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    Home » Recipes » Main Dishes

    Baked Teriyaki Tofu

    Published: May 5, 2022 · Modified: Oct 27, 2022 by Rae Ann Alton · This post may contain affiliate links ·

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This vegan Baked Teriyaki Tofu with vegetables recipe is an explosion of Asian and Middle-Eastern flavors and is addictively delicious. Asian-inspired baked teriyaki tofu with scallions top colorful steamed vegetables and then the whole thing gets covered by the most delicious, slightly sweet, slightly spicy lemon tahini sauce you’ve ever tried. I have been making this dish for close to 20 years and it’s a crowd pleaser every time, even for people who would not normally touch tofu.

    baked teriyaki tofu finished dish
    Baked tofu teriyaki

    This dish is vegan and is full of antioxidant-rich cruciferous vegetables – red cabbage and broccolini. Cruciferous vegetables contain substances called glucosinolates. When consumed by the human body, gluconsinates convert into other phytochemicals that have been shown in studies to lower the risk of cancer in people who eat these vegetables regularly. 

    Baked Teriyaki Tofu is perfect for a lunch or light dinner entree. No additional side dishes are needed. A perfect dessert after this meal would be my Fresh Berries with White Chocolate Sauce. (Caveat: that berry recipe is vegetarian, but not vegan.)

    Ingredients for Baked Teriyaki Tofu

    This baked tofu teriyaki dish comes together relatively quickly, despite the seeming long list of ingredients!

    A word on tahini: I have tried a lot of different brands of tahini. Soom brand organic tahini is my favorite for flavor, but, like most brands of tahini, the solids tend to separate from the oils. I despise stirring the mess with a spoon, trying to get the solids and the oils to emulsify again. Too much trouble! I was thrilled to find Mighty Sesame Co. Organic Tahini. It’s silky smooth. It’s delicious with no bitterness. And most importantly, no mixing is required. Just shake and squeeze. The solids never separate from the oils. (At least, they haven’t in a year for me.) Trust me, it’s a game changer.

    baked teriyaki tofu and vegetables ingredients
    Baked Teriyaki Tofu and Vegetables Ingredients
    • extra firm tofu
    • extra virgin olive oil
    • soy sauce
    • scallions
    • red cabbage
    • broccolini (or broccoli crowns)
    • sugar snap peas
    • avocado oil
    • tahini
    • lemon juice
    • maple syrup
    • cayenne

    See recipe card for quantities.

    Instructions for Baked Teriyaki Tofu

    Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F (375 degrees if you have a convection oven)

    baked teriyaki tofu squares after baking
    Baked teriyaki tofu squares

    Place tofu in a baking dish and toss gently with olive oil, 1 tablespoon soy sauce and scallions. Even extra firm tofu breaks apart with little force, so go easy when tossing. Bake in oven for 40 minutes, gently stirring halfway through the time. The tofu should look caramelized and the scallions will be be brown and soft.

    lemon tahini sauce - baked teriyaki tofu
    Lemon tahini sauce

    While the tofu is baking, make the sauce. Place the avocado oil, tahini, lemon juice, remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 2 tablespoon water, maple syrup and cayenne in a blender and blend until smooth. The sauce should pour without being watery. If the sauce is too thick, add additional water in 1 tablespoon increments until desired consistency is reached. Taste and adjust seasonings. You may want to add more cayenne or more lemon juice, based on your personal preference. 

    Vegetables in steamer - baked teriyaki tofu
    Vegetables in the steamer

    When the tofu is within 10 minutes of being done, heat 1” of water in a steamer. When boiling, add red cabbage to the steamer basket, place over the water and cover. Cook for 3 minutes. Add the broccolini pieces to the steamer with the cabbage and cook another 3 minutes. Add the sugar snap peas to the steamer and cook a final 2 minutes.

    baked teriyaki tofu and vegetables plated
    Teriyaki baked tofu and vegetables, plated

    Divide the vegetables between individual serving bowls, top with the tofu and drizzle the sauce on top. It will seem like a lot of sauce, but believe me, you will want to use it all – and lick the spoon! Serve immediately.

    Hint: Don’t oversteam the vegetables. They should be tender with just a little bit of toothy bit left to them.

    Substitutions

    This baked tofu teriyaki with vegetables recipe is versatile and flexible.

    • Gluten free: substitute tamari for the soy sauce
    • Sugar free: substitute stevia powder or drops to taste for the maple syrup
    • Pescatarian: this dish is equally delicious with a 4 oz fillet of roasted salmon per person in place of the tofu. You can even roast the salmon with the same olive oil, soy sauce and scallion toppings.

    Variations

    Customize baked teriyaki tofu to suit your tastes. Here are some ideas:

    • Vegetable side dish: without the tofu, the vegetables alone with the lemon tahini sauce are delicious and would make an excellent side dish
    • Herbs: add ¼ cup fresh basil or other favorite fresh herbs to the sauce ingredients in the blender.
    • Other veggies: – you can vary the veggies that you steam. Snow peas can easily stand in for sugar snap peas. Any veggies are going to taste great with this sauce. Why not zucchini? Carrots? Green beans? You may just have to adjust the steaming time depending on the veggies you choose.

    Equipment

    You need a steamer for this dish. All-Clad makes a variety of high quality steamer products. This is a beautiful steamer: All-Clad Stainless Steel Steamer Cookware, 5-Quart, Silver that will last you a lifetime.

    Additionally, make short work of your chopping chores with a high quality chef’s knife. This Global 7-inch Stainless Steel Chef’s Knife is an excellent choice.

    lemon tahini tofu and vegetables

    Baked Teriyaki Tofu and Vegetables

    Rae Ann Alton
    This vegan Baked Teriyaki Squares with Vegetable recipe is an explosion of Asian and Middle-Eastern flavors and is addictively delicious. Asian-inspired baked tofu with scallions top colorful steamed vegetables and then the whole thing gets covered by the most delicious, slightly sweet, slightly spicy lemon tahini sauce you’ve ever tried.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Asian, Middle Eastern, vegan, Vegetarian
    Servings 2

    Ingredients
      

    • ½ block extra firm tofu cut into 1" cubes
    • 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
    • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
    • 3 scallions chopped
    • 2 cups red cabbage thinly sliced
    • 2 cups broccolini cut into bite-sized pieces
    • 1 cup sugar snap peas stems and strings removed

    Lemon-Tahini Sauce

    • 3 tablespoon avocado oil
    • 2 tablespoon tahini
    • 3 tablespoon lemon juice from 2 lemons
    • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
    • 2 teaspoon maple syrup
    • ⅛ teaspoon cayenne or more to taste

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat oven to 400°F (375°F convection)
    • Place tofu in a baking dish and toss gently with olive oil, 1 tablespoon soy sauce and scallions. Even extra firm tofu breaks apart with little force, so go easy when tossing. Bake in oven for 40 minutes, gently stirring halfway through the time. The tofu should look caramelized and the scallions will be be brown and soft.
    • While the tofu is baking, make the sauce. Place the avocado oil, tahini, lemon juice, remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 2 tablespoon water, maple syrup and cayenne in a blender and blend until smooth. The sauce should pour without being watery. If the sauce is too thick, add additional water in 1 tablespoon increments until desired consistency is reached. Taste and adjust seasonings. You may want to add more cayenne or more lemon juice, based on your personal preference.
    • When the tofu is within 10 minutes of being done, heat 1” of water in a steamer. When boiling, add red cabbage to the steamer basket, place over the water and cover. Cook for 3 minutes. Add the broccolini pieces to the steamer with the cabbage and cook another 3 minutes. Add the sugar snap peas to the steamer and cook a final 2 minutes.
    • Divide the vegetables between individual serving bowls, top with the tofu and drizzle the sauce on top. It will seem like a lot of sauce, but believe me, you will want to use it all – and lick the spoon! Serve immediately.
    Keyword healthy, superfood, vegan
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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    Rae Ann Alton
    Rae Ann Alton, aka "The Portion Queen"

    Hi! I'm Rae Ann Alton, aka "The Portion Queen." I'm a lifelong passionate lover of food and fitness who wants to share what I have learned with others.

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