Take meatless Monday to the next level with this scrumptious vegan tofu sandwich, filled with cucumber slices, spinach leaves, grated beetroot and creamy guacamole. It features thin slabs of pan-seared tofu, doused in the best tofu marinade: peanut butter, Sriracha hot sauce, garlic, and soy sauce whizzed together to create a flavour-packed tofu recipe
½cucumberlarge, washed, cut into rounds, medium thickness
1cupspinachsalad, ⅓ cup for each sandwich
½beetrootlarge, washed, peeled, grated, ⅓ portion for each sandwich
Instructions
Drain tofu: Use a clean kitchen towel to soak up the excess liquid, and pat it dry.
Cut the tofu block into thin slabs: 3-4 mm thick. You should end up with about 35 tofu slabs
Prepare the tofu marinade by combining peanut butter, soy sauce, water, garlic, and Sriracha hot sauce in a medium container.
Add the tofu slabs to the spicy tofu marinade, place the lid and shake the container gently to coat the pieces. Marinate for 30 minutes.
Fry the tofu in three batches — Heat 1 tsp of oil in a large pan. Fry tofu slabs for 5 minutes, on medium/high heat, until golden brown on both sides. Use tongs to turn pieces gently. Remove from the pan and repeat with the remaining two batches of tofu.
Now assemble the tofu sandwich. Divide the cooked tofu slabs into three portions. Slather a thick layer of guacamole on two slices of bread to make one sandwich. Arrange six cucumber rounds on one bread slice. Pile one portion of the spicy tofu slabs. Top with ⅓ cup of spinach leaves and a ⅓ of the grated beetroot. Place the second bread slice on top and enjoy. Repeat to make two more sandwiches.
Notes
Prepare the tofu. Before you do anything to the tofu, squeeze out the excess fluid and use a clean tea towel to soak up the dripping liquid. You could place a heavy pot on top of the covered tofu to drain the excess fluid. There are no hard and fast rules on preparing tofu. Cut into small slabs so that it's packed with flavour.
Marinate it. The longer, the better; however, if you're strapped for time, 30 minutes is better than no time. Remember, strong, rich and bold marinades work really well - don't be shy to experiment.
Turn up the heat. When pan-searing tofu, you certainly want to turn up that heat. High heat, coupled with some fat, will give you that lovely crispy coating and prevent the tofu from sticking to the pan.
Talking of pans, choose non-stick every time. You can't ignore this. Despite your best efforts in prepping it, the pieces will fall apart by sticking to the pan. Prepare for success with a good quality non-stick pan; it's definitely worth it.
Make it crispier by coating it. This is a simple method to achieve crispy tofu. I use either arrowroot flour or corn starch to dust the tofu pieces before searing them in the pan.
Prepare the tofu the night before to minimize prep time.
Adjust the spiciness by adding more or less sriracha.
Use low sodium soy sauce to reduce salt intake.
The tofu will store well in the fridge or freezer.
Nutrition Facts
Pan-Seared Peanut Butter Tofu Sandwich | Easy And Healthy Recipes
Amount Per Serving
Calories 376Calories from Fat 144
% Daily Value*
Fat 16g25%
Saturated Fat 3g15%
Trans Fat 1g
Sodium 900mg38%
Potassium 668mg19%
Carbohydrates 38g13%
Fiber 5g20%
Sugar 8g9%
Protein 21g42%
Vitamin A 1009IU20%
Vitamin C 11mg13%
Calcium 156mg16%
Iron 5mg28%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Please note the nutritional analysis values are estimates and suggestions. This nutrition facts table does not know your life - your body, including your hunger and satiety cues, change daily. It's okay to eat more or less. Say no to food guilt and instead embrace mindful eating.