Spicy Tofu Sandwich with Pickled Vegetables


This sandwich is my new favorite and I can't wait to make it again. The leftovers were just as good as the sandwich the night before. There are a lot of ingredients but the vegetables are pickled overnight so that's not something that you need to worry about while you're trying to make dinner. The marinade on the tofu gave it a great flavor and the sesame oil in the blend really helped to pull it over the top. This sandwich has a wide variety of textures and is spicy, savory, and briny all at the same time. The sriracha mayo has a little bit of a kick but we served this with gochujang ketchup (mixed equal parts) and tater tots and it was worth it. The gochujang has a depth of flavor that the sriracha does not...this sandwich would probably be really good with gochujang mayo. 

Adapted from Lazy Cat Kitchen.

Ingredients: 
-4 sandwich rolls (we've been obsessed with these Bistro Buns from Brooklyn Bred)
-a wedge of cabbage, thinly sliced
-2 small cucumbers, ribboned
-2 small spring onions

Pickled Vegetables (make a day ahead if you can, add a small number of julienned beets for color)
-2 carrots, ribboned
-3 small turnips sliced/julienned
-1/2 cup rice vinegar + 1/2 cup water
-1/4 cup brown sugar
-Black peppercorns
-1 teaspoon salt
-1 garlic clove, minced

Tofu
-10 ounces tofu, pressed and sliced to match the buns
-2 tablespoons maple syrup
-1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
-4 tablespoons soy sauce
-1 tablespoon Sriracha
-3 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
-2 teaspoons cornstarch

Sriracha Mayo
-1/4 cup light mayo
-1/4 teaspoon powdered garlic, more to taste
-4 teaspoons Sriracha
-salt and pepper, to taste

The night before

Place the carrot and turnip in a sterilized jar and then add the rice vinegar, brown sugar, peppercorns, salt, and garlic to a small pot. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and boil for 10 minutes. Pour the hot pickling liquid over the carrots and turnips. Once the liquid has cooled, store the jar in the fridge. We added a handful of julienned beets to add some color to the vegetables.

For the tofu

Mix the marinade ingredients together in an 8x8 pan and marinate the tofu on both sides for 5-10 minutes. Remove the tofu from the marinade and sprinkle it with cornstarch before pan frying. If you need to deglaze the pan pour in a little of the leftover marinade.

For the mayo

Combine all of the mayo ingredients and adjust the seasoning to taste.

To build the sandwich

Layer the tofu with the cabbage, pickled vegetables, and thinly sliced cucumber. Generously spread the sriracha mayo onto the top bun and enjoy.

Comments

Popular Posts