Laura's Vegan Table

Ingredients

  • 1 14 oz. block of extra firm tofu
  • 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce, tamari or liquid aminos
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil + more for drizzling
  • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika, divided
  • 1/4 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspooon dijon mustard
  • 1/4 cup corn starch

These tofu bites taste similar to a fried chicken taste; but they are vegan, and they are baked! There are only a few ingredients and these are easy to make. They key to getting them crispy is to press all of the water out of the tofu, and you definitely need to use extra firm tofu. Breaking them into small pieces rather than cutting them into cubes also gives them the crispy texture. There are a lot of good dipping sauces; but my favorite is Follow Your Heart Vegan Honey Mustard Dressing. It is so yummy and it’s tangy flavor compliments the tofu bites very well.

Directions

Heat the oven to 425F. Cut the tofu in half into two even blocks. Lay each piece on a few folded paper towels, placed on top of a cutting board. Cover with a few more folded paper towels, then put something heavy on top for 30 minutes to remove all the water from the tofu. A cast iron pan or something similar will work well. When done, take the tofu off of the board, and break into rough, 1-inch pieces. In a medium sized bowl, add in the soy sauce, oil, 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika, Old Bay Seasoning, garlic powder and mustard, and whisk together until blended. Add a few pieces of tofu at a time into the mixture, and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Repeat with the rest of the tofu. Just lightly coat each piece; but if you’re running low on the mixture, add in a touch more soy sauce to the mixture. Once all of the tofu pieces are on the pan, add in the remaining teaspoon of smoked paprika, and then sprinkle with the corn starch. Gently mix and coat all the pieces with this dry mixture, then drizzle with a little more oil. Make sure all of the pieces end up in a single layer on the pan, allowing space in between each piece. Place in the oven for 25 minutes, turning over pieces halfway through cooking time. Serve warm with dipping sauce.