Marry Me Tofu
This Marry Me Tofu is anything but ordinary. The tofu is marinated in a savory blend of sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, and Italian herbs, baked until golden brown, and then tossed in the creamiest garlic-cashew sauce. An approachable dish that belongs on the menu of the trendiest restaurant in town!
Ingredients
Tofu
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) water
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) oil from the sun-dried tomatoes jar
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil
- 1 sun-dried tomato
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 clove of garlic
- 9 ounces (255 g) firm tofu
Cashew Cream
- 1/4 cup (37 g) raw cashews soaked overnight
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) water
- 2 tbsp (16 g) nutritional yeast
Marry Me Sauce
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/4 tsp dried oregano
- 3/4 cup (180 ml) vegetable broth
- 1/3 cup (40 g) finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 and 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
Instructions
Tofu
- Make the tofu marinade. To a blender, add the water, two tablespoons of oil from the jar of sun-dried tomatoes, olive oil, one sun-dried tomato, Italian seasoning, salt, ground black pepper, and garlic. Blend until smooth.
- Slice the tofu. Rinse the tofu under cold water and pat it dry using kitchen paper towels. Next, cut it into 3/4-inch (2 cm) cubes. To help the marinade soak in, make shallow cuts on each cube: use a sharp knife to score 3-4 lines, no deeper than halfway through the tofu. Next, transfer the tofu cubes to a small baking dish.
- Toss it with the marinade. Pour the marinade over the tofu and gently toss each piece to coat it evenly.
- Let it marinate. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Let the tofu marinate overnight or for at least 6 hours. Flip the tofu halfway through marinating to ensure it absorbs the marinade evenly.
Cashew Cream
- Make the cashew cream. The next day, drain the soaked cashews and add them to a blender. Add the water and nutritional yeast and blend for 20-30 seconds or until smooth. Set it aside.
Assemble
- Preheat the oven to
350 °F (175°C). - Bake the tofu. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange the marinated tofu cubes on it, leaving at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) of space between each piece. (Discard the leftover marinade.) Bake for 20 minutes, flipping the tofu halfway through baking. Remove from the oven and set it aside while you prepare the sauce.
- Sauté the aromatics. Heat the oil in a deep non-stick skillet. Once hot, add the minced garlic, dried thyme, red pepper flakes, and dried oregano. Sauté for about 2 minutes, stirring regularly.
- Pour in the remaining ingredients. Next, pour in the vegetable broth and cashew cream. Add the chopped sun-dried tomatoes, onion powder, and salt.
- Cook. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 30 seconds.
- Add the tofu. Add the baked tofu and toss to coat. Cook for an additional 3-4 minutes, stirring regularly, or until the sauce has slightly thickened. Taste and adjust the saltiness of the sauce to your liking.
- Garnish. Finally, garnish with chopped fresh basil and enjoy!
- You can store the tofu with the sauce in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Notes
Dice the tofu into small cubes.
While it might be tempting to slice the tofu into big chunks or make cutlets to mimic the appearance of chicken, trust me, smaller cubes are the way to go! I tested both, and after plenty of taste-testing, the small cubes won hands down as they soak up more flavor and end up being more evenly seasoned. Bonus point: They are bite-sized, no knife required when eating!Adjust the saltiness.
Since the saltiness of vegetable broth can vary depending on the brand or whether you are using cubes or stock, start by adding only half of the salt. Taste the sauce after cooking and adjust the seasoning at the end.