, right?
Well it turns out that Asians knew because tofu is a staple part of their diet whether or not they also eat animals.
So over the years I’ve been taking tips and advice from various vegan food creators to make the best tofu recipes I can, and both me and the hubs have been impressed and satisfied.
About The Tofu
This particular recipe used Vemondo brand tofu, which I prefer to the Take It Veggie brand because it’s firm tofu but not quite as firm as TIV, which allows it to soak up flavors better. But you know what? It also tastes better on it’s own. Don’t get me wrong, I’m never gonna be the person who just eats plain tofu straight from the package but a simple side-by-side taste test results in a Vemondo winner.
This softer tofu was perfect for marinating because all the holes allowed the flavors to get all kinds of soaked up!
Scoring the Tofu
This vegan recipe appealed so much because it was so pretty. Why? Because the top was scored and I did that too. Full disclosure, one brick was a little too scored and it started to fall apart as I placed it into the marinade. Just don’t go too deep and you’ll be fine.
Place the tofu score side up in the dish and drizzle marinade over the top so it gets into all the nooks and crannies.
The Marinade
My initial thoughts for this recipe came from a Pinterest image for “tofu salmon”. The image was beautiful with a scored top and vibrant color. None of the ingredients were particularly salmon-y, which was fine because I’m not one of those vegans who loves for things to taste like the used to, but it was good.
Here’s what you’ll need for the marinade:
*Soy sauce & dark soy sauce
*Rice vinegar
*Broth
*Agave syrup
*Sriracha (any hot sauce)
*Salt & pepper
*Sesame oil
Place all the ingredients into a container with a lid that’s deep enough to fit an entire brick of tofu. The marinade won’t cover it completely but once you place the tofu into the dish, you’ll want to give it a solid shake.
The thing with marinating tofu always comes down to time. Even this recipe that drew me in suggested 30 minutes, which is honestly laughable. It’s convenient, sure, but the time it takes to whip up a marinade isn’t really worth the effort because there won’t be much flavor.
I did it early in the morning and let it go until evening, so I’d recommend at least a few hours to really amp up the flavor.
Cooking Marinated Tofu
I decided to get the most out of this easy vegan recipe by following the recipe instructions and cooking it on the stove top. A little spritz of sesame oil in the skillet and I cooked it on medium-high about 4 minutes on each side, using a pair of tongs to flip them, until they were crispy.
Then I transferred it to the oven 200C/400F for about 10 minutes, maybe less. I just kept it in there for the time it took me to make the bed of noodles, which was super simple with cooked scallions, ginger and garlic, tossed with a simple sauce.
Verdict
If you love tofu or if you think you hate tofu, this marinated tofu came out super delicious. Both me and the hubs loved the tofu SO, SO much. I’d recommend it and I would definitely make it again.
What’s your secrets to a good vegan marinade?
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The Spicy Spatula 
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