Welcome to tofu flavor-town! This easy baked tofu recipe is oil-free, low-sodium and damn-delicious!
Herbalicious.
(no, that’s not enough.)
Chewy, savory, highly-addictive, herbaliciousness.
Yes! Now that’s how I’d best-describe this tofu recipe to you!
These little flavor-packed triangles can completely transform your meal–I pop them on top of my salads, use them in wraps and feature them in my pho noodle soup bowls!
Their versatility and deliciousness knows no bounds.
And it’s all because of this…
Herb Tahini Sauce
There’s nothing I love more than an oil-free, low-sodium salad dressing/sauce.
And when I think of all the recipes I’ve made during my 5+ years at this, this Herb Tahini Sauce recipe always jumps out as an all-time favorite!
And it’s all because of those fresh herbs:
- parsley
- green onion
- cilantro
- dill
- mint
I promise you, just the act of making this sauce is a treat for the senses–you’re going to have some serious aroma-therapy going on while you’re whipping this up!
Somehow the proportions of these herbs (especially that pop of mint) combine together to create a very savory and well-rounded taste with absolutely no added sodium or even nooch–that’s right if you can’t eat nutritional yeast this is the perfect sauce and salad dressing for you!
I highly recommend splurging for fresh herbs for this recipe. I’ve only substituted dried dill when I forgot to pick up fresh and I felt the taste suffered a bit.
Unlikely Inspiration
I’ve been nutritarian for almost 5 years now (my anniversary is January 28th!). Before going nutritarian I was an ominvor, Standard American Diet-er, a.k.a heavy-meat-and-cheese-eater and lover-of-seafood.
Going out to eat at Cheesecake Factory, therefore, was a regular occurrence in my life. And one of my favorite dishes was their Herb-Crusted Salmon.
Surprisingly that’s the inspiration for this recipe–and guess what? Now, I like this Herb-Crusted Baked Tofu even more than I enjoyed the salmon.
And it’s not just because I’m so much better-informed now, it’s because of how I feel during and after eating this:
Bright, happy, light, energetic, satisfied but not uncomfortably full. Definitely not weighed-down and greasy with oil like I’d feel after dinner at Cheesecake Factory.
So, let’s jump into this baked tofu recipe, shall we? cause this is a recipe you need to know more about!
Tofu Treatment
Because I usually add this Herb-Crusted Baked Tofu to my pho noodle bowls, I like to cut my tofu into small triangles.
You’re free to cut your tofu into strips, steaks, or even cubes–no limits!
If you’re going to do triangles I cut my block of (drained and pressed) tofu in half length-wise, then cut each half into 1/4-inch-thick squares. Then cut each square diagonally to make the triangles.
Baking is Always Better
If you’ve been around a while you know I love baking tofu–like this, and this, and this!
And it’s not just tofu, I love baking everything–because standing in front of a stove top is for the birds–I’d rather binge-watch Gilmore Girls while my food bakes!
Not only is baking healthier than pan-frying, it creates great depth of flavor! And this Herb-Crusted Baked Tofu really carries a ton of flavor from those fresh herbs.
The key to baking your tofu is to give it ample time. Every oven is different, the times I give you are approximate and based on my unique oven. You’ll know your tofu is ready when it starts browning on the edges (as you can see in the image above, on the right).
Where Will You Go From Here?
If you’re getting stoked about this Herb-Crusted Baked Tofu recipe but are wondering how to turn it into a meal, here are some of my favorite suggestions:
- toss it on top of your next giant rainbow salad
- use it as a topping on this Nutritarian Pho Noodle Soup recipe
- saute some spinach and mushrooms in a few tablespoons of veggie broth and serve the tofu triangles on top, fresh out of the oven
- use as a topping on a pita-pizza with tomato or pesto sauce and veggies
No-Oil Herb-Crusted Baked Tofu
This oil-free, low-sodium, vegan Herb-Crusted Bake Tofu recipe is easy to make and a delicious topping on salads, pastas and soups!
Ingredients
- 2 packs firm or extra-firm tofu, drained (14 oz. packages reccomended)
- 3/4 cup water
- 3/4 cup chopped curly parsley
- 1/2 cup chopped green onion
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh dill
- 1/4 cup tahini (one ingredient: sesame seeds)
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 2 tbsp chooped fresh mint
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 tsp garlic powder (or sub 1 clove fresh garlic)
- 1 - 2 tsp no-salt seasoning (to your staste)
Instructions
PRESS TOFU:
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Use a tofu press or place the tofu block on a cutting board with 3 or 4 napkins under each block and 3 or 4 napkins on top of each block. Place another cutting board or heavy plate on top. Allow tofu to press for at least 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
PREPARE HERB-TAHINI SAUCE:
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In high-speed blender add all the chopped fresh herbs, tahini, water and spices. Pulse together the liquid until the herbs are chopped into small, still-visible bits.
PREPARE THE TOFU TO BAKE:
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Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat pad. Slice your tofu into your desired shape--make sure they are about 1/4 inch thick. Place your tofu shapes on your prepared baking sheet. Pour about 3/4 cup of the herb-tahini sauce into a small bowl. Using a spoon, coat the tops of your tofu with the sauce. Bake for 45 minutes at 375 degrees.
Recipe Notes
You'll have extra Herb-Tahini sauce, it will keep for up to 10 days in glass-storage in the fridge.
The baked tofu will last for up to 7 days in glass-storage in the fridge.
I hope you enjoy this Herb-Crusted Baked Tofu recipe as much as I have.
If you give this recipe a try I’d love to know what you think, please leave a rating and comment below!
I made these yesterday and they were REALLY GOOD. Expectations were exceeded. They were so good, I felt the need to leave a comment and tell you so, which is a first for me.
I had some extra sauce leftover because I didn’t use a full block of tofu, so I made a salad and put the sauce on as dressing. It was magical. I immediately went and made another batch of the sauce and bottled it for this week’s salads.
I used these on a homemade wrap (sprouted spelt flour, water, salt) with spinach. I would imagine some pickled radish would go well with it, although I was happy with it as it was. My husband used the sauce on a salad and was into it. Said he felt like he was at this mediterranean restaurant we both love. My 1 year old had a bite of the tofu and wanted more. Like, I could not be happier with this. I’m going to try more of your recipes, because it seems that you’ve got this easy-and-good-tasting-health-food thing down.
Total time to make it was quick. I didn’t have cilantro on hand, but I didn’t miss it. I put some in the oven for 5 minutes to reheat today and they were still great. This will probably become a regular recipe in our household.
Hi Emily,
Thank you SO much for taking the time to leave such a lovely comment on one of my all-time favorite recipes!
You literally just made my day by hearing “you’ve got this easy-and-good-tasting-health-food thing down.” That’s all I’ve ever wanted to do with my recipes!
Can I just say how impressed I am that your 1-yo is digging these and I agree the sauce itself just makes ALL THE THINGS taste good!
Good to know that it can work without the cilantro too!
So happy to hear you have a new favorite family recipe on your hands!
xo, Kristen
I just made these. It was super easy (and tasty) and now I feel like I have a fancy specialty ingredient for this week’s meals. Great idea. Thank you!
Hi Jennifer!
Oh, I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed the recipe! I agree the Herb-Crusted Tofu makes everything more special!
Thanks so much for taking the time to leave such a lovely comment and rating for the recipe!
xo, Kristen
Just made these. Not sure if I did something wrong but they still tasted like nothing. Sorry! Maybe it was the fact that the dill was dry and the cilantro came from this weird cup thing, although it did say it was fresh. Any suggestions?
Hi Priscilla,
So sorry to hear you didn’t find them flavorful enough. I find them extremely flavorful given that they have no added salt!
It could be that your taste buds aren’t adjusted to low-salt foods (if you’ve been following a low sodium diet for less than 30 days) or it could be the no-salt seasoning brand you’re using. I use the Kirkland brand from Costco and have found that brand specifically to be the most flavorful!
Also, fresh herbs and especially mint is key to the recipe!
xo, Kristen
I made No-Oil Herb-Crusted Baked Tofu dish tonight. Oh my goodness. So glad I came across this website. The tofu was awesome!
Yay! So excited to hear you enjoyed this recipe, Christine! And thank you for leaving such a lovely comment and rating!
xo, Kristen
This is delicious! I tried tofu for the first time with this recipe and I’m hooked. I love tofu! Probably b/c I was a cheese addict before!
Oh my gosh I’m HONORED that the first time you’re trying tofu is with one of my recipes! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review and recipe rating as well!
Kristen