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–+ servings
Pesto tofu in a large white bowl atop a granite countertop.

Pesto Tofu

Sheri Gaw, RDN, CDCES
Pesto Tofu is a flavorful recipe that is far from bland tofu. The pesto can be made ahead 1-2 days if refrigerated or months ahead if frozen.
5 from 2 votes
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Chinese, Italian, Japanese
Servings 4 people
Calories 275 kcal

Equipment

  • tofu press or heavy plate
  • blender or food processor
  • cutting board

Ingredients
  

Pesto Tofu

Pesto

  • 1 cup baby spinach
  • 1 cup basil
  • ½ cup sliced almonds
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • ¼ cup unsweetened almond milk
  • ¼ cup nutritional yeast
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • dash salt optional
  • dash crushed red pepper optional

Tofu

  • 14 ounce package extra firm or firm tofu
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon corn starch

Instructions
 

Pesto Tofu

    Tofu

    • Press tofu with a tofu press or wrap in a paper towel and place a heavy dish on top to squeeze out excess liquid.
    • Slice tofu into 3 slabs.
    • Chop tofu into bite size pieces.
    • In a large bowl, combine corn starch, garlic powder, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and chopped tofu. Stir until tofu is coated well.
    • Preheat oven on 350 degrees.
    • Place seasoned tofu on a baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes total (flip after 15-20 minutes).

    Pesto

    • While tofu is baking, prepare pesto.
    • In a blender, combine spinach, basil, almonds, olive oil, almond milk, nutritional yeast, garlic, salt, and crushed red pepper. Pulse till pureed well.

    Pesto Tofu

    • After tofu is fully baked and golden brown, let it cool for a few minutes. Then, place in a large mixing bowl and add about half of pesto.
    • Refrigerate or freeze remaining tofu.
    • Enjoy!

    Notes

    • The nutrition calculated is the pesto tofu with just half the pesto.
    • Any green can be used in the place of spinach or basil.  Other popular choices are arugula, swiss chard, baby kale, beet greens, or carrot top greens.
    • Any nut or seed can be used in place of sliced almonds.  Other popular choices are pine nuts, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, or peanuts.
    • Any plant based milk can be used in place of the almond milk.  Or any dairy milk can be used if dairy free is not a preference. 
     
     

    Nutrition

    Calories: 275kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 13gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 0.01gSodium: 35mgPotassium: 361mgFiber: 6gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 1020IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 245mgIron: 3mg
    Keyword dairy free, easy, healthy
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!