If you want to save the ocean, eat vegan fish! These vegan tofu fillets are flakey and delicate, they have a mild taste of the sea, delicious served with a wedge of lemon, and best yet, they are easy to make too. Just 10 ingredients, and can be prepped ahead of time.
There are two key secrets to make tofu taste like fish:
Secret 1: The tofu is cut thinly part way through to give an amazing flaky texture that is so similar to fish. Bonus points, the thin cuts also allow the tofu to absorb the marinade better.
Secret 2: The marinade is made with a sheet of nori (the seaweed you use to make sushi), and white miso paste. The nori gives the marinade a sea taste while miso paste adds a subtle umami. The combo with lemon juice and a few other flavours give a beautiful delicate flavour to the tofu.
I mean just look at that delicious mouthful!
This recipe makes two large tofu fillets, but feel free to cut the tofu block into 4 to make four smaller fillets if you prefer. I love to whip up this recipe the day before and let the tofu marinate in the fridge overnight so that when it’s dinner time, this dish takes just 10 minutes to cook up.
To Make Vegan Tofu Fillets (vegan fish):
Prep the tofu: Prepare the tofu by draining it, and then pressing it for 15 to 30 minutes. I love using my Tofuture tofu press, but you can also follow these instructions for a DIY tofu pressing method. Pressing the tofu squeezes excess water out so that the tofu can suck up more of the marinade and become more flavourful.
Cut the tofu in half horizontally into two large slices. Take one of the tofu pieces and place a chop stick on either side of the tofu to stop from cutting all the way through so the slices remain intact. Slice the tofu part way through repeatedly about 1/8″ apart to give the tofu a flaky texture. Repeat with the other tofu slice.
Make the marinade: add the nori, vegetable broth, lemon juice, miso paste, Old Bay, garlic powder, and salt to a blender. Blend until smooth. If you don’t have a blender you can chop the nori very finely then whisk everything together in a large bowl. This will make a very ugly greenish-brown marinade.
Place the tofu in a resealable bag or dish and cover with the marinade. Let marinated in the fridge for a minimum of 30 minutes or as long as overnight.
Cook the tofu fillets: In a large skillet or non-stick frying pan, heat the oil or butter. When hot add the tofu fillets to the pan, discarding any leftover marinade. Fry for 3 – 5 minutes per side until the tofu is golden brown and heated through. Be very careful when flipping the tofu as it’s very tender.
Serve the hot tofu fillets with parsley and black pepper and a generous squeeze of fresh lemon.
I think this vegan fish goes wonderfully with a side salad and a potato dish such as French fries or garlic mashed potatoes, but feel free to serve it with your favourite side dishes.
Hot tip: if you want a crispy skin on the tofu, dredge the marinated tofu in cornstarch just before frying and fry until evenly browned all over. This will make a thin crispy skin.
Bon appetegan!
Sam Turnbull.
Just 10 ingredients to make this vegan fish recipe! Tofu is sliced thinly part way through to make an amazing flaky texture. Then the tofu is coated in a marinade made with nori seaweed which gives a taste of the sea. The perfect vegetarian seafood alternative.
Adapted from my Tofish & Chips recipe.
- 1 block (12 oz) extra-firm tofu, drained, pressed, and sliced (see step 1)
- 1 sheet nori, torn into several pieces
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon white miso paste
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon vegan butter or light oil, for frying
- lemon slices
- chopped parsley and black pepper, (for garnish, optional)
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Prep the tofu: Prepare the tofu by draining it, and then pressing it for 15 to 30 minutes. I love using my Tofuture tofu press, but you can also follow these instructions for a DIY tofu pressing method. Pressing the tofu squeezes excess water out so that the tofu can suck up more of the marinade and become more flavourful. Cut the tofu in half horizontally into two large slices. Take one of the tofu pieces and place a chop stick on either side of the tofu to stop from cutting all the way through so the slices remain intact. Slice the tofu part way through repeatedly about 1/8" apart to give the tofu a flaky texture. Repeat with the other tofu slice.
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Make the marinade: add the nori, vegetable broth, lemon juice, miso paste, Old Bay, garlic powder, and salt to a blender. Blend until smooth. If you don't have a blender you can chop the nori very finely then whisk everything together in a large bowl. This will make a very ugly greenish-brown marinade. Place the tofu in a resealable bag or dish and cover with the marinade. Let marinated in the fridge for a minimum of 30 minutes or as long as overnight.
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Cook the tofu fillets: In a large skillet or non-stick frying pan, heat the oil or butter. When hot add the tofu fillets to the pan, discarding any leftover marinade. Fry for 3 - 5 minutes per side until the tofu is golden brown and heated through. Be very careful when flipping the tofu as it's very tender. Serve the hot tofu fillets with parsley and black pepper and a generous squeeze of fresh lemon.
Tofu: I love the firm flaky texture of extra-firm tofu in this recipe, but for a more tender tofu fillet you can use firm tofu. When using firm tofu, slice the tofu flakes thicker, about 1/4", and be extra gentle when handling it.
Oil-free: To make oil-free use a good non-stick pan and use water or vegetable broth instead of the light oil to fry the tofu.
Crispy skin: if you want a crispy skin on the tofu, dredge the marinated tofu in cornstarch just before frying and fry until evenly browned all over. This will make a thin crispy skin.
Nutrition
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I made 2 “fillets” last night for supper. Cooked 1 in a non stick frypan and left the second in the marinade for tonight. Well I was blown away by the texture +and taste. If I closed my eyes I would have sworn I was eating fish. I am looking forward to doinbg the remaining one in my air fryer. Another hit for me. Delisciouse!!!!!!
These were so fun to make! Tasted great as well.
Thank you, Sam!
Next time, I am going to add a stronger seaweed for deeper flavor and also try baking / air frying them just to cut down on oil.
Wonderful! SO happy you enjoyed 🙂
Sam Hi can’t wait to try this! How do you store the rest of the Nori that you don’t use. I have some but it don’t say vegan so Im tossing it out. But are the Nori sheets all vegan? Also the brand I bought which I used once in a vegan gut healing soup had a kick to it (kinda spicy) does this as well? Please let me know I’m ready to cook this!!
Nori sheets that are intended for making sushi should only contain one ingredient: nori (or it may be listed as seaweed). So yes, they are vegan. If yours are spicy they are likely a seaweed snack. I just store the leftover sheets in the cupboard in the original packaging. They should keep fresh for up to a year.
Hi Sam:
I’d like to try this but have some questions on nori. Are sheets of nori always the same size? Are seaweed snax the same thing? I finally was able to get a copy of your book a few weeks ago. I really enjoy your approach to vegan cooking!
The nori I’m speaking of is used to make sushi, and they are all about the same size as they are intended to make a roll. Seaweed snacks are usually fried and salted so they wouldn’t be ideal for this recipe. Hope that helps. Enjoy the book!! 🙂
Could this be baked on parchment for an oil free version? Thanks- looks wonderful!
I think that would work fine. 🙂
I just so happened to have all of the ingredients in the house – tossed the marinade together this afternoon, went for a run, took a yoga class, and then made dinner. Even marinating only a few hours (and admittedly not bothering to press the tofu) it came out GREAT! I did mine in the air fryer. 375 for about 15-20 minutes, flipping once.
I’d definitely make these again. Maybe some dried dill next time instead of Old Bay and a few dulse flakes to make it a bit fishier. But still, as is, they’re really good. Thank you!
Yay! So happy you loved them, Suzanne 🙂
Wow, thank you! Definitely will try it. Any chance this could be applied for fish fingers with some coating like tempura? Would the marinated fish hold the crunchy exterior?
I think you can marinate it for 24 hours, then coat it a thin flour/water batter and THEN toss in panko. There’s no way breadcrumbs are sticking to the marinade as is.
You can probably even bake the fillets first and then batter them to make a bit firmer.
I haven’t tried it but I imagine you would need some sort of flax egg or something sticky to hold the panko on. Enjoy!
I want to make this on the weekend. Do you think it would work if I dipped it in batter? Or maybe dipped in flax egg & then panko?
Yep that would work. You could try my vegan tofish and chips recipe for a similar technique. 🙂
Thank you Sam.
I’m def going to get the ingredients and try this on Saturday. I’ll be using an air fryer because I don’t use oils and I’ll let you know how it turns out!
Wonderful! I hope you enjoyed it 🙂
Hello,
I plan to make this tonight, but I do not know what OLD Bay seasoning is. If I can’t find it, can you suggest something similar I could use intead?
Thank you 🙂
Chantou
Old Bay is a spice blend that one would use in a fish fry recipes, for example. In my opinion, a Cajun seasoning has a somewhat similar flavor vibe.
Here are the ingredients from Old Bay’s label: Celery Salt (Salt, Celery Seed), Spices (Including Red Pepper and Black Pepper), and Paprika.
Hi Chantou, it’s a seasoning blend that is commonly used on fish recipes so it give a fishy vibe. You can make your own by following a recipe online such as this one. Enjoy!
I can’t wait to make this today. Can I use kelp instead or nori?
Yes absolutely! You’ll get a slightly different tofu fish flavour 🙂