This easy-to-make grilled tofu with chimichurri sauce is a plant-based recipe I came across in an unusual way, in a Costco Connection magazine! I happened to see it quite some time ago, clipped the page to save the recipe, and finally got around to trying it. I’m glad I did too, because grilled tofu with chimichurri sauce is super tasty.
There are 2 parts to this recipe:
- Making the chimichurri sauce
- Grilling the Tofu
Let’s get started with the chimichurri sauce.
Easy Chimichurri Sauce.
Chimichurri is an Argentinian flavorful sauce that is used as a condiment.
The main ingredient in this herbed sauce is fresh parsley.
To make this chimichurri sauce you’ll want to use Italian flat-leaf parsley, versus curly parsley, for the best flavor.
The other basic chimichurri ingredients in this delicious sauce include extra virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, red wine vinegar, red onion, raw garlic, red pepper flakes, kosher salt, and black pepper.
There are other slight variations for authentic chimichurri, but every recipe has similar ingredients that give this Argentinian sauce such a zesty flavor. As far as the fresh herbs used, a traditional recipe always uses flat-leaf parsley. Sometimes, a bit of fresh oregano is added, but after doing a little research, I was a bit surprised that fresh cilantro is never used to make this green sauce!
To make the sauce, you have some options-
- Place all of the ingredients into a blender, or bowl of a small food processor, and pulse until the sauce ingredients are minced.
- Blend the ingredients in a nutribullet is you prefer a more blended sauce.
- Finely chop the parsley, red onion, and garlic by hand and add to the other ingredients.
The best part about this sauce is that you can make it ahead of time. Put it in an airtight container in the refrigerator and it will stay good for up to 2 weeks. You’ll just need to let the sauce come to room temperature when serving.
What does chimichurri taste like?
It’s fresh, tangy, herbaceous, garlicky, and has a bit of heat from the red pepper flakes.
The next step in this recipe is grilling the tofu.
Easy Grilled Tofu
Firm or extra firm tofu is best for grilling.
Grilled tofu will serve 2-8, depending on how you cut the tofu block.
How to prepare the block of tofu for grilling:
Open the package of tofu and drain off the liquid.
Wrap the block of tofu in a few layers of paper towels or a clean kitchen towel and gently blot any excess liquid.
Cut the thickness of the block of tofu in half so you have 2 square tofu slices.
If you want thick pieces and want a bigger serving, this size makes nice tofu “steaks” and they have a great texture when grilled.
If you prefer thin slices of tofu, cut the thickness in half again for a total of 4 pieces.
For 8 smaller servings, cut each tofu square again on the diagonal.
Brush the tofu with a thin coating of olive oil and season with the spice mixture of granulated garlic, smoked paprika, and cumin.
Place the pieces of tofu on a preheated medium-high heat stovetop grill pan or outdoor grill.
Grill until deeply golden brown and with grill marks, a few minutes on each side, flipping gently only once with a flat spatula. Cooking time varies slightly, depending on the thickness of the tofu pieces.
If you don’t have a grill pan or grill, a heavy skillet will work. You just won’t have grill marks.
This recipe suggests serving the grilled tofu on a piece of grilled toast with some chimichurri spooned over the top. I like turning the grilled toast into garlic bread.
The bread can be grilled in the same pan as the tofu. Be sure and rub a half clove of garlic over the bread after it’s been toasted for that good garlicky flavor.
Just the grilled tofu plated with some chimichurri sauce is delicious too!
Serving Ideas
Try serving some grilled veggies alongside the grilled tofu with some chimichurri sauce as an option as well. It’s a really delicious plant-based meal.
Stir leftover chimichurri sauce into a bit of vegan mayonnaise and make a delicious cold grilled tofu steak sandwich!
Leftover chimichurri sauce can be kept in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks. Any leftover tofu will keep in the refrigerator for a couple of days.
This recipe is a keeper! You must grill tofu steaks and top them off with some zesty chimichurri sauce sometime soon. Vegan Argentinian food can be really good!
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Grilled Tofu with Chimichurri Sauce
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 2-8 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Grilled tofu with chimichurri sauce is super tasty! In no time at all you can grill up some tofu “steaks” and whip up the zesty green chimichurri sauce which is traditionally used as a condiment in Argentina. It’s a fast and delicious plant-based meal. The leftovers are really good too!
Ingredients
Chimichurri Sauce
- 2 cups parsley
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 3 Tbsp lemon juice
- 3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- 2 Tbsp chopped red onion
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp red chili flakes
- 4 garlic cloves, halved
Grilled Tofu
- 1 (16 oz) package of firm or extra firm tofu patted dry with a paper towel or a clean kitchen towel
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
Tofu spice mixture-mix together in a small bowl
- 1 tsp granulated garlic
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
Garlic Toast (optional)
- A slice or more, depending on the serving size, of good crusty bread
- A clove of garlic
Instructions
How to Make the Chimichurri Sauce
1. Place all of the ingredients into a blender, or bowl of a small food processor, and pulse until the sauce ingredients are minced.
You can also blend the ingredients in a nutribullet if you prefer a more blended sauce, or finely chop the parsley, red onion, and garlic by hand with a kitchen knife, and then add to the other ingredients for a more rustic consistency.
How to Make the Grilled Tofu
1. Cut the thickness of the tofu in half so you have 2 square tofu slices. This will make 2 substantial servings.
You have the option to cut the thickness of the tofu “steak” slices in half again to serve 4 and then cut the 4 thinner slices on the diagonal for a total of 8 servings.
2. Brush the tofu with a thin coating of olive oil and season with the spice mixture of granulated garlic, smoked paprika, and cumin.
3. Place the pieces of tofu on a preheated medium-high heat stovetop grill pan or outdoor grill. Grill until deeply golden brown and with grill marks, a few minutes on each side, flipping gently only once with a flat spatula. Cooking time varies slightly, depending on the thickness of the tofu pieces.
How to Make the Grilled Toast (optional)
1. Cut some good crusty bread into slices. Grill the bread in the same pan as the tofu. Once toasted, rub a half clove of garlic to a full clove, depending on how many pieces of bread you toast.
Notes
- Try serving some grilled veggies alongside the grilled tofu with some chimichurri sauce. It’s a really delicious plant-based meal.
- Stir leftover chimichurri sauce into a bit of vegan mayonnaise and make a delicious cold grilled tofu steak sandwich!
- Leftover chimichurri sauce can be kept in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks. Any leftover tofu will keep in the refrigerator for a couple of days.
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 10
- Category: soy protein
- Method: grill
- Cuisine: Argentinian
Can’t wait to try this’ it looks amazing & healthy!!
Great! It’s delicious and really easy to make!