This pan-fried vegan salmon is perfect if you miss fish. It’s tender, flaky, packed with flavors of the sea, and it’s super crispy on the outside with a crispy skin made of nori.
Why This Recipe Works
Before I turned vegan, I really loved salmon. Especially with a creamy dill sauce and crispy potatoes. Let’s be honest of course you can’t make vegan salmon that tastes just like real salmon.
But you can make vegan salmon out of tofu that tastes so much like the ocean and that is incredibly delicious! Even passionate fish eaters tried this recipe and they were absolutely stunned!
It’s tender on the inside, super crispy on the outside, and it has a savory, lightly smoky and fishy taste. A piece of nori that serves as the salmon skin perfects the fish-like taste and look.
For the perfect taste, it’s very important to marinade the tofu overnight or for at least 8 hours. For the marinade, I blended beet juice, a nori sheet, lemon juice, soy sauce, rice vinegar, garlic, and liquid smoke. It gives the tofu the perfect ocean flavor!
This is definitely not one of my quickest recipes as the tofu needs to marinade over night and it also takes a while to cut the tofu blocks into salmon fillet-like shapes. But it’s definitely worth the time!
What Goes Into This Recipe
- Tofu – use firm or extra-firm tofu for this recipe. The firmer, the better. You need two 8-ounce blocks.
- Beet Juice – it gives the vegan salmon its pink color.
- Soy Sauce – use tamari for a gluten-free version.
- Rice Vinegar
- Nori Leaf – it gives the vegan salmon its “fish” flavor and it’s also used as the salmon skin.
- Vegetable Broth Powder – adds more flavor.
- Salt
- Liquid Smoke – adds a smoky flavor. You need only about 1/4 teaspoon. I usually buy it online and it lasts forever in the fridge.
- Garlic – I used one clove of garlic.
- Lemon Juice
How To Make This Recipe
1. Step: Press the tofu for 30 minutes before beginning with this recipe. This step is optional, but highly recommended. Use a tofu press. Or place the tofu between two sheets of paper towels and two plates. Then place a heavy object (a large can or a stack of cookbooks) on top of the plate.
2. Step: Cut the tofu into “salmon” fillets. Cut each tofu block in half. Then, cut off a piece on top of the tofu so it looks like a salmon fillet (see step-by-step photos).
3. Step: Place two butter knives or chop sticks on both sides of a piece of tofu. Then make diagonal cuts across the tofu. This will give them a look that resembles real salmon. The knives or chop sticks will prevent you from cutting all the way through the tofu.
4. Step: Place the ingredients for the marinade in a food processor.
5. Step: Blend until smooth.
6. Step: Place the prepared tofu in container with a lid and pour over the marinade. Make sure all tofu pieces are well coated.
7. Step: Store in the fridge overnight or for at least 8 hours.
8. Step: On the next day, cut the nori sheet into pieces that have the size of each tofu fillet and fit to the bottom of each piece. Gently stick them to the bottom of each piece.
9. Step: Pour the corn starch on a large plate.
10. Step: Gently roll each piece of tofu in the corn starch. Make sure it’s completely covered in corn starch.
11. Step: Repeat with all tofu pieces.
12. Step: Heat at least two tablespoons of olive oil in a large frying pan. Cook the tofu on all four sides for about 2 minutes until crispy.
Recipe Notes
- I highly recommend pressing out the excess water of the tofu before starting with this recipe. This will give it the perfect texture. Ideally use a tofu press for this step. Check out my post on how to prepare tofu for more tips.
- This recipe takes a while in total, but it’s a great recipe to make ahead. Prepare the tofu and the marinade the night before and let it marinade overnight. On the next day, all you have to do is roll the tofu fillets in corn starch and pan-fry them until crispy.
- I like to serve the plant-based salmon with crispy potatoes, for example with garlic smashed potatoes or Hasselback potatoes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can You Make This Recipe Gluten-Free?
Yes, you can easily make this recipe gluten-free by simply replacing the soy sauce with tamari.
How Long Do The Vegan Salmon Fillets Last?
Stored in an airtight container in the fridge, they will last 3-4 days.
What’s The Best Way To Reheat Them?
I recommend reheating the tofu fillets in a frying pan or in the microwave.
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I Love To Hear From You!
I hope you like this vegan salmon as much as we do around here.
If you give it a try, I’d love to know what you think about it. Just leave me a comment and a star rating below. Your comments really make my day!
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Sina
Vegan Salmon
Ingredients
For the Tofu Salmon:
- 14 oz firm or extra-firm tofu
- 1 nori sheet
For the Marinade:
- 1 cup beet juice
- 1 nori sheet
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vegetable broth powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke
- 1 clove of garlic
Instructions
- Press the tofu for 30 minutes before beginning with this recipe. This step is optional, but highly recommended. Use a tofu press. Or place the tofu between two sheets of paper towels and two plates. Then place a heavy object (a large can or a stack of cookbooks) on top of the plate.
- Cut the tofu into "salmon" fillets. Cut each tofu block in half. Then, cut off a piece on top of the tofu so it looks like a salmon fillet (see step-by-step photos).
- Place two butter knives or chop sticks on both sides of a piece of tofu. Then make diagonal cuts across the tofu. This will give them a look that resembles real salmon. The knives or chop sticks will prevent you from cutting all the way through the tofu.
- Place the ingredients for the marinade in a food processor.
- Blend until smooth.
- Place the prepared tofu in container with a lid and pour over the marinade. Make sure all tofu pieces are well coated.
- Store in the fridge overnight or for at least 8 hours.
- On the next day, cut the nori sheet into pieces that have the size of each tofu fillet and fit to the bottom of each piece. Gently stick them to the bottom of each piece.
- Pour the corn starch on a large plate.
- Gently roll each piece of tofu in the corn starch. Make sure it's completely covered in corn starch.
- Repeat with all tofu pieces.
- Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large frying pan. Cook the tofu on all four sides for about 2 minutes until crispy.
Notes
- I highly recommend pressing out the excess water of the tofu before starting with this recipe. This will give it the perfect texture. Ideally use a tofu press for this step. Check out my post on how to prepare tofu for more tips.
- This recipe takes a while in total, but it's a great recipe to make ahead. Prepare the tofu and the marinade the night before and let it marinade overnight. On the next day, all you have to do is roll the tofu fillets in corn starch and pan-fry them until crispy.
- I like to serve the plant-based salmon with crispy potatoes, for example with garlic smashed potatoes or Hasselback potatoes.
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