*This post may contain affiliate links in the recipe card*

I really did love seafood when I was a kid. I mean, I was a Florida boat kid. So whenever I crave something from the sea, I just make a vegan version. This Creamy Garlic Herb Vegan “Salmon” is next level. It is next level tasty and next level fancy! The perfect date night or dinner party meal. You can serve this “salmon” along side any roasted or steamed veggies or some creamy veggie puree! This meal may be a little more time consuming than some of my others, but it is actually really easy. You marinate tofu “filets”, I recommend overnight. Then you bake the tofu with some veggies if you want and make a the really simple garlic herb cream sauce while the tofu bakes.

What You Need For This Tofu “Salmon”:

Extra Firm Tofu: This makes a perfect tender fish replacement.
Beets, Nori, Veggie Broth, Lemon Juice, Apple Cider Vinegar, Pickle Juice, Tahini, Garlic: All of these are blended together to make the marinade for the tofu.
Shallots: Sautéed in olive oil with more garlic, this starts the sauce.
Raw Cashews,
Non-dairy Milk: Blended with salt and pepper, these make the creamy for the sauce. You can also use store bought vegan cream if you prefer.
Vegan Parmesan: I used Follow Your Heart.
Fresh Herbs: I used thyme, rosemary and chives. But you can use any herbs you like for the sauce.

This vegan “salmon” is marinated in a combination of beets, mostly for color, nori for that sea taste, lemon juice and vinegar for tang and pickle juice for that briny flavor. I also added tahini for a bit of sesame, umami type flavor. This tofu magically transforms before your eyes and man is it delicious! By its self this tofu is amazing, but with this creamy garlic herb sauce, it is truly spectacular. Fancy, flavorful and so much fun.

Why Should You Make This Vegan Fish?

The marinated tofu is the greatest thing ever.
It is really fun to make and comes out looking beautiful.
The creamy garlic herb sauce is so yummy.
The tofu “salmon” with the sauce on top is incredible.
Serve with your favorite side, this meal is fancy enough to impress anyone.

Creamy Garlic Herb Vegan “Salmon”

Print Recipe

Tofu marinated to make it look and taste of the sea baked and served with a creamy garlic herb sauce.

Course Main Course

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 40

Marinating Time 8

Total Time 8 50

Servings

Calories 276

Author Lauren Boehme

Ingredients

Vegan "Salmon"

2 Blocks(15oz each) Extra firm tofu, drained and pressed*
1 Small Beet, peeled
1/2 Cup Nori sheets, crushed
3 Cloves Garlic
1/2 teaspoon Salt + more as needed
1/4 teaspoon Red pepper flakes
1 Tablespoon Apple cider vinegar
1 Tablespoon Lemon juice
2 teaspoons Pickle juice
2 Tablespoons Tahini
1 Cup Vegetable broth

Creamy Garlic Herb Sauce

1/2 Cup Raw cashews, soaked**
1/2 Cup Non-dairy milk, unsweetened I used oat milk
2 Tablespoons Olive oil
4 Cloves Garlic, chopped
1 Shallot, diced
2 Tablespoons Fresh herbs, I used thyme, rosemary and chives
1/2- 1 Cup Vegetable broth
1 teaspoon Lemon juice
1/2 Cup Vegan Parmesan, I used Follow Your Heart
Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

Once you have pressed the tofu, make the marinade.
Add the beet, nori, garlic, salt, red pepper, vinegar, lemon juice, pickle juice, tahini and vegetable broth to a blender.
Blend on high until completely smooth.
Pour the marinade into a large bowl that will fit all the tofu in.
Now, cut each block of tofu through the side into 3 or 4 slices. Then take each slice of tofu and lay it flat. Using a small knife, score the top of each slice of tofu by cutting diagonal slices, not too deep into the top, you want to make sure you don't go all the way through. Then cut back the other direction at a diagonal so you have cross hatching all through the top of the tofu. See video for reference.
Place each slice of tofu into the bowl with the marinade and sink them down as much as possible. You want to marinate in the fridge for at least 6 hours, but I like to do it the night before I plan to make the dish. If all your tofu isn't fully submerged, you can toss them around a few times as they marinate.
Once you are ready to cook the tofu, preheat the oven to 425 degrees(F).
Remove the tofu from the marinade and place on a large sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Brush the tofu with a little olive oil, this is optional, but helps firm up the outside of the tofu. Then sprinkle the tofu with a few pinches of salt.
Bake the tofu for 35 to 40 minutes or until the tofu is firm.
While the tofu bakes, make the sauce. Make a cashew cream first. Drain the cashews you soaked and add them to a blender with the non-dairy milk and a pinch of salt and pepper. Blend until completely smooth. Set aside.
Heat the olive oil on medium high in a large non-stick skillet.
Add the garlic and shallots. Sauté, reducing heat as needed, until the shallot is translucent. About 1 to 2 minutes.
Add the herbs to the skillet and sauté for another minute.
Pour 1/2 cup of vegetable broth into the skillet as well as a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
Pour the cashew cream you made into the skillet as well as the lemon juice and vegan Parmesan. Stir to combine.
Let simmer for a few minutes, the sauce will start to thicken. If it gets too thick, add a little more of the vegetable broth to thin it out to your desired thickness.
Taste and adjust seasonings.
Once the tofu is done, serve the tofu with the sauce on top. I like to serve with roasted veggies. You can roast veggies on one side of the sheet pan and put the tofu on the other side and just bake all at the same time.

Video

Notes

*If you need more information on pressing tofu, check out my TOFU COOKING GUIDE!

**You want to soak the cashews in room temperature water for 8 hours or overnight. Or boil the cashews for about 20 minutes.

Nutrition