Vegan Fried Tofu with Chimichurri Dipping Sauce from HeatherChristo.com

Happy Friday! I am so happy to be back in Seattle at home with my girls. We were shocked to come back and find that Spring had happened this week. Finally. Like all of the Spring flowers are blooming- in Seattle that means the cherry blossoms are in full bloom (I will do a walking tour on instagram today). And it was nice enough that when we got home, I couldn’t find Wilbur (very unusual for him not to come running) well he was out on the back terrace basking in the sun. I was a little jealous I must admit, and was totally ready to curl up next to him in a patch of warm sun.

But nope. I had to go to the dentist and get that crown that broke a few weeks ago finally replaced with a permanent crown (well lets hope it is permanent this time). I am such a stress “clencher” (and have been since I was a child) that I literally have cracked all my molars- some of them multiple times apparently. Nice, huh? So now I have something like a titanium tooth in my mouth- it better last. Maybe I need to start doing some yoga or meditating so this doesn’t happen again!?

Anyways, soft food sounded like a good idea last night and Coco had a big week (I will tell you guys about it tomorrow in Staurday Stuff- its really cool!) When I asked her what she wanted for dinner I was cracking up at her answer- FRIED TOFU!

Pia does not eat soy, but Coco has a love affair with Tofu which for some reason I find so surprising! And her favorite way to enjoy is fried (well, obviously). She just likes to eat it fried with a little salt (plain), but I thought that if I was going to make it for her that I would personally like a little dipping sauce to go along with it for myself (right?!) And Chimichurri made the perfect dipping sauce!

Typically I hand chop chimichurri sauce, but this time I put everything in the blender. You get the same flavor, but a much smoother sauce, and while completely non-traditional with tofu it is a great combination of crispy, mild tofu and vibrant, flavorful sauce. This isn’t a full dinner at all, but you could add stir fried veggies and steamed rice or this would definitely make a fun starter dish!

Vegan Fried Tofu with Chimichurri Dipping Sauce from HeatherChristo.com

Fried Tofu with Chimichurri Dipping Sauce
Author: 
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 2-4
 
Ingredients
  • Fried Tofu:
  • 1 pound firm tofu
  • vegetable oil for frying
  • Kosher salt
  • Chimichurri Sauce, Makes 1½ cups:
  • 1 cup flat leaf parsley
  • ¼ cup oregano
  • 3 green onions
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • ¼ cup red wine vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice
  • Kosher salt to taste
Instructions
  1. Bring the vegetable oil to 375 degrees in a heavy pot.
  2. While the oil is coming up to temperature, make the chimichurri sauce: In the jar of a blender combine all of the ingredients and puree until smooth. Season to with kosher salt and transfer to a serving bowl.
  3. Pat the block of Tofu dry and cut into 1 inch cubes.
  4. Gently ease half of the tofu into the hot oil and fry until golden brown and crispy, about 2-3 minutes.
  5. Remove from the hot oil with a slotted spoon or spider and set on a paper towel to drain. Immediately sprinkle with a little kosher salt.
  6. Fry the next batch of tofu and serve hot with the chimichurri sauce.

 

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Vegan Fried Tofu with Chimichurri Dipping Sauce from HeatherChristo.com

Happy Friday! I am so happy to be back in Seattle at home with my girls. We were shocked to come back and find that Spring had happened this week. Finally. Like all of the Spring flowers are blooming- in Seattle that means the cherry blossoms are in full bloom (I will do a walking tour on instagram today). And it was nice enough that when we got home, I couldn’t find Wilbur (very unusual for him not to come running) well he was out on the back terrace basking in the sun. I was a little jealous I must admit, and was totally ready to curl up next to him in a patch of warm sun.

But nope. I had to go to the dentist and get that crown that broke a few weeks ago finally replaced with a permanent crown (well lets hope it is permanent this time). I am such a stress “clencher” (and have been since I was a child) that I literally have cracked all my molars- some of them multiple times apparently. Nice, huh? So now I have something like a titanium tooth in my mouth- it better last. Maybe I need to start doing some yoga or meditating so this doesn’t happen again!?

Anyways, soft food sounded like a good idea last night and Coco had a big week (I will tell you guys about it tomorrow in Staurday Stuff- its really cool!) When I asked her what she wanted for dinner I was cracking up at her answer- FRIED TOFU!

Pia does not eat soy, but Coco has a love affair with Tofu which for some reason I find so surprising! And her favorite way to enjoy is fried (well, obviously). She just likes to eat it fried with a little salt (plain), but I thought that if I was going to make it for her that I would personally like a little dipping sauce to go along with it for myself (right?!) And Chimichurri made the perfect dipping sauce!

Typically I hand chop chimichurri sauce, but this time I put everything in the blender. You get the same flavor, but a much smoother sauce, and while completely non-traditional with tofu it is a great combination of crispy, mild tofu and vibrant, flavorful sauce. This isn’t a full dinner at all, but you could add stir fried veggies and steamed rice or this would definitely make a fun starter dish!

Vegan Fried Tofu with Chimichurri Dipping Sauce from HeatherChristo.com

Fried Tofu with Chimichurri Dipping Sauce
Author: 
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 2-4
 
Ingredients
  • Fried Tofu:
  • 1 pound firm tofu
  • vegetable oil for frying
  • Kosher salt
  • Chimichurri Sauce, Makes 1½ cups:
  • 1 cup flat leaf parsley
  • ¼ cup oregano
  • 3 green onions
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • ¼ cup red wine vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice
  • Kosher salt to taste
Instructions
  1. Bring the vegetable oil to 375 degrees in a heavy pot.
  2. While the oil is coming up to temperature, make the chimichurri sauce: In the jar of a blender combine all of the ingredients and puree until smooth. Season to with kosher salt and transfer to a serving bowl.
  3. Pat the block of Tofu dry and cut into 1 inch cubes.
  4. Gently ease half of the tofu into the hot oil and fry until golden brown and crispy, about 2-3 minutes.
  5. Remove from the hot oil with a slotted spoon or spider and set on a paper towel to drain. Immediately sprinkle with a little kosher salt.
  6. Fry the next batch of tofu and serve hot with the chimichurri sauce.