An Asian-influenced creamy sunflower butter sauce that’s strewn over seared slabs of tofu is a recipe for a hearty vegan main dish. For a complete meal, serve alongside a salad and cooked whole grains such as brown rice or quinoa.
Tip
Pressing out as much liquid from the tofu as possible is the key to giving it a good crunchy sear in a hot pan.
Tofu Steaks with Sunflower Butter Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 blocks (350 g) extra-firm tofu
- 1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt
- 1/4 tsp (1 mL) black pepper
- 1 Tbsp (15 mL) grapeseed oil
- 1/3 cup (80 mL) sunflower butter
- Juice of 1/2 lime
- 1 Tbsp (15 mL) lower-sodium soy sauce or tamari
- 1 Tbsp (15 mL) rice vinegar
- 1 tsp (5 mL) sesame oil
- 1 tsp (5 mL) Sriracha or other hot chili sauce
Nutrition
Per serving:
- calories444
- protein31g
- fat32g
- saturated fat5g
- trans fat0g
- carbohydrates12g
- sugars0g
- fibre0g
- sodium320mg
Directions
01
Line cutting board with a couple sheets of paper towel or a clean kitchen towel. Place tofu on cutting board and top with a couple more sheets of towel or another kitchen towel. Press firmly to extract excess liquid. Slice each tofu along its width into 2 slabs. Season each piece of tofu with salt and black pepper.
02
In large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add tofu to pan and heat until golden and crispy, about 3 minutes. Flip and heat until golden and crispy on other side, adding more oil to pan if needed.
03
In small bowl, whisk together sunflower butter, lime juice, soy sauce or tamari, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and chili sauce. Stir in warm water, 1 Tbsp (15 mL) at a time, until a thin consistency is reached.
04
Drizzle Sunflower Butter Sauce over tofu steaks.
Matthew Kadey, MSc, RD, is a dietitian, nutrition writer, and recipe developer. He is also the author of Rocket Fuel (VeloPress, 2016) and Muffin Tin Chef (Ulysses Press, 2012).
