I LOVE tofu. I know I may be in the minority here, but I think I have mastered tofu. When I look at a block of tofu now, at the ripe old age of 34, I know I can do amazing things with it. That being said, this vegan crispy tofu with lemon dill cream sauce is one of the most delicious things I’ve ever had. Tofu or not. A super easy, crispy baked tofu. Topped with a very addictive cream sauce.
I used to love fish topped with lemon dill sauce. I realized the other day that it would probably taste incredible over some tofu. Not only that, it would be even more amazing to marinate the tofu in lemon juice and then bread and bake it. So here you have one of the fanciest, truly incredible tofu dishes I have ever created.
This vegan crispy tofu with lemon dill cream sauce is the perfect main dish to go with a whole slew of sides. I like to serve it with steamed veggies for a healthish meal. I particularly like green beans with it. It’s also amazing with Vegan Mashed Potatoes or Vegan Cauliflower Mash! French fries or sweet potato fries. The possibilities are endless. So get creative, or use whatever veggies you have on hand that need to be used up!
If you have never tried a lemon dill cream sauce, now is the time! It is not normally vegan, but I knew it was time to make that happen. A note on the coconut cream, this sauce has maybe a slight hint of coconut, but it works and I don’t think you can really taste it very much at all. Once the sauce has simmered and reduced, it just tastes like lemon, dill, cream and happiness. I highly recommend just giving it a try!
Crispy, crunchy baked tofu drizzled with the most amazing lemon dill sauce!
- 1 Block(15oz.) Extra firm or super firm tofu, pressed
- 1 Cup Vegetable broth
- 1/4 Cup Lemon juice
- 2 Tablespoons Olive oil
- 2 teaspoons Salt, divided
- 1 1/3 Cup Cornstarch
- 3/4 Cup Bread crumbs, vegan (gluten-free if desired)
- 1 Tablespoon Olive oil
- 1 Large Shallot, chopped
- 1/2 Cup Vegetable broth
- 2 Tablespoons Lemon juice, plus more to taste
- 1 Cup Coconut cream or full fat coconut milk*
- 1/4 Cup Fresh dill, chopped
- Salt and Pepper to taste
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Press the tofu first, if you need more info on pressing tofu, check out my Tofu Cooking Guide!
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Once the tofu has been pressed, make the marinade for it. Whisk together the vegetable broth, lemon juice, olive oil and 1 teaspoon of salt in a large mixing bowl.
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Then, cut the block of tofu into whatever shapes you want. I like to slice the tofu into slices that are about 1/3-1/2 inch thick and then cut those diagonally so I have small triangles. You just want them to be about that thickness.
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Now, place all of the tofu into the marinade and let marinate for at least an hour. The longer the better, and you can even do it in the morning when you want it for dinner or the night before.
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When ready to make the tofu, preheat the oven to 375 degrees(F).
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Remove the tofu from the marinade and set it on a plate or in a bowl. Reserve the marinade, we will be using it to help bread the tofu.
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Now, get two more medium sized mixing bowls. In the first one, add the cornstarch and the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt. Stir. In the second bowl, add the bread crumbs.
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Then, put a few pieces of tofu into the cornstarch, coat them completely, shake off any excess, then put the tofu into the marinade and make sure the tofu is completely wet, then back in the cornstarch, then back in the marinade making sure the tofu is nice and wet, then into the bread crumbs coating completely.
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Place the tofu onto a baking sheet sprayed with non-stick spray. Repeat with all the tofu, then spray the tops of the tofu with more non-stick spray.
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Bake the tofu for 20 minutes, then flip and bake 15-20 more minutes or until the tofu is golden brown and firm.
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While the tofu is baking, make the sauce. In a medium sized non-stick skillet, heat the olive oil on medium high.
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Add the shallot and saute, reducing heat as needed until the shallot is translucent. About 5 minutes.
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Then pour in the vegetable broth, lemon juice, and coconut cream. Stir to combine and season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
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Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for about 15 minutes, the sauce will reduce a bit and get a little thicker. Now, add the dill and simmer for another 5 minutes.
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Taste and adjust seasonings. I like to add a bit more lemon juice and salt and pepper.
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Once the tofu is done, serve the tofu with the sauce on top. Keep the tofu and sauce separate until serving so the tofu doesn't get soggy.
*The sauce might have a slight coconut taste, but I really think it works, and I don't really think it is noticeable at all. Once the sauce reduces, you really can't tell!
Wow! This was beyond delicious and totally easy! I foresee this dish becoming part of my regular rotation. Absolutely amazing!!! Can not recommend this enough. Thank you for this recipe 🙂
SO GOOD! Mine wasn’t as pretty but tasted fabulous. I needed to make additional sauce because it was so yummy and I practically drank it! Next time I will cut my tofu slices thinner. Another great recipe. Thanks so much!
I just made this and it was delicious! The tofu turned out super crispy and the sauce was heaven. Thank you for sharing <3
Hi thanks for sharing this recipe. Can I substitute the fresh dill for dry dill?
Yes, I think dry dill would work, but I would only use a teaspoon or 2. Not a 1/4 cup.
I can’t wait to try this! Do you recommend using unsweetened or sweetened coconut milk/cream?
I always use unsweetened canned coconut cream. I hope you enjoy!!
I didn’t understand what the marinade is supposed to be. Is it the sauce?
Step 2, where the recipe says make the marinade, and then says whisk together the broth, lemon juice, olive oil and salt. That’s the marinade.