Description
Chewy, smoky, and a little spicy, these Vegan Sausage Crumbles are made from TOFU and are so versatile yet incredibly easy to make.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 2 - 16 ounce packages super firm tofu (the kind in the shrinkwrap; see note 1)
- 3/4 cup reduced sodium gluten-free tamari or soy sauce if not GF
- 1/4 cup neutral oil, such as grapeseed or safflower seed, optional but recommended (see note 2)
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (see note 3)
- 2 teaspoons ground fennel (freshly ground in a spice grinder is best)
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (more or less to taste)
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (205 degrees Celsius). Line your baking tray with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. I find that the silicone mat works a little better in browning the tofu and creating that somewhat chewy texture, but either will work. If you don’t have either, oil the pan well because tofu tends to stick.
- Make the sauce: Mix the soy sauce or gluten-free tamari and oil in a bowl or measuring cup with a small whisk or a fork. Then add the nutritional yeast and spices and mix again.
- Crumble the tofu: Crumble your tofu into a large bowl. You don’t want to make the crumbles too small, but not too large either. Keep in mind that when you stir the sauce in, you’ll probably break up the largest clumps.
- Combine: Stir the sauce into the crumbles using a spatula or a spoon. Make sure it’s well mixed.
- Add crumbles to baking tray: Spread out the crumbles in a single even layer on the lined baking tray. Try to spread out the mixture as much as possible.
- Bake until nicely browned: Bake for 40-50 minutes, until nicely browned, stirring and rotating the pan halfway through. If you want it even chewier, lower the heat to 375 Fahrenheit (191 degrees Celsius) and bake until desired texture is reached.
- Chill: Let cool completely on the pan, it will dry out a little more.
- Store: The tofu sausage crumbles are best when used in something immediately, but you can also refrigerate it for about 2-3 days in an airtight container (I recommend sticking a paper towel in there to absorb a bit of the moisture. Reheat in the oven or in a skillet, preferably not the microwave. It does seem to hold up in a soup.
Notes
- Note 1: You want the tofu that comes in vacuum sealed in plastic, not in the plastic tub filled with water. If that’s what you got, I highly recommend using a tofu press or wrapping it in paper towels and pressing it with heavy objects on top for 20-30 minutes. You want the tofu to be super dry so it can absorb those flavors but also so it won’t be soggy. You can also use this method with TVP (just rehydrate it with broth first), crumbled tempeh, or the bits at the bottom of a bag of soy curls (no waste, lol).
- Note 2: The oil is to make the sausage taste rich and get somewhat chewy in the oven. If you are oil-free you can omit it, but you may have to cook the tofu sausage longer to get the desired texture.
- Note 3: Don’t skip the nutritional yeast unless you don’t have it--adds nice savory flavor but the flavor isn’t strong or dominant.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Ingredient
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: Vegan, Gluten-Free, Nut-Free, Sugar-Free, Can Be Oil-Free, Vegan Tofu Sausage