The tofu schnitzel with coleslaw recipe is tasty and satisfying with panko coated tofu fillets, a tasty cabbage, carrot, apple, and scallion coleslaw, and a bright lemon-caper dressing sure to impress. Give this recipe a try if you want to switch up how you use tofu
Ingredients
- 16 ounces (454 g) extra-firm tofu
- One 15.5-ounce (439 g) can chickpeas
- 1½ cups (375 ml) shaved cabbage
- 1 medium carrot grated
- ½ medium green apple thinly sliced
- 1 scallion thinly sliced
- Handful of fresh Italian parsley leaves
- 1 cup (250ml) panko bread crumbs
- ¼ cup (60ml) nutritional yeast
- ½ tsp (2.5 ml) onion powder
- ½ tsp (2.5 ml) garlic powder
- 1 tsp (5 ml) chopped fresh rosemary leaves
- 1 tsp (5 ml) fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tsp (5 ml) kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup (60 ml) cornstarch
- ¼ cup (60 ml) grapeseed oil or other neutral-flavored oil
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) drained capers for garnish (optional)
- 4 small radishes sliced (optional)
For the lemon-caper dressing
- ¼ cup (60 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 6 tbsp (90 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tbsp (45 ml) chopped fresh Italian parsley
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 tsp (5 ml) maple syrup
- 1 tsp (5 ml) Dijon mustard
Instructions
- Wrap the tofu in a kitchen towel, place it between two sheet pans, and put a heavy weight, such as a cast-iron skillet or canned beans, on top. Press for at least 15 minutes to extract any liquid.
- Into a shallow bowl, strain and reserve the liquid (aquafaba) from the chickpeas. (Save the chickpeas for another meal.)
- Make the coleslaw: In a medium bowl, toss together the cabbage, carrot, apple, scallion, and parsley. Set aside.
- On a large plate, combine the panko, nutritional yeast, onion powder, garlic powder, rosemary, thyme, salt, and a few grinds of pepper and mix well. Place the cornstarch on a separate plate.
- Cut the tofu block into 4 slices lengthwise. Coat one tofu slice with the cornstarch, dip it into the aquafaba, and then press firmly into the panko mixture, coating both sides and the edges to get a nice thick coating. Press down again to make sure the coating adheres to the slice. Repeat with the remaining slices.
- Line a plate with paper towels. In a cast-iron skillet or heavy-bottomed pan, heat the grapeseed oil over medium heat. When it starts to shimmer, fry the tofu in batches until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes each side. Remove from the pan and drain on the prepared plate.
- Make the dressing: To a high-speed blender, add the lemon juice, olive oil, parsley, garlic, maple syrup, and mustard and blend until smooth.
- Toss the coleslaw with half the dressing and drizzle the remaining dressing over the tofu schnitzel. Garnish with the capers and radishes if desired.