Vegan Sesame Peanut Tofu

Delicious sesame peanut tofu, baked then coated in a thick, umami peanut butter sauce! Serve over a bed of rice for a hearty and satisfying plant based meal. Gluten-free, oil-free, a perfect introduction to cooking with tofu. 

You guys know my deep love for tofu. I just don't think I could ever get bored of it. I'll discover a new sauce/preparation method, eat it endlessly for weeks, before simply moving on to a different combo. The possibilities really are endless! It helped me a lot when I was first transitioning to a vegan diet, and has remained a favourite ingredient of mine since then.

Hence the abundance of tofu recipes on my blog. And trust me, I'm not about to hold back any time soon ;). Give this one a try, and if you do, don't forget to know how it went/whether it boosted the standing of tofu in your eyes!

Baked vegan sesame peanut tofu

Something that can make tofu even better is the use of peanut butter. Or any dish, if I'm being honest - it's one of those ingredients that often finds a use in unexpected places and gives a dish a unique twist. I love using it in sauces for extra creaminess, and a deep, rich flavour - such as in my vegan butter 'chicken' recipe.

The tofu is marinaded, then baked for the perfect amount of crispiness on the outside. However, the inside remains, super soft, chewy and well-flavoured with the marinade. The sauce contains just a handful of simple ingredients. Whip it up while the tofu is in the oven, combine in a frying pan and that's pretty much it!

I love to serve this peanut tofu over a bed of Basmati rice with avocado on the side. But you can choose whatever side of your choice: cauliflower rice, pasta, noodles, a side salad, etc. Pretty much anything works.

Ingredients you'll need

• Extra firm tofu, pressed and chopped into bite-sized cubes.
• Tamari (gluten-free soy sauce).
• Rice vinegar.
• Fresh lemon juice.
• Garlic.
• Unsweetened plant based milk of your choice.
• Maple syrup.
• Black sesame seeds.
• Ketchup.
• Smooth peanut butter.
• Cornstarch.
• Water.

And that's it!

How to make the best vegan peanut tofu

Add the tofu to a large bowl together with the tamari, rice vinegar, lemon juice, and garlic. Stir together really well to combine and marinade for at least 30 minutes. I usually like to leave mine for 4+ hours, or overnight. If you're going to make this for dinner, for instance, you can leave it to marinade in the morning.

Around 10 or so minutes before you finish marinading the tofu, preheat the oven to 200 degrees C/400 F. Spread the tofu cubes evenly over a sheet of parchment paper and bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, flipping all the pieces after around the 15-minute mark.

When the tofu is almost done, combine the plant based milk, maple syrup, sesame seeds, ketchup and peanut butter in a mixing bowl. Whisk together really thoroughly. In a separate, smaller bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water.

Transfer the tofu to a non-stick frying pan. Pour in the sauce and the cornstarch slurry and stir together over a medium heat until the sauce thickens. Serve.

Tips and tricks

• This dish is best eaten straight away, but you can leave it in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 2-3 days.
• Press the tofu really well before you bake it to get rid of as much water as possible. You can use a tofu press, or place a paper towel, a baking tray and then a heavy object on top of it, such as a stack of books or coconut milk tins.
• Be patient when marinading the tofu! This will result in the most amount of flavour and crispiness.
• Use a good quality, runny tofu with the smallest amount of ingredients (ideally just peanuts and salt).

Other delicious tofu recipes

• Smoky tofu eggplant pasta
• Savoury oat and tofu vegan 'egg' muffins
• Baked BBQ tofu
• Lasagna with tofu
• Cold spaghetti salad with balsamic tofu

Let me know in the comments: what's your favourite way to cook tofu? If you give this vegan sesame peanut tofu a go, be sure to tag me on Instagram (@ohmyveggies) so I can see your creations, and leave your feedback together with a star rating in the comments below.