Gather around, ladies and gentlemen! For our next trick, we will be transforming an ordinary block of extra-firm tofu into our Vegan Tofu Fish. This recipe is quick, easy, and truly magical. The next time you have a hankering for a steaky, flaky fish, put on your Harry Houdini top hat and conjure up a batch. With just a handful of ingredients, this Vegan Tofu Fish recipe is as simple as saying “Abracadabra!”
Prior to transitioning to a plant-based diet, seafood was one of our favorite types of food. Whether it was fish, shrimp, or scallops, and whether they were grilled, fried, or seared, we didn’t care. We loved it all. As long as it was fresh, we were in. After adopting the herbivore life, we simply had to find a quick, easy substitute for fish. Well, after much trial and error, we are excited to share our deliciously meaty and flaky tofu fish recipe!
📖 TABLE OF CONTENTS
Jump to:
🌱 🐟 WHAT IS TOFU FISH?
Tofu Fish is exactly what it sounds like. It’s “fish” made from tofu. Now, we know what you’re thinking: Val & Mani, how in tarnation do you expect a block of tofu to taste like fish?
Luckily, tofu is the Mystique of plant-based ingredients. You can swap it for eggs, chicken, ground beef, cheese, and fish. The key to a successful plant-based swap lies in imitating the appearance, texture, flavor, aroma, and nutritional value of the original ingredient.
Celebrating Nowruz (i.e. Persian New Year)? Our Vegan Tofu Fish goes perfectly with our Vegan Sabzi Polo (Persian herbed rice). This dynamic duo makes up the iconic dish—Sabzi Polo ba Mahi (herbed rice with fish)—which is the dish that’s traditionally eaten for Nowruz.
Check out our other vegan “seafood” recipes: Vegan Crawfish Boil, Vegan Peruvian Ceviche, Vegan Creole Crab Cakes.
❤️ WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
1. Appearance
Imitating the appearance was easy. After pressing the tofu block, we cut down the middle lengthwise, then again height-wise. This resulted in four rectangular blocks. By thinly scoring one side of each block, we were able to recreate the flaky appearance of a fish filet. The slices also serve another purpose. They create more surface area, allowing the marinade to really get up in the tofu.
2. Texture
By pressing the 💩 out of the tofu, we were able to recreate that meaty bite found white fishes like halibut, red snapper, and mahi mahi. The scoring also creates a fall-apart flaky texture. A light dusting of cornstarch right before panfrying helps form a nice crispy crust, reminiscent of crackling fish skin.
3. Flavor and Aroma
Our marinade is what gives the tofu all of its flavor and aroma. When we think of seafood, we think of salty, briny, light and bright flavors to go along with that unmistakable taste of the sea. To recreate these flavors we relied on capers, caper juice, nori, lemon juice, soy sauce and mirin. The full marinade has a few more ingredients, but these are the central flavor profiles that really shine.
4. Nutritional Value
Lastly, when it comes to nutritional value, our Vegan Tofu Fish gives the real thing a run for its money. The flaxseeds in the marinade pump it full of Omega-3 fatty acids found in many fatty fishes. Tofu is lean and loaded in protein, and our tofu fish filets offer up about as much protein as you will find in an ordinary halibut filet.
📝 INGREDIENTS
- 🌱 🐟 Extra-firm tofu: The blank canvas for the fish. Loaded in lean protein, you can’t make Tofu Fish without tofu. Duh! We use the extra-firm variety because it maintains its integrity in the marinade while providing a “meatier” texture.
- 🌽 Cornstarch: When sprinkled on right before pan frying, cornstarch helps recreate that crispy, fish-skin crunch.
- 🍇 White vinegar: One of the two acids in the marinade. White vinegar mellows out once you cook with it. White vinegar brightens up the marinade and adds a nice bit of tart flavor to the Tofu Fish.
- 🫒 Olive oil: The main fat in the marinade. Olive oil not only imparts a subtle Mediterranean flavor to the Tofu Fish, but it also adds some much needed richness; tofu is pretty fat free, so a little bit of oil is necessary.
- 🧄 Garlic: An aromatic that adds a bit of pungency and makes everything better.
- 🍙 Roasted nori: Nori (dried edible seaweed) is what imparts the “ocean” flavor to the Tofu Fish.
- 🍶 Mirin: Mirin is a sweetened Japanese rice wine that adds sweetness to the marinade. It also helps balance out the acid and briny elements in the marinade.
- 🧂 Soy sauce: Soy sauce is the primary source of sodium for the marinade. It’s loaded in umami flavor, leveling up the savoriness of the Tofu Fish.
- 🌊 Capers & caper Juice: Capers and their juice account for the brininess of the marinade. Any time we’re making a plant-based seafood dish, we always hit it with a splash of caper juice.
- 🍋 Lemon: The second acid in the marinade. Lemons add a touch of freshness while also brightening up the marinade.
- 💧 Water: As it is with life, water is the foundation of everything. You can’t have a Tofu Fish marinade without the water.
- ⚫ Black pepper: To season our marinade.
- 🐠 Flaxseeds: An great source of Omega-3 fatty acids. Fish are an excellent source of Omega-3s. Wanting to replicate the nutritional value of fish, we think it’s important to add them into the marinade.
🔪 STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS
- 1. Press the tofu: Press the tofu for at least 15 minutes. This step is important because it squeezes out much of the liquid from the tofu, gives it a “meaty” texture, and allows it to absorb more of the marinade.
- 2. Make the marinade: In a blender or food processor, buzz up all of the marinade ingredients (white vinegar, olive oil, garlic, nori, mirin, soy sauce, capers, caper juice, water, black pepper, and flax seeds), until smooth and uniform. Set aside.
- 3. Slice and score the tofu fish filets: Drain the pressed tofu. Slice the tofu block in half lengthwise. Then turn the tofu block halves so that the cut sides face you and slice those in half. You should have four “filets.” Score the filets with thin diagonal cuts, slicing only halfway through the block of tofu. Scoring the filets mimics the flakiness of real fish and helps the marinade penetrate the tofu more easily.
- 4. Marinate the tofu fish: Marinate the filets in the marinade for at least an hour. However, we highly, highly recommend you marinate it overnight for best results. The longer you marinate your filets, the more flavorful they’ll be.
- 5. Pan fry the tofu fish: Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Dust each filet with ⅛ teaspoon of cornstarch. Use a sieve to more evenly coat the filets. The cornstarch will help the filets develop a crispy crust. Pan fry the filets for 7-10 minutes, or until golden brown. Then flip the filets and once again dust each filet with ⅛ teaspoon of cornstarch. Cook for an additional 7-10 minutes, or until golden brown. Enjoy!
😍 WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE
- Light and healthy
- Loaded in lean protein
- Tastes just like the real thing!!
💡RECIPE TIPS
- Buzz up the beets: For a tofu fish resembling salmon, throw in a couple of beet chunks in the marinade before blending, to turn the marinade pink. This will give your tofu filets a salmon-like hue and pack on the nutrients. Beets are loaded in vitamin B9, magnesium, potassium, and vitamin C.
- Save your marinade: Once you’ve marinated your tofu, don’t toss your marinade. You can reuse it up to a week. We always have some tofu marinating in the fridge for a quick weekday lunch or dinner.
DID YOU MAKE OUR VEGAN TOFU FISH?
Did you make this recipe? We’d love to hear about it! Please comment and leave a 5-star🌟 rating below. Share your dish with us on Instagram and tag us @plantbased.passport. We would love to seeing your delicious creations! Still hungry? Follow us on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and Pinterest for more global vegan recipes and travel tips!🍴✈️
💕 MORE VEGAN SEAFOOD RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE
👩🏽🍳 RECIPE
VEGAN TOFU FISH
Ingredients
For the marinade:
- ¼ cup white vinegar
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 5 cloves garlic
- 4 (2×3") sheets of roasted nori torn into pieces
- 1 Tablespoon mirin
- 2 Tablespoons soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon capers
- 1 Tablespoon caper juice i.e. liquid from the jar of capers
- juice of 1 lemon
- ½ cup water
- ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 Tablespoon flaxseeds optional
For the tofu fish:
- 1 14-ounce package extra firm tofu
- 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch divided
Instructions
- Press the tofu: Press the tofu for at least 15 minutes. This step is important because it squeezes out much of the liquid from the tofu, gives it a "meaty" texture, and allows it to absorb more of the marinade.
- Make the marinade: In a blender or food processor, buzz up all of the marinade ingredients (white vinegar, olive oil, garlic, nori, mirin, soy sauce, capers, caper juice, water, black pepper, and flax seeds), until smooth and uniform. Set aside.
- Slice and score the tofu fish filets: Drain the pressed tofu. Slice the tofu block in half lengthwise. Then turn the tofu block halves so that the cut sides face you and slice those in half. You should have four "filets." Score the filets with thin diagonal cuts, slicing only halfway through the block of tofu. Scoring the filets mimics the flakiness of real fish and helps the marinade penetrate the tofu more easily.
- Marinate the tofu fish: Marinate the filets in the marinade for at least an hour. However, we highly, highly recommend you marinate it overnight for best results. The longer you marinate your filets, the more flavorful they'll be.
- Pan fry the tofu fish: Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Dust each filet with ⅛ teaspoon of cornstarch. Use a sieve to more evenly coat the filets. The cornstarch will help the filets develop a crispy crust. Pan fry the filets for 7-10 minutes, or until golden brown. Then flip the filets and once again dust each filet with ⅛ teaspoon of cornstarch. Cook for an additional 7-10 minutes, or until golden brown. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
-
- Buzz up the beets: For a tofu fish resembling salmon, throw in a couple of beet chunks in the marinade before blending, to turn the marinade pink. This will give your tofu filets a salmon-like hue and pack on the nutrients. Beets are loaded in vitamin B9, magnesium, potassium, and vitamin C.
-
- Save your marinade: Once you’ve marinated your tofu, don’t toss your marinade. You can reuse it up to a week. We always have some tofu marinating in the fridge for a quick weekday lunch or dinner.
Does the lemon go in the marinade? Or just for serving at the end
Yes, lemon juice goes into the marinade, and you can also serve the dish with lemon wedges 🙂
An awesome recipe for sure. I had this brazed before but not pan fried. Genius!
Can I use super firm tofu and skip the pressing?
Yes, that will work 🙂 We tried this recipe with super firm tofu recently and did not press it. Enjoy!