Sandwich Ideas: Grilled Tofu On Rustic Bread
Who doesn’t love a hearty sandwich? In summer, I like a hearty sandwich, but I like to keep it light and figure out ways to use my grill to make sandwiches. My place has no air conditioning in the living areas (there is AC in the bedroom because deep down I am soft and need my beauty rest) so cooking outside is something that helps a great deal.
Turning on the stove when it is 90 degrees out – AC or not – just feels wrong. I remember in cooking school, it was 99 degrees in New York and it was hot. It was at least 110 in the kitchen of the school’s restaurant and it was none too fun. It was slightly irritating that we didn’t just break out the Gazpacho recipes and call it a day. I don’t remember what we cooked, but it was a full on night . Every thing that could be used to heat up the place was used. What doesn’t burn us alive makes us stronger.
When I am brainstorming sandwich ideas, I am often inspired by vegetarian faire. Summer also brings out the flexitarian in me. A favorite of mine to grill is tofu. With a little marinating, the flavor level is vastly increased and grilling it adds to the flavor. Plus, tofu makes a great sandwich. Stacking well flavoured tofu on rustic bread, then grilling the whole sandwich is fantastic. The addition of garden fresh tomatoes puts it over the top! This is a great burger replacer and all around great sandwich. And yes, you can make this without a problem as a weeknight meal!
Here is the recipe for Grilled Tofu on Rustic Bread…
- 4 big slices of rustic bread
- 1 lb of firm tofu
- 8 tablespoons of soy sauce
- A 1 inch long piece of fresh ginger
- 1 garlic clove
- Lettuce
- 1 fresh tomato
- 1 spring onion
- Dijon mustard
- Olive oil
- Cut the tofu into 1/2 inch thick sheets and set them in a tray.
- Grate the garlic clove in a bowl and add the ginger and the soy sauce. Mix and pour it over the tofu sheets. Marinate in the fridge for at least one hour.
- Peel the onion and cut into slices to obtain onion rings that are 1/4 inch thick. Heat a pan at medium heat, add a dash of olive oil and fry the onion rings in it. Cook for about 15 minutes turning the rings when golden, and set aside.
- Wash the tomato, cut it in slices and set aside. Wash the lettuce and tear the leaves into pieces with your hands.
- Once the tofu has marinated for at least one hour, allow it to drain on absorbent kitchen paper. Add some olive oil to the pan where you cooked the onion and set the tofu sheets in it.
- Sear over medium-high heat for 4 minutes approximately turning the sheets halfway through. Set aside.
- Spread a thin layer of Dijon mustard on the bread slices. Put the tomato, the lettuce, the tofu, the onion, and the other bread slice on top.
- Heat the grill over medium-high heat with a dash of olive oil.
- Put the sandwiches on the grill and sear them on both sides until the bread gets golden and crispy. Remove from the heat and cut the sandwiches in halves before serving.
- This is a vegan sandwich but it is every bit as delicious as any meat-based sandwich! Marinated tofu is the key to its taste, so feel free to be creative with the marinade. You can try
- barbeque sauce, for example. For extra sweetness you can add onion confit to the sandwich.
- Everything can be grilled on a grill pan or outside on a grill.
Keep Eating! Keep Innovating!
Do you grill tofu? Let us know all about it in the comments or on Facebook.
The Culinary Exchange can also be found on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Google+ and YouTube.
Come On! Follow Along!
