Vegan Salmon (Gluten free)

Servings: 4

Prep time: 10 minutes+ marinate for 60 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

INGREDIENTS

Vegan Salmon

• One 14.0 ounce pack extra firm tofu (sub chickpea tofu if soy free)

Vegan Salmon Marinade

• 2 sheets nori

• 1/2 tablespoon beetroot powder

• 3 tablsespoon vegan miso paste

• 1 cup vegetable stock

• 2 tablespoon rice vinegar

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

• 1 1/2 teaspoon old bay seasoning

• 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

You Will Also Need

• 1 sheet nori

• Kosher salt

• Black pepper

• 1/2 cup cornstarch

• 3 tbsp vegetable oil

1. Drain and rinse off the package of tofu well. Then, wrap it in several sheets of paper towel, place it on a plate, and put something slightly heavy on top of the tofu to weigh it down and help press out any excess liquid. Allow this to rest for at least thirty minutes.

2. Then, cut the tofu in half lengthwise. Turn the halves onto their sides and cut them in half lengthwise, so you have a total of four tofu fillets. Lay the fillets back down flat, and using a pairing knife, slice the tofu repeatedly across about 1/8th inch apart, at an angle, and about 75% of the way down, to create a flaky fish-like texture. While slicing the tofu, I find it easiest to slide the knife out towards me instead of dragging it up and out; this helps avoid breaking off the tofu flakes.

Vegan Salmon Marinade

1. Add all of the ingredients into a high powered blender and blend until extremely smooth.

2. Pour a little bit of the marinade into a large container. Then, gently place the prepared tofu fillets into the container. Pour the rest of the marinade over the fillets. I always gently open the tofu slices and sneak marinade into each crevice; this ensures the entire tofu fillet is well marinated. I recommend you do this too, but be careful since the fillets are very fragile! Allow this to marinate for AT LEAST one hour, but I highly recommend letting it marinate for several hours and preferably overnight for the best taste and texture!

How to Prepare and Cook the Marinated Vegan Salmon

1. Gently place the marinated tofu fillets on a plate. With your hand, wipe off the excess marinade that is on the tofu fillets.

2. For each tofu fillet, cut a piece of nori that matches the exact size of the top. Then, press the piece of nori down onto the side of the tofu that you cut all of the slits.

3. Using your finger, rub a little bit of the marinade on top of the nori to make sure it sticks to the tofu.

4. Season both sides of the prepared tofu fillet with a pinch of salt and pepper.

5. Now, coat both sides of the tofu fillet in cornstarch. Do NOT coat all four fillets with cornstarch unless you can cook all four at the same time, AKA do not coat them and have them sit there for several minutes before cooking. Also, do not do this step and then walk away. If you coat the tofu in cornstarch, be ready to cook them immediately.

6. Place a large saute pan over medium/medium-high heat. Once hot, add in three tablespoons of vegetable oil. Once the oil is hot, add in the prepared tofu fillets, nori side down FIRST. Cook them for 2 minutes, then gently flip them over and cook them for another 1 1/2 to 2 more minutes. Both sides should be golden brown and crispy!

🥢Pro Tips:
*Drain, rinse, and press the tofu to get rid of a ton of its moisture and for the best texture.
*The easiest way to chop nori is with a scissors. So simply take a sheet of nori and chop it up into small pieces with a scissors for the finely chopped nori. The nori strips are cut to roughly fit the bottom of each piece of tofu.
* if you don't have beet root powder replace with 1 tablespoon of sliced beets.
* Keep leftover fillets in a container in the fridge and enjoy within 3-4 days.
* Reheating: Reheat them in the microwave or in the frying pan. They can also be reheated in the air fryer to crisp them up again

🌿 If you make this recipe post a picture on Instagram, tag me, and use the hashtag #veganalohakitchen so I can check it out!