Herb-Marinated Seared Tofu  Recipe (2024)

Searing tofu and then tearing it into chunks gives it a crispy texture and a few soft edges for sauce to cling to. This method is my go-to for adding tofu to curries and saucy dishes. After discovering this method a couple years ago I will never marinate or just add raw cubes of tofu to a pan of sauce again. Just follow the instructions and you can’t go wrong - slice into 1/2” slabs, and sear each slab for 3-4 mins each side. Tear into chunks and toss/stir into prepared sauce.

Tofu, once dried out either in the oven or on the stovetop, absorbs far more flavor than pre-cook. As someone who's been cooking with tofu on the reg for over a decade I almost never bother with a pre-cook marinade anymore. Time and ingredient consuming. Hope that's helpful

Marinating it pre cook will prevent getting a good sear and color on the tofu. I think the point is the texture that sear gives pre marination.

It says in the ingredients: (14- to 16-ounce) block extra-firm tofu, sliced ½-inch thick and patted dry. So you will slice it, then fry it.

This was truly fantastic. Proof that it’s easily adaptable: I didn’t have shallots, so I used sweet onion (and more of it), which I prefer anyway. I used a mix of lemon and lime (and a little more of it), I used somewhat less olive oil (1/4-1/2 cup) and it was still plenty. I used parsley and mint for the herbs (what I had on hand). I added capers, sliced radishes, pumpkin seeds, and leftover cooked farro. I sliced avocado on top rather than mixing it in. Had it on a bed of greens.

Very easy and excellent recipe. Added bith red vinegar and lemon to the shalot. Used a mix of parsley, chives, thyme and basil. And added a tomatoe thinly sliced and 2 tablespoons of capers. Served over warm jasmin rice. My vegan son loved it. I really liked marinating the tofu after searing it. And will use this method in other recipes. Thank you Ali.

I must modify my first review. After spending way too much time cleaning my cooktop (I don't tend to fry anything, so have little patience for splatter...), I made it again this time baking the tofu. Brushing the tofu slabs lightly in EVOO and dredging in cornstarch allows the tofu to get nice and crispy in a 350° oven. Then I drizzled probably no more than 1/4 cup EVOO into the lemon/shallot/herb mixture and the resulting dish had all the flavour with no greasiness, and a lot less clean-up!

Add less salt to to the tofu than you think! Also, I doubled tofu, lemon, and shallot but not the oil. That was the right move; it’s a very oily marinade.

I added a minced quarter of a preserved lemon to the sauce and it really took it over the top!

Thoughts on marinating in the lemon and shallots first, searing, then marinating in the herb dressing? I feel like you might get more depth of flavor this way.

this was fantastic - rich from the olive oil and bright from the lemon and herbs. I used parsley, basil and chives. will make again with a new herb combination!

I loved this!Have made it twice, once with shallots (as recipe calls for) and once with scallions since I was out of shallots. Both times using cilantro, mint, parsley and chives.No oil though, I simply sprayed cold skillet with Pam, and added tofu slabs.Served over cooked farro, was very tasty and quite filling. Thanks Ali, great recipe.

Used cilantro and parsley as herbs, also dried thyme and tarragon. Served it with roast butternut squash and TJ's Harvest Grains. A superb vegan meal, and colorful, too.

Definitely don't replace the oil with wine or lemon juice! Both are strong-flavored and acidic, whereas the oil is mild and unctuous. If you don't want oily tofu (I don't, either), just omit the oil; no need to replace it. It's true that oil helps to carry the other flavors, but really all you'll lose is the oiliness.

I find it much easier to cut tofu into cubes, brown it and then serve it. Or I marinate it after cubing then roast it. Much easier than tearing after cooking and gives more crispy edges.

lime, cilantro, dried oregano + flaky sea salt = perfect combo

I absolutely fell in love with this and will be making it and variations of it all the time now. 10/10

really delicious and versatile, served it with rice and smashed soy carrots with peanuts. agree comments that its too oily, will try with 1/2 the oil next time :)

I made this last night and my husband and I ate it all. I will order tofu in an Asian restaurant, but never cook it at home. This was delicious and the directions were simple and easy to follow. I used mint and parsley. After reading the comments, I used less oil in the sauce and added more lemon juice and herbs to the sauce. And did not use a blender or food processor on the sauce.

A pound of tofu and over half a cup of oil - and it serves two? They must be hungry and eager for extra oil. I also don't understand why it needs: a pinch of salt in the dressing, then seasoning the tofu "all over" with salt, then "generously" seasoning the shallot/herb mixture with salt, then, finally re-seasoning with even more salt before eating. Wow. For two servings.

Great with red wine vinegar. Will use less shallots next time.

After reading the notes, used a scant 1/3 cup of olive oil plus whatever I used to fry (didn't measure.) Juice of 2 lemons. Parsley, dill, and thyme. Added 3 anchovy fillets, which I sautéed briefly and then put into the marinade. Picky partner loved it and said multiple times how good it was. Served over rice.

As is, the flavors are promising but lack enough zing, and the textures are great. My changes: Add twice the lemon juice plus lemon zest. 1/2 the amount of olive oil. Sweet onion also works in lieu of shallot. Serve over jasmine rice with steamed chopped green beans, for a fresh sort of rice salad. I could see scallions being a good addition, too. Well seasoned cast iron skillet works well in lieu of non-stick pan. Make sure tofu is dry before frying for best texture.

I found this to be tasty but much too oily so next time I’ll use 1/4c instead of 1/2c for the marinade.

I make variations of this tofu dish frequently. I spray a pan with cooking spray and drizzle a very small amount of EVOO over that. It's plenty to brown the tofu. Or I brown the tofu in the oven. I use lots of my homemade Mrs. Dash type seasoning (salt-free) and no salt at all. A really good dish doesn't need a lot of salt because it gets its flavoring from herbs and spices instead. For celery flavor when you don't have celery or leaves, try celery seed. Store all seeds in the fridge or freeze.

Fantastic recipe. The fresh herbs I had were basil, a little parsley and some thyme. I skimped on the oil in both the frying pan and the marinade which worked fine. The herb combination invited some sliced garden tomatoes and I served the whole thing with fresh green beans and some reheated leftover rice. I all ended up mixed together on my plate and it was absolutely delicious.

I am not a tofu fan, but this was delicious. Next time I will not blitz the herbs because I think it made it a little bitter. And it was almost painful to use my nonstick pan on high. I think I will put the tofu in the oven next time.

I must modify my first review. After spending way too much time cleaning my cooktop (I don't tend to fry anything, so have little patience for splatter...), I made it again this time baking the tofu. Brushing the tofu slabs lightly in EVOO and dredging in cornstarch allows the tofu to get nice and crispy in a 350° oven. Then I drizzled probably no more than 1/4 cup EVOO into the lemon/shallot/herb mixture and the resulting dish had all the flavour with no greasiness, and a lot less clean-up!

Made with cilantro, mint and parsley. Added a splash of mirin. Served over salad greens with some rice noodles and a topping of chopped cashews

Delicious! I didn’t have a large non-stick pan, so used a bit of extra EVOO when searing and then used that oil up for the dish. Only really added a drizzle to the bowl and it was plenty oily enough for me. Made it with arugula, parsley, thyme and tarragon. Highly recommend the lemon juice over vinegar!