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Pecan Crusted Tofu

February 3, 2021 by admin Leave a Comment

Now that Veganuary has wrapped up, are you still looking for ways to incorporate a few plant based options into your weekly routine? Or have you been in it for the long haul, trying to figure out what to do with tofu for ages?

There are so many ways to prepare tofu, it can get overwhelming. Tofu is super easy to prepare if you know what you’re doing, but if you don’t, it can go wrong pretty quickly. Try this simple and easy to follow pecan crusted tofu recipe and let me know what you think! It’s perfect for everything from topping colorful salads to mixing in with a hearty bowl of quinoa.

First, you have to pick the right tofu for what you’d like to cook.

How do I pick the right tofu?

Since we are making a hearty, warm winter salad, I wanted to go with a super firm tofu to give a strong texture to the dish. You can also use an extra firm, but you might have to press it first. Reference my post here if you are curious about the different types of tofu and other ways to cook them (especially how to get the crispiest tofu!). I used Nasoya organic tofu which you can find at a variety of local stores.

How To Make Pecan Crusted Tofu

1. Marinate

First, remove the tofu from its packaging. Next, cut the tofu in half lengthwise, so it forms two long and thin filet style pieces. Find a large lidded container, and put your tofu inside. This is where it will marinate and soak up all of the flavors.

Gather your red wine vinegar, olive oil, liquid aminos or soy sauce, and garlic powder. Mix these together in a small bowl and drizzle over the tofu filets. Place the lid on the container and let this soak for at least one hour, up to 4 hours.

2. The Pecan Crust

Add 1 cup of raw pecans to a chopper/food processor/blender and grind to a powder. Sometimes if you grind too long, it forms a pecan butter (similar to a peanut butter). Try to pull the pecans out before this happens, but if it goes to far you can still slather it all over your tofu, it might just not be as crunchy. I leave some pecans partially chopped for extra texture.

After your tofu has finished marinating, you can take it out of the fridge and prep it to go in the oven or toaster oven. Preheat the oven to 425° and remove tofu from container, placing on a lined baking sheet.

Now, scoop pecan powder and pat onto the tofu. You can drizzle leftover marinade on top as well if any hasn’t absorbed yet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper if desired.

3. Cooking the Tofu

Bake at 425° for 25 minutes or until the pecan coating begin to crisp up. If you see any pieces burning, remove those and allow it to finish cooking until crisp. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool for just a minute. Cut into slices and serve with your favorite sides.

What should I serve this tofu with?

Literally everything is my answer. I would serve this with a hearty quinoa salad with chopped apples, crispy brussels sprouts, and dried cranberries.

It would also be good with sautéed green beans and roasted rosemary potatoes.

Finally, I served this with a colorful roasted winter veggie salad. Here’s the quick rundown for how to make it yourself:

How to Make the Winter Veggie Salad:

1 delicata squash
1 cup broccoli
1 bunch of purple kale, 1 bunch of lacinato kale
1 apple
1 avocado
1/4 pomegranate
1/4 cup vegan cashew cheese
Drizzle of balsamic glaze and olive oil

  1. Cut the delicata in half lengthwise and remove the seeds using a spoon.
  2. Chop a head of broccoli and put on a baking pan with the delicata. Mist both with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and then bake in a preheated oven for 30 minutes.
  3. Chop the kale coarsely and set aside.
  4. Slice an apple thinly, remove seeds from pomegranate, and slice an avocado.
  5. When delicata and broccoli are done roasting, remove from oven and transfer to platter. Turn oven off. Place kale on the baking sheet and back into the oven while it cools down for about five minutes. This warms the kale without drying it out.
  6. Add kale, apple, pomegranate, avocado, squash, and broccoli to large platter and top with pecan crusted tofu. Drizzle with desired dressing; I used balsamic glaze.

How Long Does Tofu Stay Good in the Fridge:

Whatever tofu you have leftover, you can keep in the fridge in an airtight container for 2-3 days. Reheat in a skillet or toaster oven, or eat leftovers cold on a salad.

crispy pecan crusted tofu atop a bed of purple kale, delicata squash, roasted broccoli, and avocado

Pecan Crusted Tofu

Lauren Waterman
This tofu is easy to make, flavorful, and goes well with everything from a colorful salad to a hearty bowl of quinoa.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 25 mins
marinating time 1 hr
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 1 package super firm tofu
  • 1 cup pecans
  • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 2 tbso olive oil
  • 1 tsp liquid aminos/soy sauce
  • 1 tsp garlic powder

Instructions
 

To Make the Pecan Crusted Tofu

  • Cut the tofu in half, so it forms two long and thin filet style pieces, and then place in a large lidded container.
  • Mix the marinade ingredients (red wine vinegar, olive oil, liquid aminos or soy sauce, garlic powder) together in a small bowl and drizzle over the tofu filets.
  • Place the lid on the container and let this soak for at least one hour, up to 4 hours.
  • Add 1 cup of pecans to a chopper/food processor/blender and grind to a powder.
  • Turn oven on to 425 degrees to preheat. Remove tofu from container and place on a baking sheet.
  • Scoop pecan powder and pat onto tofu. You can drizzle leftover marinade on top as well. Sprinkle with salt and pepper if desired.
  • Bake at 425 degrees for 25 minutes or until the pecans begin to crisp up.
Keyword kale, pecan, salad, squash, tofu

More Plant Based Ideas:

If you are a new vegan or are curious about plant based lifestyle: Please join our Facebook Group: New Vegan Recipes and Advice Community to ask questions and check out posts related to vegan recipes, lifestyle, personal products, restaurants in your area etc. It’s a forum and support group full of other plant-based food bloggers and seasoned vegans who would love to help you on your journey!

As always, if you make this pecan tofu recipe, tag me on Facebook or Instagram, and let me know how it goes! You can also check out my Pinterest page for more easy weeknight dinner inspiration.

chickpea_and_herb

Lauren 🌱 Easy #Vegan seasonal recipes: usually healthy, always satisfying. Sustainable living inspo, gardening.
Vegan since ‘13👇click for easy recipes

Easy Vegan Recipes 🌱
Cozy 10 minute bowl of winter oats with caramelize Cozy 10 minute bowl of winter oats with caramelized cinnamon pears, almond butter and maple syrup.  Can we talk about how adorable these baby pears are? 😍 Can we also talk about eating seasonally? I am a huge fan of seasonal eating, which means being aware of what produce is growing right now and doing your best to incorporate that into your meals whenever possible. In the dead of winter, things like root veggies (carrots, potatoes, parsnips), winter squash (butternut, acorn, and spaghetti squash) citrus (oranges, grapefruit), apples and pears, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and cabbage are all widely available. Why is it important to try to eat seasonally? First of all, seasonal food is likely picked at the peak of ripeness since it doesn’t have to travel too far, meaning it’s got way more nutrition. Second, it’s soooo much better for the environment. If you are eating seasonally, you are likely able to buy produce that is grown nearby. This means less food is grown in greenhouses across the country, harvested before its ripe, shipped from far away, yadda yadda. It basically just saves miles and miles of transportation and cargo pollution, which is pretty cool right? 
❄️ 🍐 #Recipea
1 to 2 baby pears
1 teaspoon coconut oil
Sprinkle of cinnamon
1/2 cup of oats, I used @onedegreeorganics sprouted quinoa hemp oatmeal
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons almond butter
2 tablespoons vegan milk, I used @taketwofoods vanilla barley milk
2 tablespoons maple syrup
Sprinkle of hemp seeds @evohemp 
🔷 Slice the pears thinly and heat in a pan with coconut oil and cinnamon until they are caramelized.
🔷Boil water to pour over your dry oatmeal, or microwave oats and water together for a minute until cooked. 
🔷 Mix almond butter and plant-based milk to form a creamy drizzle and pour over your oats.
🔷Sprinkle with cinnamon, maple syrup, and hemp seeds for extra protein and Omegas. 
I will share a little bit more information about seasonal eating to my stories! Let me know if this is something that interests you! Happy Tuesday friends!
Greek pasta! Sundays are for comfort food, ya feel Greek pasta! Sundays are for comfort food, ya feel me? But comfort food can still be good for the body, which is why I used quinoa-based protein pasta and lots of veggies for this quick and hearty dish.

📝 What’s in my bowl?
Quinoa pasta - Full of protein and fiber
Chickpeas - more protein and fiber
plant-based milk - calcium
Kale - vitamins A, K, and C
#Recipea
1 cup onion, diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, diced
1 cup olives, sliced
3/4 cup artichokes, diced
1 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 cup plant-based milk
1 cup chickpeas
One and a half cups kale, shredded
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
Quinoa protein pasta

🔷Boil protein pasta according to package directions.
🔷Dice onion and sun-dried tomato and sauté in a pan on medium heat for about 10 minutes with olive oil.
🔷Chop olives and artichokes and add to the pan.
🔷Also add in cooked chickpeas, these can be boiled on the stove ahead of time or from a can. Be sure to drain before adding to your pan.
🔷Pour in plant-based milk and add salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder. 🔷Let this reduce over low heat for another 10 minutes so the sauce can become thick and creamy. You can add a little more milk if you need to.
🔷Remove the stems from the kale and chop coarsely. Add to the sauce and cook for just another minute until it is wilted.
🔷When the pasta is done cooking, pour off most of the water into the sink, and then dump the pasta and remaining starchy water into the sauce and stir. It is ready to serve.

For other awesome pasta dish ideas, check out the hashtag #PastaSocialClubCollab 
It’s a collection of some of my foodie friends favorite pasta recipes, hosted by @chefhusband1607 @stefanias_kitchenette @cinnamon_green_kitchen @sweet.in.nature @fakeoutkitchen @mamamiamangia_ @mogwaisoup 

Happy Pasta Day everyone!! 🍝🍝🍝
Easy easy one pan sun dried tomato, kale, and whit Easy easy one pan sun dried tomato, kale, and white bean skillet! I took this photo when we first moved into our new house in December. It was something quick and easy with lots of flavor and protein. I didn’t have a lot of my styling props or flowers ready to go, so I debated even posting it today since I don’t think it’s particularly pretty, but it was a damn satisfying meal so what the heck. Plus I think many of you have asked for some simple dinner ideas, and this one definitely check that box.

I will put the step-by-step photos in my stories! 

#Recipea (serves 2-4)
1 cup Spanish onion, chopped
4 to 6 garlic cloves, chopped
1 cup mushrooms, diced (optional)
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, diced
4 cups kale
1 cup cooked brown rice
3 cups cooked white beans
1 teaspoon rosemary
1 teaspoon parsley
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
🔷 I keep cooked grains like rice or quinoa in my fridge, so it’s easy to just grab a scoop out and throw it into whatever I am cooking. If you don’t have any prepped already, simply boil some according to package directions. Rice takes 30 to 40 minutes to boil, so do this step first if you don’t have any ready to go. 
🔷Dice onions and garlic, and throw into a large pan with a drizzle of olive oil. You can substitute aquafaba if you are oil free.
🔷 Slice mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes, then add to your skillet as well.
🔷 Add in rice and white beans at this point along with all of your herbs, and salt and pepper. If you need tips on how to perfectly cook beans, head over to my website and check out the Vegan 101 section for beginners. 
🔷At this Point, you can also remove the kale leaves from the stems and tossed into your pan. Sauté for another few minutes until everything is warm and then serve.
PS, I cooked everything in my @unocasahome cast iron skillet. I left a link in my bio in case you want to check out their products. I highly recommend their cast-iron pans, especially if you are looking for ways to sneak a smidge more iron in your diet. Happy snow day, friends!
Easy throw together nourish bowl with rosemary swe Easy throw together nourish bowl with rosemary sweet potato and chickpea hash, warm kale, and almond butter balsamic dressing. Yes you read that right. 🤤 So I recently fell back in love with my @nutribullet and have been making nonstop fun dressings. This almond butter balsamic dressing is seriously no exception, the only problem was that I didn’t have enough to drizzle it on every single thing I ate for the rest of the week.
What’s in my bowl?
Chickpeas - fiber and protein 
Sweet potatoes- vitamin A & C + fiber
Kale + Vitamins A, K, C + calcium Tomatoes - calcium, potassium, folate
Onions and mushrooms- fiber, protein, vitamin D
Couscous - protein and carbs 
Baby bell peppers- Vitamin C, A, potassium 
#Recipea
1 cup of chickpeas
1 large sweet potato
1 sprig of rosemary
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder 
Salt and pep 
——
1/2 cup onion, diced 
1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup bell pepper, sliced
2 tbsp olive oil 
1 cup kale
1/2 cup cooked couscous
Cherry tomatoes optional 
———
Dressing:
2 tablespoons almond butter
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 tablespoon garlic powder
1/4 tablespoon onion powder
1/4 cup plant-based milk
Salt and pepper to taste if desired
🔷 Cut sweet potatoes into small chunks and then microwave for about three minutes so they don’t take as long to cook. Sauté sp’s with chickpeas and rosemary in a large pan for about 10 minutes.
🔷Keep these ingredients in the pan but move them to the side. Add in onions and mushrooms in a drizzle of olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper if desired. Sauté these for five minutes.
🔷 boil couscous according to package directions.
🔷Add kale to the pan just for the last two or three minutes so it is warmed.
🔷Blend dressing ingredients or mix in a bowl with a spoon.
🔷Chop fresh bell peppers and add to your bowl with all of the warm ingredients from the pan. Drain and fluff couscous and add to your bowl as well. Drizzle with your almond butter balsamic dressing.
While the world is eagerly waiting for spring, my While the world is eagerly waiting for spring, my area is covered under a foot and a half of snow still, with another 5 inches on the way later this week! Clearly this calls for soup! Enter rich and creamy celery root, leek, and roasted cauliflower soup with homemade toasted sourdough. I’m not drooling, you’re drooling. What is the weather like in your area? Are you down for a few more soups? Head do my stories to play this or that with soups and let me know which ones you want to see coming up next!
#recipea 
1 cup cauliflower
1/2 cup celery root
3/4 cup leek
3 tablespoons vegan yogurt
2 tablespoons tahini
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 cups Vegan milk
1 cup water
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon veggie bouillon
🔷Cut your veggies all up into even sized chunks and place on a baking tray. Mist finely with olive oil and bake at 400° for 35 minutes.
🔷When these are done roasting, place them along with the rest of your ingredients into a blender or food processor and purée until smooth and creamy. Heat stove top until it is all piping hot and serve with your favorite bread. For extra protein I added toasted quinoa and some raw pumpkin seeds to mine.
Decadent (+ easy + healthy!!) vegan chocolate rasp Decadent (+ easy + healthy!!) vegan chocolate raspberry layer cup! Is it breakfast or dessert? With basically no sugar, lots of healthy omegas and superfood chocolate, it can be either! Win!
If you’ve been craving chocolate but are trying to cut back because of all the bad stuff, you neeeeeed to check out this superfood bark by @kulikulifoods. It contains superfoods, has only 1 gram of sugar, is low carb, and it’s freaking delicious. Plus (and this is the best part) they made this product with the goal of building food forests using sustainable crops like moringa, hibiscus and baobab. Moringa is a super food similar to kale that has tons of protein, iron, vitamins and anti-inflammatories just like turmeric. So why not put it in your chocolate?
Head on over to their website to check out this delicious bark and send a handwritten valentine to a loved one! And then head to my stories to check out their other flavors and tell me what to make next!
#recipea 
▶️For the chia pudding 
1/2 cup dry chia seeds
1 cup vegan milk
1 tbsp maple syrup 
3-4 drops stevia (optional)
🔷Let sit in the fridge overnight until it turns into a thick pudding. 
🔷In the morning mix half of the Chia pudding with cocoa/cacao powder and a splash of plant based milk. Layer the chocolate pudding with the white Chia pudding.
▶️ For the raspberry sauce:
Mix 1 cup of raspberries and 1/4 cup of water in a sauce pan over medium to high heat. Sprinkle in a drizzle of maple syrup if desired. 
🔷 Add in a layer of vegan plain or vanilla yogurt, Chia pudding, raspberry sauce, and top with chocolate bark.
Making a sweet treat for your valentine (so you ca Making a sweet treat for your valentine (so you can also have a sweet treat for yourself 😉)? Try these one bowl fudgey Vegan brownies! I made an ever so slightly healthier version of fudgey brownies and topped them with my @dailyharvest plant based berry compote ice cream and melty drizzly chocolate. If you are looking for more inspiration, I teamed up with a bunch of my foodie friends to come up with loads of plant based Valentine’s Day inspiration for you! Check out my stories where I will be sharing all of their incredible creations, or peep the hashtag #VeganTine2021
#Recipe
1 cup sugar 
1/2 cup Monk Fruit sweetener (or just skip and use 1.5 cups of sugar)
1/2 cup aquafaba (the juice leftover from canned or cooked chickpeas)
2 flax eggs
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup chocolate chips optional

🔷 In a tiny cup, add your flax seeds to equal parts water and let them sit until they form an egg like consistency. You can also sub in egg replacerf you have that handy.
🔷In a large bowl, beat the sugar and Monk fruit with the aquafaba until it becomes fluffy, almost like whipped egg whites. If you don’t have any aquafaba, no sweat, just put sugar in a bowl with hot water and stir until it dissolves.
🔷Add in olive oil, the flax eggs, and vanilla extract and stir.
🔷Mix in your dry ingredients now, flour, cocoa powder and salt. 
🔷Bake at 350° for 27-30 minutes. 
🔷You can put some chocolate chips right into your brownie batter if you like, or, what I did was melt them in a double boiler and drizzle them on top for a chocolatey coding. Serve with your favorite ice cream!

PS – if you want to scoop up some of your own @dailyharvest plant-based ice cream (see what I did there?), Head to their website and use my code CHICKPEA25 for $25 off your first box! 🍦 🍒
Pink Vegan Valentines Fettucine Alfredo pasta and Pink Vegan Valentines Fettucine Alfredo pasta and a hearty salad. What are you guys cooking up for Valentines this weekend? I am thinking about making this pink pasta that I haven’t made in ages. This is a photo from last fall, and yes I did crop a tiny white pumpkin out of it haha 🤷🏻‍♀️ 
This is my favorite cashew Alfredo recipe which is on my blog, but because my blog is under construction and everything looks a little jumbled when you click it, I will leave the recipe here for you:
#recipea
🔷Alfredo Sauce
1 cup cooked white beans 
1 beet
3 cups cooked cashews
1 3/4 cup water 
2 tbsp nutritional yeast 
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder 
1 tsp onion powder
🔷To rehyrdrate dried white beans: add 3-5 cloves garlic to 1 cup dried beans, 4 cups of water, 4 garlic cloves, and 1/2 tsp salt.
If using a pressure cooker, cook on high for 28 minutes. If using a slow cooker, cook on high for about 6 hours until beans are fork tender. If boiling stove top, cook over high heat for about 40-45 min.
To cook cashews: add dry cashews with 4 cups of water and one beet to a pot. Pressure cook for about 5 minutes or boil in a saucepan on stove top for 20 minutes.
🔷When both beans and cashews are cooked thoroughly, add to a blender or food processor with the boiled beet. Mix in nutritional yeast, salt, garlic powder, and onion powder. Add in water leftover from boiling beans, and puree.  Toss with pasta in cooking pan. 
Boil your pasta in salted water according to package directions. When pasta is done boiling, drain and put back in the pot. Stir in the Alfredo. 
Salad: 
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes
1 cup peas
1/2 cup onion
1/2 cup walnuts
sauté everything in a pan with a dash of olive oil and garlic powder for 8-10 min and then add over top your favorite lettuce.
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Filed Under: Meals Tagged With: how to cook tofu, kale recipe, meatless monday, salad recipe, tofu, tofu recipe

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