These baked tofu crumbles are packed full of taste. These salty bombs add flavour to just about any dish. They’re effortless to make and store well. They’re the magic vegan ingredient you’ve been searching for your whole life.

Whilst it might seem like an exaggeration to call these tofu crumbles a “wonder ingredient”, I’m at a loss to think of a recipe more fitting for this label. I have a pot of these, ready-made, in the kitchen at all times. Bland salad? Tofu crumbles to the rescue. Watery soup? Tofu crumbles can fix that. I can’t count the number of times these baked goodies have saved my back.

The best thing is they are so damn easy to make. There’s no need to get the deep frier out or watch the tofu cook over the hob. Just crumble the tofu, add the spices and bake in the oven. It’s that simple. Praise be!

What dishes to use baked tofu crumbles with

These crispy tofu pieces go with just about anything, as I’ve stated before. But here are a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing. 

• Vegan carbonara – Creamy noodles with crispy savoury bombs, what’s not to like. This recipe for my vegan carbonara is so damn delicious. It’s one of those recipes that I consistently make. It’s both comforting and a little fancy.
• Vegan caesar salad – The crunch baked tofu is a fantastic way to make a salad taste amazing. I like to whip together a salad with a tart and creamy dressing and then sprinkle a generous helping of crumbles to serve. Delicious.
• Potato and leek soup with crispy tofu croutons – I use these tofu crumbles in the space of bread croutons. They’re not only more nutritious but have tons more flavour.

If you like the look of these tofu crumbles, you’ll love

• Sweet and sour baked tofu
• Smoked tofu kedgeree
• The best oven chips

Baked Tofu Crumbles

These tofu crumbles are crunchy and devilishly flavourful. The perfect way to add a savoury hit to a dish. I throw these on everything.

5 from 5 votes

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Servings 2

Course Side Dish

This meal is around 90% less polluting than the average UK meal.

Eating this recipe will save around 2.66 KG CO2e per person.

That’s equivalent to the emissions produced driving 21.95 KM in a modern car.

How do I calculate this?

Ingredients

• 400 g Tofu (pressed so that any excess water is removed)
• 2 Teaspoons Smoked paprika
• 1/4 Teaspoon Turmeric
• 1/2 Teaspoon Garlic powder
• 1 Tablespoon Nutritional yeast (ground into a fine powder using a pestle and mortar or food processor)
• 1 Teaspoon Sea salt
• 2 Teaspoons Liquid smoke
• 2 Tablespoons Sunflower oil

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 200˚c/390˚f (fan oven).
• Combine all the spices in a small mixing bowl (2 teaspoons of smoked paprika, 1/4 teaspoon turmeric, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast and 1 teaspoon of sea salt).
• Crumble the 400g of pressed tofu using your fingers into a large mixing bowl. The crumb sizes should resemble chunky breadcrumbs. I like to vary the size of the crumbs to have a range of textures.
• Tip the spice mix into the crumbled tofu and toss until the spices evenly cover the tofu. Then pour in the 2 teaspoons of liquid smoke and toss again.
• Spread 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil on a baking tray and place into the preheated oven. Heat in the oven until the oil starts to smoke, ususally about 5 minutes.
• Remove the tray from the oven and pour the tofu crumbles onto the hot oil. Space the crumbs evenly on the tray. Place the tray back into the oven and bake for 20 minutes tossing the crumbs halfway through.
• Once the tofu crumbles have cooked remove and allow to cool for 5 minutes before eating. This will further dry the tofu and make it super crispy.

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