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Tofu Sandwich Recipe With Spicy Vegan Mayo

Written by MasterClass

Last updated: Oct 4, 2022 • 3 min read

Protein-packed tofu makes for an excellent vegan sandwich filling. Fry the tofu to mimic your favorite fried chicken sandwich, or add vegan bacon for a plant-based BLT.

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What Is A Tofu Sandwich?

A tofu sandwich is a vegan sandwich using extra-firm tofu and other sandwich toppings like lettuce, slaw, and vegan mayo. Extra-firm tofu works the best for a tofu sandwich because it has less moisture, so it keeps its shape better. Use hamburger buns or slices of vegan bread, similar to making a fried chicken sandwich. Jump to recipe.

3 Tips For Making Tofu Sandwich

Use the three tips below for making a hearty tofu sandwich:

  1. 1. Fry the tofu. Crispy tofu is crunchy on the outside and soft and silky on the inside with a bit of chew. Mimic the flavors and textures of a fried chicken sandwich by seasoning the tofu with garlic powder, paprika, and cayenne pepper. Dredge the tofu in flour and pan-fry it until it’s crispy and golden brown. Sprinkle coarse sea salt on the fried tofu while it’s still hot.
  2. 2. Marinate the tofu. Make a marinade with tamari (gluten-free soy sauce), maple syrup, cornstarch, hot sauce, garlic powder, and onion powder, and let the tofu sit in it for about thirty minutes. Tofu is porous, especially when pressed, and soaks up the marinade quickly. Pat the marinated tofu dry with paper towels to remove excess marinade.
  3. 3. Thoroughly press the tofu. Even extra-firm tofu has some excess moisture. Wrap the tofu in a kitchen towel, then place a heavy object—such as a sheet pan, cast-iron skillet, or heavy frying pan—on top of the tofu to weigh it down. Keep an eye on the tofu, as you don’t want it to break under the weight. Add weight gradually until all the liquid is gone, but the tofu remains intact.

3 Ways To Serve Tofu Sandwich

Try any of the three serving options for a vegan tofu sandwich:

  1. 1. Add vegan bacon to the tofu sandwich. Imitate the flavors of classic bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich by adding vegan bacon to a tofu sandwich. There are many ways to make vegan bacon, such as from mushrooms, carrots, coconut, or seitan. The meat alternatives have liquid smoke, brown sugar, and other smokey ingredients to imitate the bacon flavor.
  2. 2. Serve a tofu sandwich as a panino. A pressed sandwich from Italy, a tofu panino gets toasted in a panini maker, so both sides of the bread get crispy and golden brown. This process flattens the sandwich, too, making it easier to eat if there are a lot of ingredients in the sandwich.
  3. 3. Serve a tofu sandwich with classic sandwich sides. Chips, cold salads, and french fries pair well with a vegan tofu sandwich.

Simple Homemade Tofu Sandwich Recipe

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makes

4 sandwiches

prep time

20 min

total time

40 min

cook time

20 min

Ingredients

Note: The total time does not include 45 minutes of inactive time.

For the tofu marinade:

1 package extra-firm tofu
¼ cup soy sauce (or tamari)
1 tablespoon maple syrup
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard

For frying the tofu:

1 cup canola oil (or another neutral oil)
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup cornstarch

For the sandwich:

8 slices bread
½ cup vegan mayonnaise
3 tablespoons hot sauce
3 ounces arugula
1 large tomato, sliced
1 red onion, sliced
Salt and pepper to taste

Press and marinate the tofu:

  1. 1

    Wrap the tofu in a kitchen towel.

  2. 2

    Place a baking sheet on top of the tofu, and set a heavy skillet on top of the baking sheet.

  3. 3

    Press the tofu for 15 minutes.

  4. 4

    Cut the block of tofu into 4 thick, even slices.

  5. 5

    In a square baking dish, combine the soy sauce, maple syrup, olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and Dijon mustard.

  6. 6

    Rub the marinade all over the tofu.

  7. 7

    Let the pressed tofu sit in the marinade for 30 minutes.

Fry the tofu:

  1. 1

    Heat the canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

  2. 2

    In a large bowl, combine the all-purpose flour and cornstarch.

  3. 3

    Remove the tofu from the marinade and pat it dry with a paper towel.

  4. 4

    Coat the tofu slices in the flour and cornstarch mixture.

  5. 5

    Fry the tofu, 2 pieces at a time, until crispy and golden brown, about 5 minutes per side.

  6. 6

    Drain the fried tofu on paper towels.

Assemble the vegan tofu sandwich:

  1. 1

    Toast the bread.

  2. 2

    In a small bowl, combine the vegan mayonnaise and hot sauce.

  3. 3

    Spread some of the spicy mayonnaise on each slice of bread.

  4. 4

    Season the sliced tomatoes with salt and black pepper.

  5. 5

    Layer on the fried tofu, arugula, sliced tomato, and sliced onion.

  6. 6

    Cut the sandwich in half.

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