If there were an award for “Most Controversial Food,” I think tofu would be a strong candidate to receive it. There has been a lot said about my poor friend Tofu over the last several years. I’ve sat quietly back, always enjoying Tofu but never coming to Tofu’s defense. I’ve watched as people tried to tear down Tofu’s health benefits, appearance, taste. But I’m finally ready to end my silence and stand strong with my friend. Introducing: Easy Baked Tofu.
If your primary reason for not eating tofu is about flavor or texture, I hope you’ll give it another chance. The amazing thing about tofu is that it is essentially a flavor sponge. It will taste like whatever seasoning you use, and it will carry those flavors with pride. Additionally, tofu comes in a variety of textures. It is important to choose the correct type of tofu for the recipe.
This recipe will provide you with a chewy, meaty textured tofu, which acts as great addition to salads, stir fries, noodles, soups, and sandwiches. You can also just eat it on its own as a high-protein snack!
What Makes Easy Baked Tofu Revolutionary?
1. Plant-Based Protein. Tofu is made from soybeans. Soy is a complete protein, meaning it contains all nine essential amino acids (Source). A plant-based diet is responsible for just half the greenhouse gas emissions of a typical omnivore diet (Source). If you want to keep protein levels high while reducing carbon emissions, incorporating some soy into your diet is a great way to do it.
2. Choosing Responsible Soy Sources. When purchasing tofu, it’s important to look at where the soybeans are grown. The two largest soy producers are the United States and Brazil, accounting for approximately 65% of the world’s soy (Source). Unfortunately, Brazil’s soy production has led to some concerning environmental impacts, particularly around deforestation (Source). Before you boycott tofu though, it is important to note that human consumption of soy accounts for only six percent of the soy grown in the world (Source). 75 percent of the soy grown is used as animal feed to support our meat consumption (Source). This means that if we want to meaningfully address deforestation in the Amazon, we should eat less meat, not less tofu.
Choosing Your Tofu
Tofu and Packaging
The major downside I see in tofu is that it is almost always packaged in plastic. Plastic has enormous environmental impacts at every phase of its lifecyle, from extraction of the fossil fuels to refining and manufacturing to disposing of the final product (Source). One of my major focuses right now is on eliminating single-use plastics in our home, so it kills me that tofu is so often wrapped in plastic.
I haven’t been able to find any studies that show the environmental impacts of eating packaged tofu versus eating unpackaged meat. For something like packaged tofu versus unpackaged beef, I imagine that tofu still wins overall given the serious environmental strain of raising cattle. However, for something like packaged tofu versus unpackaged eggs, the difference in environmental impact is probably not as stark. I am still researching this and will continue to share my findings.
In the meantime, being in San Francisco, I have been able to find unpackaged tofu in certain grocery stores. If you have a good natural grocer near you, you may be able to find fresh tofu that you can take home in your own container. Additionally, Asian food stores in your city might have unpackaged tofu.
For people who want to be 100% zero waste, packaged tofu will not be feasible. For me, right now, I will continue to choose tofu over meat, and will seek package-free options. If the tofu is in plastic, I will always rinse and recycle the packaging.
Best Tofu for Easy Baked Tofu
Being in the U.S., I look for tofu made from non-GMO U.S. soybeans. Look for the firmest tofu you can find, either “Firm” or “Extra Firm”. For baking tofu, I like the types that do not come packaged in water. This simplifies the prep for the recipe and has the best texture. If all you can find is tofu in water, don’t worry! The recipe below includes instructions on pressing the water out of the tofu for optimal texture and flavor.
I hope you’ll give my friend Tofu a chance by making this Easy Baked Tofu recipe. Let me know what you think in the comments below!
Easy Baked Tofu
Ingredients
- 4 oz extra firm tofu
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 2 tsp tamari or soy sauce use gluten-free to make recipe gluten-free
Optional
- pinch of Fairtrade cayenne seasoning
Instructions
- If tofu is packed in water, you should press the water out for best results. You can use a tofu press if you have one, or you can use clean dish towels and a heavy object. For this method, place the tofu on a clean dish towel on the counter. If you are increasing the recipe, you may want to cut the tofu into even strips first. Fold the dish towel over the top of the tofu and place a cutting board on top. Place a heavy object on top of the cutting board like a pot, some cans, or a couple books. The object should be heavy enough to push down evenly on the tofu but not so heavy that it completely smashes it. Let water press out for about 15 minutes. If the towel soaks through, you may need to use a second clean dish towel and repeat the process.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Cut tofu into small cubes or strips.
- Coat tofu in oil, soy sauce, and cayenne.
- Place tofu on rimmed baking sheet lined with compostable parchment paper. You can omit the baking paper if you have an old baking sheet you don't mind getting oil stained.
- Bake tofu for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and carefully flip each cube or strip over. Bake an additional 10 minutes or until edges are golden and crispy. May require additional bake time if your tofu has higher water content.
Finally tried the baked tofu. We used olive oil and Indian spices, and served as small bites. Easy and delicious! Thanks for the good explanation of how to prep the tofu for baking. A very versatile recipe!
Thank you, Nancy! I love the idea of using Indian spices on this.
Such a perfect answer to the age-old “what do I do with tofu?” question! Simple, delicious, satisfying and packed with protein. I’ll be serving this as an alternative to turkey at Thanksgiving!
Yes! Thank you for the kind review. I love the idea of subbing this for turkey at Thanksgiving and would recommend preparing them as slices rather than cubes. Stay tuned for other Thanksgiving recipes, including a vegan gravy!
YUM!!
Thank you!
I rarely cook and this was such an easy and healthy dish for me to prepare. I’m hooked!
That’s great to hear, Jo! Thanks for your comment 🙂