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Overhead closeup of grilled tofu steaks in a creamy vegan Cajun sauce in a cast iron skillet with a wooden ladle and cheesecloth
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5 from 16 votes

Grilled Tofu Steaks in a Creamy Vegan Cajun Sauce

These Grilled Tofu Steaks in a Creamy Vegan Cajun Sauce come together in mere minutes. The sauce is made in a blender, and it is creamy and spicy and herby. The grilled steaks are smoky and flavorful. A 30-minute, vegan, gluten-free recipe.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Main
Cuisine: 30-minute recipe, American
Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 139kcal
Author: Vaishali · Holy Cow Vegan

Equipment

Ingredients

For the grilled tofu:

  • 16 oz super firm or extra firm tofu (use extra firm for steaks that are less chewy, but squeeze excess water out first. Slice the tofu once through the middle, then cut each half into four steaks)
  • 2 tablespoon avocado oil or any neutral oil
  • ½ teaspoon oregano
  • ½ teaspoon thyme
  • 1 teaspoon tamari (or soy sauce)
  • 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
  • Salt and ground black pepper to taste

For the creamy vegan Cajun sauce:

  • ½ cup raw cashews
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon thyme
  • ½ teaspoon oregano
  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika (if you want to use more paprika, which you certainly can, add regular paprika)
  • 2 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 3 cups water (if you have mushroom stock around, use it for even more flavor)
  • 1 tablespoon tamari
  • Salt and ground black pepper to taste
  • 1 tablespoon vegan butter (optional)

Instructions

Make the tofu steaks:

  • Whisk all the marinade ingredients. Dredge the tofu in the marinade and set aside for 30 minutes at least if possible. You can skip the marinating time, but you'll get more flavorful steaks if you let them sit in the marinade for a while.
  • Heat the grill or grill pan on high heat. Place the tofu steaks on the grill and turn the heat to medium low. Cover the steaks and let them cook about 4-6 minutes on each side or until they have nice grill marks on them. Turn the tofu at a 90 degree angle halfway through grilling to get a cross-hatch pattern. Set the grilled tofu steaks aside.

Make the creamy Cajun sauce:

  • Place all the ingredients except the butter in the blender and blend into a smooth sauce. It will appear thin at this point, but that's fine.
  • Add the butter to a hot skillet, if using. Pour in the sauce from the blender and mix well. Cook over medium-high heat until it comes to a boil, then turn heat to medium-low and continue cooking another 5-8 minutes or until it has thickened nicely. If it isn't as thick as you want it to be, give it a little longer on the stove. Stir frequently and add more salt and pepper if needed.
  • Add the tofu steaks to the saucepan and let them heat through, then turn off heat.
  • Garnish with fresh parsley or thyme or both.

Nutrition

Serving: 1steak with sauce | Calories: 139kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 219mg | Potassium: 99mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 189IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 78mg | Iron: 1mg