When we very first went plant based, tofu was always a bit of a mystery.. and to be honest was always seen as the really bland, unexciting ‘thing’ that hippy vegans ate but didn’t actually enjoy. I remember an episode of ‘Everybody loves Raymond’ where Marie decides to go on a health kick in time for thanksgiving, resulting in a turkey shaped tofu creation being presented as the central feature of the festive table.. in all of it’s bland, wobbly glory with all of the inevitable comedic comments to go with it! This example, and dozens of others like it, are probably a big contributing factor to the bad rep that tofu often gets.

In reality, I do think that we have made some pretty good progress since the early ‘very vegan and weird’ reputation that tofu once had. Although there are still quite a few instances where people feel a little over whelmed by this OG vegan staple.

Often the issue isn’t that tofu is tricky to use, it is simply a case of not using the right type of tofu for the recipe. This is (hopefully) where this very easy whistle stop tour will help you to gain confidence and start to use more tofu in your cooking.

What is Tofu?

Sometimes referred to as ‘bean curd’, tofu is made from soy beans and salted water to create curds before then being formed into blocks. The process is a little like making cheese and the amount of water removed/pressure applied to the blocks of tofu during manufacture results in different textures in the finished product.

Silken tofu for example is a very ‘silky’ soft texture, difficult to handle and is best used in recipes that require a very smooth texture (like blended chocolate mousses or a whipped bechamel sauce.) Silken tofu usually comes packed in foil lined tetra packs and is found in the ambient area of the supermarket near the Asian food section.

The firmer blocks are, as the the name suggests, easier to handle, pick up, chop and cook with. However, there are still quite a few variations within this category that often causes issues when selecting the right product. Just because the tofu package suggests that the product is ‘firm’ or ‘extra firm’, most brands still have quite a bit of water content within the blocks. To ensure that you can use the tofu effectively it is a good idea to gently ‘press’ the tofu to release the water before using in your recipe. This is particularly the case if you are wanting quite a firm ‘meaty’ texture in your finished meal. You can buy a specialised tofu press to achieve this, although a few clean blue kitchen cloths and some oven trays for weight usually do the trick!

For those of us who are impatient and still want to use the ‘extra firm’ tofu, thankfully there is a new generation of tofu brands who have done the boring ‘pressing’ bit for you. ‘Tofoo‘ is the most commonly found brand in UK supermarkets and comes in a couple of different package sizes, most health food shops will also stock a similar brand (also made in Yorkshire) called ‘Clear Spot‘ which also has a good, firm ready to use texture.

Which Tofu for which recipe?

When selecting the right tofu for your recipe, you really need to consider first what texture you are trying to achieve.

Silken tofu, much the same as the firm variety has a brilliantly neutral flavour so is really good used across a range of both sweet or savoury recipes. The high level of ‘clean’ protein in tofu makes it a nutritionally savvy addition to creamy sauces and rich, thick puddings without the need to add lots of oil heavy cream alternatives. The silken tofu is also a fab option to add a little ‘creaminess’ to your tofu scramble along with some of the firmer variety as it mimics the egg white texture quite well.

The versatility of the extra firm blocks of tofu allow you to finely slice, grate or even crumble into pieces, coat with spices or marinades and pan fry pretty much exactly as you would with a meat equivalent. There are different tips and tricks to help you to get your tofu lightly crisp, a dusting of cornflour for example is a good option.. As you’d imagine, there are even shortcuts for this too. Brands have cottoned on to the fact that lots of people lack imagination or enthusiasm for cooking so there are now plenty of pre-chopped, pre-spiced packets of tofu in the plant based fridge of most big supermarkets ready for you to thrown into your next stir fry without the faff. However, if you fancy getting a little more creative, I would definitely recommend purchasing the plain blocks, or even going for the ‘smoked’ option to give you more to play with and better value for money.

Try the Tofu Recipes

A few of my ‘go to’ recipes that showcase the versatility of tofu and will hopefully inspire you to get a bit more creative in the kitchen!

Top tip: Look out for good discounts in the supermarkets for blocks of chilled tofu, the dates are often pretty good so you can stock up when your favourite products are on offer and fill the fridge ready for a quick dinner at a later date.

Happy Cooking!