This pesto tofu is the perfect way to add protein to your plant-based sandwiches, salads, and pasta dishes. These pesto-flavored tofu bites can be tossed into your favorite Italian-style meals for added flavor and protein.
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❤️ Why make this recipe
This pesto cover tofu is the perfect protein-packed addition to salads. It's also great to toss into Mediterranean pasta salad, tomato basil pasta, or pesto pasta salad to make them more substantial meals.
🧾 Ingredients and substitutions
- Tofu - firm tofu, extra firm tofu, or high-protein tofu will all work well.
- Olive Oil - light olive oil for pan-frying the tofu. You can use any other neutral-flavored oil if you prefer.
- Vegan Pesto - you can use any vegan store-bought pesto or you can easily make your own vegan pesto or nut-free vegan pesto. (For homemade pesto you will need fresh basil leaves, garlic, olive oil, salt, and your choice of vegan parmesan and/or nutritional yeast. You can also add pine nuts or cashews if you would like.)
🔪 Helpful tools
- Frying Pan - if you want to fry the tofu. You can also bake it on a sheet pan.
- Food Processor - if you are going to make homemade pesto.
🥄 How to make pesto tofu
A full printable version of this recipe with ingredient measurements is available at the bottom of this post.
Step 1 - Drain and press your tofu to get out as much liquid as possible then cut into cubes.
Step 2 - Place oil in a skillet and turn the heat to medium and allow the skillet to heat up for about 2 minutes before adding the tofu.
Step 3 - Place the tofu in the hot skillet, sprinkle it with salt, and allow it to cook for about 2 minutes before giving the skillet a little shake. If the tofu moves freely in the pan, flip it to the other side.
Step 4 - Continue to cook the tofu on each side for about 2 minutes allowing it to get brown and crispy before flipping.
Step 5 - Once all sides of the tofu are browned and crispy, remove from heat and stir in 1/3 cup of fresh vegan pesto. Stir until it's well-coated.
Serve the pesto-flavored tofu either hot or cold on pasta, salads, or tofu wraps.
👩🏻🍳 Pro Tips
- Get the pan hot before adding the tofu cubes, this will help them not to stick to the pan.
- Only add the pesto after you turn off the heat for the freshest flavor.
❓ How to bake tofu pesto
Pan-frying is the quickest way to cook your tofu, but you can also bake it in the oven before adding the pesto. To do this, place tofu cubes on a piece of parchment paper, spray with a little bit of oil, then bake at 400°F for about 40 minutes. See my baked tofu recipe for complete details.
🥡 Storage
Refrigerate: This pesto tofu will keep well in the fridge for 3 - 5 days in an airtight container.
Freeze: You can freeze this tofu pesto for up to 3 months in an airtight container, however, freezing tofu causes the texture of the tofu to change.
🌟 More tofu recipes
- Sticky Tofu
- Tofu Fried Chicken
- Tofu Sour Cream
- Vegan Tofu Feta
- Tofu Cream Cheese
- Orange Tofu
- Tofu Sausage
📌 Be sure to follow me on Pinterest for new vegan recipes!
📋 Pesto tofu recipe
Pesto Tofu
Equipment
- Frying pan or wok
- tofu press optional
Ingredients
- 1 (14 oz) package extra firm tofu or firm tofu
- 1 tablespoon light olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup vegan pesto
Instructions
- Drain and press your tofu to get out as much liquid as possible then cut into cubes.
- Place oil in a skillet and turn the heat to medium and allow the skillet to heat up for about 2 minutes before adding the tofu.
- Place the tofu in the hot skillet, sprinkle it with salt, and allow it to cook for about 2 minutes before giving the skillet a little shake. If the tofu moves freely in the pan, flip it to the other side.
- Continue to cook the tofu on each side for about 2 minutes allowing it to get brown and crispy before flipping.
- Once all sides of the tofu are browned and crispy, remove from heat and stir in 1/3 cup of fresh vegan pesto. Stir until it's well coated, then serve with pasta or salads.
Notes
- Get the pan hot before adding the tofu cubes, this will help them not to stick to the pan.
- Only add the pesto after you turn off the heat for the freshest flavor.
Nutrition
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