Seven or eight years ago, I discovered the SoyBoy brand of smoked tofu at a local grocery store. It’s a game-changer.
This isn’t the first time I’ve tried store-bought pickled grilled tofu. Some major tofu brands in the United States also sell flavored tofu, such as teriyaki, sesame, ginger, lemon, and pepper.
But this is the first time I’ve tried a commercially flavored tofu that I’ve fallen in love with – it rivals my homemade favorites, including roasted balsamic tofu and grilled teriyaki tofu cubes.
I started buying as much of this brand of tofu as I could. I use it to make bowls, pasta, and toast. It became part of my avocado toast recipe in my cookbook, The Power Plate.
I still buy SoyBoy smoked tofu whenever I find it, but it’s getting harder and harder to find it in the store.
Best of all, not all readers can find SoyBoy’s products in their local store. Therefore, I feel bad about mentioning smoked tofu in my recipes.
For the past two years, I have been working on a project to make more of my own homemade vegan bases and staples, such as condiments, vegan cheese, stir-fried beans, vegan mayonnaise, and tomato sauce. Making these things at home is good for my wallet and my soul.
So, it was time to invent my smoked tofu recipe.
Why smoked tofu?
Now that I’m poetic, I should discuss why I love smoked tofu.
I like the smoky ones. This blog has many recipes for this flavor, including pasta, homemade stir-fried beans, sweet potato stuffing, soups, and more.
Besides, I’ve been eating plants for a long time.
Sometimes, the taste of meat is smoky. Smoked seasonings can add this dimension to vegetarian recipes, such as a vegan BLT sandwich or a sweet potato black bean burger.
Main ingredient: Smoked paprika
Most smoked tofu recipes call for liquid smoking. Liquid smoke, a flavoring agent derived from burning wood chips, is so robust that it brings out the smoke smell.
That said, I’ve never been a big fan of liquid smoke. I tasted too much-burnt wood when I used it as a seasoning. I find it a little overwhelming unless I’m very conservative about it.
On the other hand, smoked paprika adds a balanced smoky flavor.
Smoked paprika, also known as pimento or Spanish smoked paprika, is made by smoking red peppers, charring them over oak leaves or fire, and drying them.
The dried peppers are then ground into a fine powder and sold as spices for cooking.
For me, smoked paprika is softer, rounder, and more subtle than liquid smoke. But there is no denying that the smell of smoke is still powerful.
More and more people are finding smoked paprika in major grocery stores. However, you can also order online through a specialty store or a central website.
Is smoked paprika the same as regular paprika?
Pimenton differs from Hungarian paprika—often labeled simply as “red pepper”—and can usually be cooked with, too.
Both of these peppers are made from dried red peppers. However, only smoked paprika is made from peppers that have been smoked before drying, which is why it has such a unique flavor.
Regular and smoked paprika are sometimes labeled “sweet” or “spicy.” I tend to eat the sweet ones because I’m sensitive to heat.
Most of the smoked peppers you see in American grocery stores are sweet. Sometimes, they may be labeled pimenton dulce to distinguish them from pimenton picante(a spicy variety).
How to make smoked tofu
This dish is actually very simple: slice the tofu, marinate it, and bake it. Here are the steps.
Step 1: Slice the tofu
Cut the tofu into slices parallel to the short sides of the cubes.
The tofu slices should be between 1/4 and 3/8 inch thick or 6 mm and 1 cm thick.
Step 2: Place the tofu in a flat container with a lid
I spent much time soaking in tofu and tempeh. I learned that a rectangular sealed storage container with a lid is the most straightforward.
Flat means you can put things in one or several flat layers.
Because I often marinate proteins like tofu or tempeh for 2 hours or more—usually overnight while I sleep—the container also becomes a storage container.
As a bonus, sealing the container with a lid and gently shaking it makes it easy to disperse the marinade.
Step 3: Prepare the marinade
The marinade for this dish is simple: avocado oil (or other neutral vegetable oil), soy sauce (or soy sauce), vinegar, maple syrup, onion powder, and smoked paprika.
Smoked paprika, of course, which is the main ingredient here.
Step 4: Pour the marinade over the tofu slices
Once you’ve stirred the marinade together, you can pour it over the tofu slices in the container.
Step 5: Marinate overnight
My flavored tofu and tempeh recipes call for soaking the protein for 2 hours or more.
As for the smoked tofu, I suggest marinating it overnight. This way, the tofu will absorb more flavor, and the depth of flavor is significant in this recipe.
Step 6: Low and slow roast
“Low and slow” refers to cooking anything at a low temperature for a long time. This can produce a super tender texture or rich flavor.
The 325°F / 165°C temperature for baking tofu slices is not low. However, it is undoubtedly lower than the oven temperature at which I usually roast tofu.
I find that cooking at a more moderate heat is appropriate for this recipe. This locks in the smoky flavor and gives the tofu slices a slightly dehydrated, firm texture.
I love this texture for sandwiches and salads. When I think about it, I eat a lot of soft foods—soups, dips, grains, and beans—so I occasionally prefer chewy proteins.
The tofu slices should be baked in the oven for about 40 minutes. During cooking, be sure to turn them over on a baking sheet.
Step 7: Enjoy!
You can use tofu, a smoky, tasty vegetarian protein, wherever you like.
Method of using cured smoked tofu
My favorite place to put these chewy, delicious slices in a sandwich.
I’ll share one such sandwich recipe with you soon – I ate it many times last summer.
But the possibilities continue. I like to add slices to my breakfast plate in the same way you might add plant-based sausage or bacon; It goes exceptionally well with chickpea stir-fries.
I also use grilled smoked tofu in many cereal bowls and salads.
For example, in my pesto Justice Logan Blue salad, the vanillin pesto meets the rich, smoky tofu.
It’s a combination of ingredients that sounds strange on the surface, but it works.
For example, the smoked tofu contrasts with the bright citrus notes in my quinoa citrus tofu salad.
Finally, smoked tofu can be an interesting ingredient to add to soups or porridge. I like to use it as a topping for my vegetarian savory oatmeal, which includes vegetables and tofu.
You could also add the tofu to my savory steel-cut oatmeal.
As you can see, there are lots of possibilities here!
You can also add tofu to delicious steel-cut oatmeal.
As you can see, there are many possibilities here!
What kind of tofu should I use?
I chose “super firm” tofu for this dish, sometimes labeled as “high protein” tofu.
Super firm tofu has much water pressed out before it is packaged. It is denser, more concentrated, and “bites” more tightly than regular tofu.
Because tofu is compressed, all of its nutrients become more dense. This includes its protein content.
Two major tofu brands, Nasoya and Wildwood, sell super firm tofu across the United States.
If you can’t find this tofu nearby, don’t worry. Plain tofu labeled “extra firm” also works well in smoked tofu recipes.
What type of tofu should I use?
My tofu for this recipe is “super firm” tofu, sometimes labeled “high protein” tofu.
Super firm tofu has had much of its water content pressed out before packaging. It has a denser, more concentrated texture and firmer “bite” than regular, extra-firm tofu.
Because the tofu is compressed, all of its nutrition becomes denser. This includes its protein content.
A couple of significant tofu brands, Nasoya and Wildwood, sell super firm tofu across the US.
If you can’t find this type of tofu near you, don’t worry. Regular tofu labeled “extra firm” will also work well in the smoky recipe.
Meal preparation and storage
This tofu recipe is an excellent addition to any weekly vegetarian meal preparation routine.
Once baked, the tofu slices can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
They’re also great for freezing! You may find that the texture of the tofu slices changes a bit after thawing, but they’re still chewy, tasty, and a protein-rich treat, perfect for a healthy diet.
Ingredients
Eleven pounds of “super firm” or “high protein” tofu. Suppose this type of tofu is not available. In that case, it can be replaced with 14 ounces of extra firm tofu pressed tightly to remove excess water (455 grams of super firm tofu or 420 grams of regular extra firm tofu).
Two tablespoons of avocado oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce, tamari, or Bragg liquid amino acids
1/4 cup vegetable soup or vegetarian chicken soup (60 ml)
1/4 cup rice vinegar (60ml)
2 teaspoons maple syrup or agave syrup
1/2 TSP onion powder
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
Instructions
- Cut the tofu cubes crosswise into 1/2-inch (1.3 cm) thick slices. Place these slices into a large, flat, rectangular container with a lid, preferably in a single layer.
- Whisk the avocado oil, soy sauce, broth, vinegar, maple syrup, onion powder, and smoked paprika in a small bowl or Pyrex measuring cup. Pour the marinade over the tofu slices. Turn the pieces of meat over and soak both sides in the marinade. Close the lid and put it in the fridge. Marinate the slices overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit / 165 degrees Celsius. Remove the tofu pieces from the marinade and place them on a nonstick baking sheet (or a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or tinfoil), spreading in a single layer.
- Bake for 20 minutes. Turn them over with tongs or a spatula, then bake for another 15-20 minutes or until the slices are dark, dry, and crisp around the edges. Remove the slices from the oven. Serve or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
