Sandwich Week continues with this Vegan Tofu Sandwich! While I’m an omnivore myself, I have many vegans in my life I absolutely love to cook for. Vegan eating does not have to be boring, people! It can be delicious and full of exciting ingredients. This vegan tofu sandwich is so exciting that you’re going to want it on repeat.

How to Prepare Your Tofu

Of course, the first ingredient in our vegan tofu sandwich is tofu! If you don’t like tofu now, prepare to become a convert! When prepared correctly, it is so crispy and lovely to eat. To make it crispy, you need to press it to release all the water. Wrap it in a cloth, then put something heavy but not too heavy that it will break the tofu. We used our seven inch cast iron to press it and it worked perfectly.

Once the water is released, we can put it in the marinade. My favorite marinade is a combination of water, tamari, dried herbs and spices. It brings such amazing flavor to the tofu without anything overpowering. After it marinates, all you have to do is sauté it up a few minutes per side and you will have beautiful, delicious, and crispy tofu!

What Goes Into Your Tofu Sandwich

After your tofu is prepared, you are ready to start assembling your sandwich! You can use your choice of bread, but I recommend sourdough. It’s hearty enough to handle everything in your tofu sandwich, but it’s not so much bread that it’s unmanageable to eat.

My absolute favorite magic elixir for this sandwich is Pistachio Pesto. It’s creamy and luscious and is the perfect pairing with the crispy tofu. In addition to the pesto, we also added my Vegan Charred Scallion Dressing. It’s truly next level and every time I have it I am just more and more blown away by it.

To finish the sandwich, we added giardiniera, avocado, tomatoes, arugula, and Marinated Red Onions. This is where you can get creative with what you have on hand. You can certainly follow the recipe closely, but you can also use up some stuff in the fridge and have some fun with it to bring your vegan tofu sandwich to life!

If you make this vegan tofu sandwich, be sure you rate and review it below. If you’re looking for more inspiration, sign up for our Friday Favorites newsletter, and follow along on Pinterest, Instagram, and TikTok to join in all the fun!

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Vegan Tofu Sandwich

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  • Author: Teri Turner
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 2 sandwiches
  • Category: Lunch
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Sandwich
Print Recipe

Description

This vegan tofu sandwich is so luscious and delicious! You’ll love it for lunch or dinner whether you are a vegan or not!

Ingredients

For the Tofu

  •   1 pound extra-firm Tofu
  •   1 cup water
  •   ¼ cup tamari
  •   1 teaspoon kosher salt
  •   ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  •   ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  •   ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  •   ½ teaspoon onion powder
  •   ½ teaspoon dried basil
  •   ½ teaspoon dried dill
  •   4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

For the Sandwich

  •   Vegan butter
  •   4 slices of sourdough bread
  •   Pistachio Pesto
  •   1 to 2 tablespoons chopped giardiniera, optional
  •   1 avocado, cut into slices, divided
  •   Vegan Charred Scallion Dressing
  •   Seasonal tomato, cut in slices (or tomato confit if making this in winter)
  •   ½ cup arugula, divided
  •   Marinated Red Onions
  •   Kosher salt

Instructions

Make the Tofu

  1.   To release the moisture from the tofu, wrap the block of tofu in paper towel or in a kitchen towel. Place a heavy pot or plate on top of the wrapped tofu to weigh it down and squeeze out excess moisture. Let sit for about 10 minutes, the block will feel firmer.
  2.   Next, slice the tofu lengthwise into 5 or 6, ½-inch-thick, planks.
  3.   In a medium bowl add the water, tamari, salt, pepper, dried oregano, roasted garlic, onion powder, dried basil, and dried dill. Stir to combine.  In a large container place the tofu planks and pour the marinade over the tofu to coat completely. Refrigerate for 2 hours or, preferably, overnight.
  4.   In a large sauté pan, heat 4 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the tofu planks and cook until golden brown, for about 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Add ¼ cup of the marinade and cook for about 2 to 4 minutes, or until it reduces to a thick glaze. Remove from heat and set aside.

Assemble the Sandwich

  1.   Spread vegan butter on the bread slices, then toast them.
  2.   Assemble the sandwiches by generously spreading pistachio pesto on one side of 2 of the toasted slices. Add the giardiniera, if using, on top of the pistachio pesto, then add the avocado slices. Drizzle on the vegan charred scallion dressing and arrange the tomato slices. On the other 2 toasted slices, layer the tofu, arugula and marinated red onions and a drizzle of the red onion oil. Sprinkle salt over onions an arugula, close the sandwiches and enjoy.