Chipotle Waffle Tofu

A new way to cook tofu in a waffle iron, with no lengthy pressing of the tofu. Includes a simple but tasty chipotle and tomato marinade and serving ideas.

Fat Free Vegan

Waffle tofu is a thing and I'm so pleased it is.

Bloody lovely stuff and the only oil used when cooking it is a light spray on the waffle iron to prevent sticking, so it's a much healthier way of cooking tofu as well as super easy.

I discovered waffle iron tofu a few days ago and had to try it immediately. We loved it so much I had to share it with you. 

The idea came from one of my blogging buddies, Susan over at Fat Free Vegan Kitchen. Susan is a genius! Waffle iron tofu! Definitely one of those eureka moments.

Susan's recipes are always fabulous. She's a really lovely person too. If you haven't checked out Fat Free Vegan Kitchen yet, bookmark it and have a good browse. You won't be disappointed. Before we get back to the tofu, here are a few of my favourite recipes from Fat Free Vegan Kitchen.

Fat Free Vegan Recipes

1. Vegan Sausage and Mushroom Etofuee
2. Curried Eggplant (Aubergine), Lentil and Quinoa Burgers with Onion-Pepper Relish
3. Smoky Apple Baked Beans

Preparing Tofu

To prepare tofu, you press it to remove as much of the liquid as possible, before cooking it.

I now have a tofu press that makes it easier, but as you can see in my tofu fingers recipe post I used to use lots of kitchen paper, a clean tea towel and a few heavy cook books. By the way do try my tofu fingers, they are crispy crumb-coated tofu great dipped in ketchup.

Also try Chinese Sweet & Sour Tofu Rice Bake or Teriyaki Tofu Crumbles.

Preparing Waffle Iron Tofu

The tofu (we are talking firm tofu here, never silken tofu, which is soft and used for desserts, like my sin-free chocolate mouse and creamy sauces) is cut into four slices.

Susan suggests a light pressing in kitchen paper, to get rid of a lot of the moisture. Which is a heck of a lot quicker than the traditional method.

Once I'd sliced and dried the tofu, I brushed a tasty marinade on both sides before grilling in my waffle maker.

Waffle Irons

Waffle irons come in a variety of shapes and sizes. 

My waffle iron is quite small and circular. Yours may be a totally different shape and size.

The secret with any waffle iron is to spray it with baking spray or oil so whatever you are waffling, it won't stick.

I bet you thought waffle irons were only for waffles?

Well no my friend, you can cook all sorts of things in them. 

You could use them to make toasties, to cook potato scones or bean burgers. Some people pop ready made treats in them like donuts, cinnamon rolls or brownies for a hot and crispy criss-crossed treat with a soft centre. Have a search on You Tube and you'll see what I mean.

I did find it tricky to fit my squares of tofu in the sections of my waffle iron. I should have trimmed them, but I just jammed them in. Yep, that sums me up! No patience. So do trim your tofu to fit into your waffle iron.

also try - Baked Harrisa Popcorn Tofu

Tofu Marinade

You could use all sorts of marinades to coat your tofu before cooking it in the waffle iron.

You could use shop bought marinade or homemade, although it's so easy to whip one up, it seems a shame to buy ready-made marinade that will probably be full of sugar, salt and oil.

Tomato Chipotle Marinade

I made my marinade with a few store-cupboard ingredients and some fresh lemon to give it a zing.

This is how so many of my recipes start with a browse in my fridge and cupboards to see what I have. Are you the same?

For this super tasty marinade, which has a bit of a kick, I used sundried tomato paste, tomato puree, chipotle paste, oregano,  garlic powder, lemon peel, lemon juice, salt and pepper.  I didn't add any oil, I just gave the waffle iron a light spray so the tofu didn't stick.

The marinade was so good and perfect on the tofu. I think it would be great on vegan sausages on the BBQ  too.

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Chipotle Tofu Toasted Sandwich

I served my waffle tofu in a wholemeal toast sandwich. 

It would have been fabulous in pitta or on a tortilla wrap with salad, but I only had wholemeal brown bread. 

I didn't think it would be as good on a soft sandwich, so I toasted the bread first. I spread one slice with dairy-free pesto and one slice with a generous dollop of Hellman's Vegan Mayo, which I can't recommend enough. It's silky and lush.

I topped the mayo-coated slice of toast with a generous handful of salad leaves, a couple of slices of my waffled tofu, a few slices of tomato and then topped it with the pesto coated slice of toast. Simple but delicious! 

It doesn't need any fancy flavours or two many layers when the tofu has such a lot of flavour.

For more sandwich inspiration check out my post The Ultimate Sandwich Guide - 50 Mouthwatering Veggie and Vegan Sandwiches.

Chipotle Tomato Waffle Tofu

I hope you try my (well Susan's) waffle tofu and do leave me a comment here, share a photo on Pinterest (save the pin further up the post using your phone, then hit the add photo button on the pin and leave a photo or comment), Twitter or Instagram, tagging me (@tinnedtoms).

Chipotle Tomato Waffle Tofu

Yield: Serves 2

Author: Jacqueline Meldrum

prep time: 5 Mcook time: 7 Mtotal time: 12 M

A new tasty and healthy way to grill tofu in a waffle iron, with no lengthy pressing of the tofu. Includes a spicy chipotle tomato marinade.

ingredients:

• 280g/1 block firm tofu
• 3 tbsp sundried tomato paste
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• ½ tsp chipotle paste
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• Finely grated peel of 1 lemon
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• Salt and pepper

instructions:

How to cook Chipotle Tomato Waffle Tofu

1. Heat your waffle iron to high.
2. Slice the tofu into four slices and squeeze between some kitchen paper to remove some of the liquid. Leave it on kitchen paper while you prepare the dressing.
3. Mix all the other ingredients together in a bowl.
4. Brush a generous coating of marinade on each side of your tofu, then place in your hot waffle iron for 7-8 minutes until crispy on the edges. Check it a minute or two before as waffle irons can all be a bit different.
5. Spread the grilled tofu with any remaining sauce before serving.
6. Add to toasted sandwiches, pitta bread, tortilla wraps or salads. You can also serve with rice and vegetables or noodles.
7. Enjoy!

NOTES:

Tofu - only use firm tofu in your waffle iron. Silken tofu is creamy and very soft, it is used for desserts and sauces, but can't be grilled.

Don't worry if your block of tofu is a bit lighter or heavier than mine, it's all good.

A spray of oil or baking spray is low in calories, but I haven't added it to the recipes as you may spray less than me or be a bit heavy handed, so do be aware if you are counting calories.

Calories
226.57

Fat (grams)
12.35

Sat. Fat (grams)
2.14

Carbs (grams)
12.36

Fiber (grams)
4.78

Net carbs
7.58

Sugar (grams)
5.18

Protein (grams)
24.40

Sodium (milligrams)
180.86

Cholesterol (grams)
0.01

tofu, waffle tofu, grilled tofu, waffle iron tofu, tofu cooked in waffle iron, chipotle marinade, chipotle sauce, tofu, firm tofu recipe, chipotle tofu, marinated tofu, marinaded tofu

lunch

British, vegan

Created using The Recipes Generator

ALSO TRY THIS MARINADE

Homemade Tandoori Paste

A popular Indian paste which is also called tikka or tikka masala. It is traditionally used to marinade chicken, but is also a good marinade for tofu or halloumi.