Food - Drink
How To Add Smoky Flavor To Baked Tofu
By AUTUMN SWIERS
By itself, the flavor of most types of tofu is nearly non-existent, but that makes it a blank canvas and one of the most versatile ingredients in the world. Tofu is naturally super porous, meaning it can quickly absorb and retain other flavors, so it's actually easier to add smoky flavor to baked tofu than it is to smoke a piece of meat.
To impart a satisfying smokiness, award-winning cookbook author Andrea Nguyen of Viet World Kitchen suggests simmering your tofu pieces in a simple brine after baking. Nguyen recommends using a mixture of water and smoky seasonings — like smoked paprika and/or liquid smoke — and allowing the tofu to soak overnight.
Minimalist Baker suggests baking the tofu pieces in the oven, then marinating them and sauteing them on the stove to finish. To skip the sauteing step and simply bake the uncooked tofu post-marinade, Vegan Food & Living recommends baking it at around 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 35 minutes.