Vegan Salmon

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.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Diet Vegan

Prep Time 1

Cook Time 10

Servings servings

Calories 93kcal

Author Sina

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.

Nutrition