Marinating tofu: 3 delicious variations

Marinate the tofu
3 delicious variations – from Asian to Mediterranean

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Tofu can be used wonderfully in vegetarian and vegan cuisine. Here we show you how you can marinate tofu so that your dish becomes a real hit.

Since natural tofu has little taste of its own, it can be spiced up with a spicy marinade. To be able to marinate tofu, you need a liquid as a base, such as olive oil, soy sauce, sesame or peanut oil. Then there are various spices that you can choose according to your taste. We reveal what you should pay attention to when marinating.

The different types of tofu

  • Silken tofu has a high water content and therefore a creamy consistency. Especially suitable for desserts and sweets or as a sauce base.
  • Natural tofu is cut resistant and often marinated in brine. The taste is neutral, so the tofu can be used in many ways in the kitchen.
  • Smoked tofu is firmer than natural tofu and has a light smoke aroma. Goes well with hearty dishes such as B. as a bacon substitute for Spaghetti Carbonara.

Prepare tofu: remove the liquid

To make your tofu really tasty later, you should squeeze out the liquid beforehand:

  1. Wrap the tofu piece in kitchen paper.
  2. Place it on a plate and put another plate on top.
  3. Now weigh down the top plate with a pack of flour or something similar.
  4. Let the whole thing stand for about 10 minutes.

Marinating tofu: Here's how

If the tofu is pressed, it will absorb the marinade much better. To marinate the tofu, you need an airtight container.

We have put together three great ways to marinate the tofu: Mediterranean, Asian and with creamy peanut butter. We'll show you how easy this is in just a few steps.

Marinate the tofu in a Mediterranean style

You need these ingredients:

  • 5 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 small onion
  • basil
  • rosemary
  • pepper
  • salt

That's how it's done:

  1. Cut the tofu into cubes.
  2. Mix the oil with the lemon juice in your sealable jar.
  3. Roughly chop the washed herbs and add them to the mixture.
  4. Peel and cut the onion, then add it to the lemon juice and oil mixture.
  5. Add the tofu cubes to the mixture, close the container and shake well so that the marinade is well distributed.
  6. Let it steep in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours.

The Mediterranean type of tofu marinade is without soy sauce, d. H. especially interesting for people who do not like or tolerate soy sauce.

Marinating tofu the Asian way

ingredients

  • 5 tbsp soy sauce
  • Curry to taste
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 1 chilli pepper
  • Fresh coriander
  • pepper

Marinating tofu Asian: Here's how

  1. Wash and roughly chop the coriander and chili pepper, dice or slice the tofu.
  2. Mix the soy sauce and sesame oil, add the curry and the peeled and chopped clove of garlic.
  3. Also add the chilli pepper, herbs and tofu to the mixture, close the container and shake.
  4. Let it steep for 2 to 3 hours.

tip: The marinade can be adapted or supplemented as required. It tastes like that too ginger very good in the Asian marinade.

Marinate tofu with peanut butter

You need these ingredients:

  • 1 piece of ginger (approx. 1 cm)
  • 1 tbsp peanut oil
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 1 small chilli pepper
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 4 tbsp creamy peanut butter
  • Fresh coriander if you like

It's that easy:

  1. Peel and chop the ginger and garlic.
  2. Mix both with oil and soy sauce, add peanut butter, honey and possibly finely chopped coriander.
  3. Wash and chop the chilli pepper – if you don't want it to be too spicy: remove the seeds – and add to the mixture.
  4. Add the tofu to the marinade, shake and let steep.

Tip: You can find out here how you can fry tofu so that it becomes crispy.

Marinate the best flavors for tofu

Strong notes such as garlic, curry and ginger are particularly suitable as a basis for marinating tofu. In addition to soy sauce and lime or lemon juice, you can also experiment with coconut milk.

What does marinated tofu go with?

You can boil marinated tofu, fry it in the pan, use it as a meat substitute in dishes or just with deliciously seasoned vegetables from the wok and z. B. Eat rice. Try recipes like tofu burgers, ramen with mushrooms, tofu and kimchi, and coconut and vegetable stew with tofu.

Video tip: Vegetarian filled zucchini

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