Smashed Tofu Tacos
with sun dried tomato salsa
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As a card-carrying tofu lover, it feels kind of odd to say that tofu is having a moment. But it really is, isn’t it?
It feels like I’m seeing tofu just about everywhere right now, and I couldn’t be happier. It feels like the explosion in vegan food that happened like seven years ago just somehow skipped tofu. We were all so desperate for some plant-based protein that we’re only now realising that tofu was there all along! Perhaps it’s because tofu was (and still is) the butt of so many anti-vegan jokes, but it feels like the hype around tofu was criminally insufficient. So instead, manufacturers created about seventy different kinds of vegan burger.
But as someone who feels panicked if there’s less than a kilo of tofu in my fridge, I’m here to tell you that tofu was here the whole time, just patiently waiting for you to put down your pea protein hot dog.
This recipe uses mashed tofu, seasoned with soy and tomato puree and spices for all that extra flavour. It’s then pressed into a flour tortilla before being dry-fried to crispy toasted perfection. I saw someone on instagram doing this with beef and my first thought was that tofu wouldn’t stick to the tortilla in the same way (I was wrong). My second thought was that the tofu wouldn’t brown or get crispy in the same way (I was also wrong about this bit).
I also tried this recipe with masa corn tortillas and it worked beautifully too. I stuck with flour tortillas though because they’re bigger which means more filling (and we know, I’m a bulk feeder).
Speaking of filling, I was going to make a really elaborate salsa roja for these tacos (roasted tomatoes, garlic, onions) but then the second heatwave of the year kicked off and I started sweating at the thought of turning the oven on. So instead, I grabbed a tub of sun dried tomatoes from the “picky bits” section of the supermarket and made a fresh salsa instead. Because the tomatoes are partly dried (I used the ones that are only semi-dried, but still nice and juicy) the salsa still has that roasted vibe, all without even touching the dial on the oven.
Finish off with some finely shredded cabbage and a few wedges of avocado and you’re onto a winner.
My blog is full of some really great tofu recipes, but I’m especially proud of some of the ones you’ll find in my upcoming cookbook Stress Free Dinners. Let me show you some of my favourites.
Chapter: No-Cook Nights
Speedy Silken Tofu with Smacked Cucumber Salad
This one’s another heat-wave special, because it doesn’t involve any cooking whatsoever. Lots of recipes try to mask the soft, gentle texture of silken tofu, but this one celebrates it, with a contrastingly bold gochujang peanut butter sauce. The cucumber salad is mind-blowingly refreshing and the entire thing is ready in 15 minutes.
Chapter: Super-Quick Suppers
Kitchen Sink Fried Rice
The only thing better than a tofu recipe that takes 16 minutes to cook is one that also uses up all the veggies in the fridge. This one’s designed to do just that. I’ve always loved writing recipes that are designed to be customised by you, and this is one of those ones. Tiny cubes of golden brown extra firm tofu are like little gold nuggets. Such a dream dinner!
Chapter: Dining Solo
Buffalo Tofu Flatbread Pizza
This one uses a flatbread for a quick convenient pizza base, topped with buffalo marinated tofu, fresh jalapenos, crispy onions and fresh chives. I loved this recipe so much, I put it on the cover of the new book! Oh, and, for the month of July, world-famous vegan pizza restaurant Purezza are putting their version of this on their menu! Meaning you can eat this book without having to cook this book! Just head to any Purezza branch (London, Brighton or Manchester) before the end of July.
The full recipe for my Smashed Tofu Tacos is at the bottom of this post. This week it’s totally free, but if you want to say thanks, consider upgrading your membership here. You’ll get instant access to every recipe and every newsletter I’ve ever posted to Substack.
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OH and don’t forget to pre-order my new cook book! It’s out 16th July in all good book stores, online and IRL!
No weekly catch-up this week but here’s your dog tax (would I deny you her beauty?? Never!) This is her refusing to leave my car because she was enjoying the AC too much.
Smashed Tofu Tacos with Sun Dried Tomato Salsa
Makes 8 tacos
Ingredients
For the tofu
400g medium-firm tofu (14 oz)
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tsp chipotle chilli paste
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp tomato puree
1 tbsp olive oil
For the sun-dried tomato salsa
115g sun-dried tomatoes (4 oz), finely diced
115g cherry tomatoes (4 oz), finely diced
1/4 red onion, finely diced
2 tsp chipotle chilli paste
Juice of 1 lime
Pinch of flaky sea salt
To serve
1/2 sweet cabbage (about 250g/9 oz), finely shredded
1 ripe avocado, thinly sliced
8 small flour tortillas
Lime wedges
Instructions
Place the tofu in a large bowl and use a fork to mash it until it resembles coarse mince with no large chunks remaining.
Add the dark soy sauce, chipotle chilli paste, smoked paprika, tomato puree and olive oil. Mix well until the tofu is evenly coated.
In a separate bowl, combine the sun-dried tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, red onion, chipotle chilli paste, lime juice and flaky sea salt. Stir well and set aside while you cook the tacos.
Divide the tofu mixture evenly between the tortillas, spooning a mound into the centre of each one. Use the back of a spoon to spread it into an even layer, pressing it right to the edges so the tofu adheres to the tortillas.
Heat a large dry non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Working in batches if necessary, place the tortillas tofu-side down into the pan and cook for 4–5 minutes, or until the tofu is deeply browned and crisp.
Carefully flip the tortillas and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute, just until the tortillas are lightly golden and warmed through.
Top each taco with a generous handful of shredded sweet cabbage, 2–3 slices of avocado and plenty of the sun-dried tomato salsa. Serve immediately with lime wedges for squeezing over.