Baked Tofu Nuggets with Vegan Tartar Sauce

Simple to make, these crispy baked tofu nuggets disappear quickly! Serve with the vegan tartar sauce given in the recipe, or substitute your favorite condiment.

These nuggets go down easy, so may want to double the recipe for more servings or larger appetites. Make sure to use two baking pans if need be, as you want to arrange the nuggets in a single layer.

If you want to make these ASAP and don’t have the ingredients for the tartar sauce, feel free to use ketchup, barbecue sauce, or marinara sauce.

What to serve with baked tofu nuggets

With the oven at 425º F, consider roasting a pan of vegetables at the same time. Include sturdy favorites like broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, potatoes, and/or sweet potatoes. Or just do oven fries using potatoes and/or sweet potatoes.

A platter of crisp raw vegetables (carrots, peppers, celery, etc.) is a nice addition, and the tartar sauce can double as a dip.

For a kid-friendly meal: A perfect partner is Vegan Mashed Potato Volcanoes. A platter of baby carrots and cherry tomatoes rounds out the meal.

Recipe adapted from The Vegetarian Family Cookbook by Nava Atlas. Photos by Hannah Kaminsky, BittersweetBlog.com.

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Yield: 3 to 4

Baked Tofu Nuggets with Vegan Tartar Sauce

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Simple to make, these baked tofu nuggets disappear quickly! 

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 14-ounce tub extra-firm tofu
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons cornmeal
• 2 tablespoons unbleached white, light spelt, or whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 teaspoon salt-free seasoning blend (like Mrs. Dash)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast, optional

Quick Tartar Sauce

• 1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon pickle relish
• 1 to 2 teaspoons prepared mustard, or to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425º F.
2. Cut the tofu into 1/2-inch-thick slices crosswise to get 6 slabs. Blot very well between clean tea-towels or several layers of paper towel (or press ahead of time in a tofu press). Cut each slab crosswise into 4 sections to get 1/2 by 2-inch nuggets. 
3. In a large mixing bowl, gently toss the tofu with the oil until evenly coated. 
4. Combine the cornmeal, flour, seasoning, salt, and optional nutritional yeast s in a large plastic freezer bag or produce bag and shake to combine. Add the tofu and shake gently until the pieces are evenly coated.
5. Arrange in a single layer on a lightly oiled nonstick baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, then turn carefully and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until golden and firm. 
6. While the tofu nuggets are baking, combine the ingredients for the tartar sauce in a small serving bowl and stir together. Serve the tofu nuggets hot or warm with the sauce. 

If you like this easy tofu preparation, you might also enjoy …

Teriyaki Baked Tofu

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