I’ve always been a huge fan of sandwiches! Yesterday, we had this vegan tofu and kale pesto sandwich with grilled zucchini, carrots, and lettuce, which was not only super delicious but also pretty easy to make. I just couldn’t wait to share this recipe with you!
When I first tried tofu more than ten years ago, I wasn’t exactly keen on it. I somehow didn’t like it’s structure and most of all its plain taste. It wasn’t until years later, that I tried it again. I marinated it with lots of spices, garlic, and soy sauce and let it sit for a couple of hours.
And man was it good! Crispy, savory, packed with flavor, and just so easy!
How could I’ve had not known that any sooner?
For the kale pesto, I used walnuts, garlic, olive oil, and nutritional yeast. And kale of course. Just put all ingredients into a food processor or blender and process until smooth. It’s also great with pasta and veggies or on pizza. We have pesto almost every week because it makes such an easy dinner and is just so delicious.
If you don’t use the pesto all at once, transfer it to an airtight container, drizzle a little olive over the top, and keep it in the refrigerator.
I used smoked tofu for the sandwich, which is already pretty flavorful on its own. If you want you can add some soy sauce when you stir-fry it. If you don’t want to use smoked tofu or can’t find it, you can of course also use regular tofu and marinate it. I usually use a mixture that consists of paprika powder, minced garlic, BBQ sauce, soy sauce, salt, pepper, and liquid smoke. But you can get pretty creative with the marinate. It’s also great with curry powder!
I hope everyone had a great weekend! I can’t believe how fast it was over. I could swear time goes by much quicker on the weekends! Haha!
Have a great start into the new week!
Tofu and Kale Pesto Sandwich
Ingredients
For the vegan kale pesto:
- 3 handfulls kale
- 1/2 cup walnuts
- 1 clove of garlic
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 5-6 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian spice mixture (oregano, basil, rosemary, thyme, and sage)
- salt
- black pepper
For the sandwiches:
- 7 oz smoked tofu Alternatively you can also use marinated regular tofu
- 1 small zucchini, cut into slices
- 1 carrot, spiralized
- lettuce
- 2 whole wheat buns
Instructions
- First make the kale pesto: Put all ingredients into a blender of food processor and blend until smooth.
- Cut the tofu into thin stripes. In a medium pan, heat some olive oil and stir-fry the tofu for about 2-3 minutes on each side until it is brown and crispy. If you want you can also add about half a teaspoon of soy sauce. Once the tofu is done, put it aside.
- Heat some more olive oil and cook the zucchini slices for another 3 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and Italian spices (such as oregano, basil, rosemary, thyme).
- Cut the sandwiches in half and generously coat both sides with kale pesto. Add the lettuce, the tofu, the carrots, and the grilled zucchini.
Stacey says
July 9, 2018 at 17:17Drizzle a little olive oil over the top of the pesto can keep it longer in the fridge?
Deborah ShireGardener says
January 21, 2016 at 20:47These look so delicious. I will have to try them, but marinated tofu is quite dangerous in my house as I eat it like sweets, straight out of the pack! I love kale and am always looking for fresh ideas. Thank you!
Sina says
February 1, 2016 at 20:51Haha! I totally know where you’re coming from, Deborah! :D
Abeer says
November 12, 2015 at 20:07I didn’t even know they sell smoked tofu. That would be so much better than the regular tofu which is so tasteless! I really should look for it next time :)
Sina says
November 16, 2015 at 10:55I absolutely love smoked tofu, Abeer! I could just eat it right out of the package! :-) My boyfriend always gets mad at me for doing this when we’re cooking together. :D Hope you can find it!
Samantha says
November 11, 2015 at 22:34I have to admit…when I saw the title of your post, “kale” and “tofu” almost scared me away.
But seeing these photos – this actually looks REALLY good…saved :)
Thanks for sharing
Samantha | pearlsandpolkadots.net
Sina says
November 16, 2015 at 10:53Haha! Thanks so much, Samantha! I really had to smile when I read your comment. ;-) So glad I eventually didn’t scare you off!
Amanda says
November 11, 2015 at 16:24Crispy tofu is the bomb! As someone who has been happily eating sandwiches all week long, I have to say this looks fabulous! And hooray for homemade pesto.
Sina says
November 16, 2015 at 10:52Thanks, Amanda! I’m a huge sandwich fan too! Always was and always will be! ;-)
Natalie | Feasting on Fruit says
November 10, 2015 at 15:40I think sandwiches are one of those things that actually get better when you go vegan! I mean just look at this saucy, stacked masterpiece with the carrot streamers and the lettuce fringe!!! Gorgeous and i can only imagine super tasty <3
Sina says
November 16, 2015 at 10:51I totally agree with you, Natalie! I’ve already had sooo many delicious vegan sandwiches! I just love that you can get all creative with different kind of veggies and sauces. :-)
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
November 9, 2015 at 23:54I can never turn down a good sammie! My lunch essential! I always have a sandwich as the “main course” ;)
Sina says
November 16, 2015 at 10:49Me neither, Rebecca! Oh, and I absolutely agree with you, a sandwich as the main course is totally okay!! :-)