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pan of marry me tofu ready to serve

Marry Me Tofu

Seared tofu in a creamy parmesan & sun-dried tomato sauce. Marry Me Tofu is the perfect date night meal or cozy comfort food dinner.
5 from 49 votes
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Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 4
Author: Sarah Sullivan

Video

Equipment

Ingredients

Pan-Fried Tofu

  • 1 (16 oz) block super-firm (high protein) tofu cut into 1/2" steaks or pieces
  • salt and pepper to generously season the tofu
  • 1/3 cup flour
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Marry Me Cream Sauce

  • 2 tablespoons vegan butter
  • 1/2 medium onion, or 2 shallots finely diced
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional, or use Calabrian chili paste
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 2-4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/3 cup oil-packed sundried tomatoes diced
  • 1 cup vegetable broth I recommend chicken-style bouillon; see notes
  • 1 cup cashew cream recipe follows; see notes for substitutions
  • 1/4 cup grated vegan parmesan or sub 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil plus extra to garnish
  • salt to taste

Cashew Cream

  • 1/3 cup raw cashews soaked 4+ hours or boiled ~10 minutes
  • 2/3 cup hot water

Instructions

Prepare the Cashew Cream

  • If you would prefer to use a store-bought nondairy cream, check out the recipe notes for recommendations.
  • Make sure the cashews are thoroughly soaked or boiled so they blend as smoothly as possible. Drain the soaking liquid and add the cashews to a high powdered blender along with 2/3 cup hot water. Blend for several minutes, until the mixture is completely smooth. Set aside.

Prepare the Tofu

  • Cut the tofu into your preferred shape — you can do 1/2" steaks, cubes, or triangular pieces. I tend to prefer the smaller pieces because it gives the tofu a little more surface area for the sauce to coat.
  • Generously salt the tofu pieces and add pepper to preference. Add 1/3 cup flour to a plate or shallow dish and dredge the tofu.
  • Heat a skillet or braiser over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil (or enough to coat the bottom of the pan) and heat until the oil shimmers.
  • Add the dredged tofu pieces in one layer (work in batches if needed). The tofu should sizzle immediately when added to the pan; otherwise, the oil isn't hot enough. Pan-fry until lightly golden brown on both sides, about 3-5 minutes per side. Remove the browned tofu to a plate.

Prepare the Sauce

  • Melt the nondairy butter in the same pan. Add in finely diced onion, 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional), 1/2 teaspoon oregano, and 1/4 teaspoon thyme to the pan. Add a generous pinch of salt and sauté for 3-5 minutes, or until onion is tender.
  • Add minced garlic and sauté for another 1-2 minutes.
  • Stir in the 1/3 cup diced sundried tomatoes and sauté for another minute.
  • Pour in 1 cup vegetable broth. If any bits are sticking to the bottom of the pan, gently scrape them loose with your wooden spoon.
  • Stir in the 1 cup cashew cream (or plant-based cream substitute), along with the 1/4 cup shredded vegan parmesan (or 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast). If you are using nutritional yeast, you may need to add in an extra pinch of salt.
  • Let the sauce simmer, stirring often, until it thickens to a creamy consistency. This usually only takes a minute or two. If it thickens a little more than you prefer, you can simply stir in an extra splash of water or vegetable broth.
  • Give the sauce and a taste and season to preference with salt. The amount of salt needed will vary depending on the brand of broth and parmesan you used. Chicken-style bouillon tends to run on the salty side, but a regular veggie broth from a carton will likely need extra salt.
  • Stir in 2 tablespoons fresh basil. Then add the pan-fried tofu back into the pan, gently tossing to coat with sauce. Allow it to simmer for another minute or two to reheat the tofu.
  • Serve garnished with more fresh basil. Pair with pasta or rice for a satisfying meal.

Notes

  • Chicken-style vegetable broth: This will make the sauce more savory! I recommend using double-concentrated broth for more flavor — just use 2x the bouillon required for 1 cup of broth. My favorite options are the Not-Chick'n Edward & Sons Bouillon Cubes or the Better Than Bouillon Vegetarian No Chicken Base.
  • Vegan parmesan: I like the Follow Your Heart Vegan Parmesan Shreds or the Violife Just Like Parmesan Wedge.
  • No Cashews: You can replace the cashews with raw sunflower seeds to make homemade sunflower cream. It doesn't have as neutral a flavor as cashews but it's very creamy. You can also use canned coconut cream if you don't mind the slight coconut flavor — I find the Sprouts brand works well for this. Alternatively, you can use your favorite plant-based half & half or heavy cream substitute. Silk and Country Crock offer two options. I haven't tested this recipe with either personally.
  • Can't find super-firm tofu: You can make this with firm/extra-firm tofu. I recommend giving it a thorough press for at least 20 minutes to firm it up and remove extra moisture. Blocks of firm/extra firm tofu tend to be a bit smaller (usually 12 or 14 ounces), so the ratio of sauce-to-tofu will be a bit different. You can use 1 1/2 blocks firm/extra-firm tofu if you like.

Nutrition

Calories: 426kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 394mg | Potassium: 264mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 377IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 2mg

The nutrition information provided on Sarah’s Vegan Kitchen is an estimate and is offered for general informational purposes only. Values will vary depending on the specific brands and amounts used.