Stuffed Tofu

Impressive and delicious yet fairly easy to make, perfect for a special occasion.

Yield: 4-6 servings

Time: 1-2 hours, depending on size*

Tools

  • large saucepan
  • wooden spoon
  • medium colander or large bowl with rounded bottom, or 4-6 small bowls with rounded bottoms*
  • cheesecloth or clean, white, lint-free dish towel(s)
  • cookie sheet
  • small bowl
  • whisk
  • pastry brush

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds firm tofu, pressed for at least an hour
  • 1 T sesame oil
  • 1 c onion, diced
  • 1 c celery, diced
  • 2 t dried herbs (sage, thyme, herbes de Provence …)
  • salt
  • pepper
  • 3 c whole wheat bread cubes**
  • 2 c cornbread cubes (or more wheat bread)**
  • 1 c vegetable broth
  • ½ c pecans or walnuts, chopped

Basting liquid

  • 2 T sesame oil
  • 2 t Dijon mustard
  • 2 t soy sauce
  • 2 t balsamic vinegar
  • 2 t red wine

Directions

Heat the oil over medium heat, add onion and celery, and sauté for about 3 minutes. Add herbs, salt, and pepper and continue sautéing another minute or two, until translucent. Remove from heat.

Stir in bread cubes and just enough broth to moisten, then stir in nuts and set aside.

Preheat oven to 400.

Oil the cookie sheet and set aside. Line the bowl(s) with cheescloth, leaving the ends hanging over the sides.

Crumble the tofu*** and divide evenly between the bowl(s). Firmly press it into the bottom and sides to make a shell.

Add the stuffing and press down firmly.

Large dome: Place the cookie sheet over the bowl and hold it there as you quickly flip both over. Carefully remove the now upside-down bowl and cheesecloth.

Individual domes: Make sure your filling is pressed firmly down into the shell. Hold one bowl just above the cookie sheet and quickly flip over and set down, then gently remove the bowl and cheesecloth. Repeat with remaining bowls.

Whisk together the basting liquid ingredients, and use about half to baste the outside of the dome(s) all the way down the sides.

Cover**** and bake for an hour (large) / 30 minutes (individual), baste with the rest of the liquid, and bake for another 20-30 minutes, until golden brown.

Serve hot.

Notes

* The original recipe is for a single, large dome, but I decided to make individual portions instead for a more special presentation. This also had the benefit of cutting the cooking time nearly in half.

** For the large dome, 1-inch cubes is fine. For individual portions, you’ll want the cubes to be smaller, ½-inch on each side.

*** I find the easiest way to crumble tofu is to chop it up then use a handheld potato masher to break in into small bits.

**** The original recipe says to use aluminum foil, which I avoid whenever possible, so instead I placed an empty cookie sheet in the oven rack above the domes, in essence making a sort of room within which the tofu baked. This left me with a somewhat crunchy coating on the outside, which I loved. I suspect with foil the outside would have been softer and moister, so think about which style you’d prefer.

The Kind DietAdapted from the recipe for "Thanksgiving Tofu" in The Kind Diet (read my review).

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Thanksgiving stuffed tofu