Creamy Garlic Tofu
This Creamy Garlic Tofu somehow transforms a handful of cheap pantry staples into something that tastes wildly luxurious. The sauce is rich, velvety, deeply garlicky, and honestly tastes like if alfredo sauce and white gravy had a very delicious baby. Meanwhile, the crispy tofu filets soak up all that savoury goodness like little flavour sponges.
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Inspiration & Ingredients
You know those nights where your fridge is basically empty except for half an onion and a lonely block of tofu? This is the recipe for those nights. This Creamy Garlic Tofu is a $1.50 high-protein pantry dinner that tastes like restaurant comfort food, no jokes!
You heard what I said: This meal costs about $1.50 per serving, comes together in 30 minutes or less, and still packs in 20g of protein per serving. Serve it over rice, pasta, mashed potatoes, roasted cauliflower, or mop up every last drop with crusty bread. There are no wrong answers here.
Crispy tofu
- 1 (12 oz) block extra firm tofu, cut into “filets”
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- ¼ tsp salt
- Black pepper to taste
Creamy Garlic Sauce
- ½ cup cashews (sub sunflower seeds for nut-free)
- 1 small onion or 1 large shallot
- 6 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- ½ tsp red chili flakes
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp dried basil
- 1½ to 2 cups vegan chicken broth
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- Black pepper to taste
- Vegan parmesan cheese
Why You’ll Love this Creamy Garlic tofu
It’s Made Almost Entirely from Pantry Staples
No fresh vegetables? No problem. This recipe leans heavily on shelf-stable ingredients like cashews, broth, dried herbs, nutritional yeast, and tofu, making it perfect for those “there’s nothing to eat” evenings.
It Tastes Shockingly Fancy
The sauce is creamy, savory, garlicky, and packed with cozy comfort-food flavor. It tastes like something you’d order at a little café and immediately try to recreate at home.
Budget-Friendly Without Feeling Sad
At around $1.50 per serving, this recipe proves cheap meals do not have to taste cheap.
High Protein & Nourishing
Each serving clocks in at:
- 270 calories
- 20g protein
- 17g carbs
- 14g fat
A solid option when you want something comforting that still keeps you feeling good.
How to Make Creamy Garlic Tofu
Instructions
- Toss tofu with cornstarch, nutritional yeast, salt, and pepper.
- Air fry at 380°F for 20 minutes until crispy.
- Blend cashews, broth, and dijon until smooth.
- Sauté onion until softened. Add garlic and cook briefly.
- Pour in sauce and stir in herbs, chili flakes, salt, pepper, and vegan parmesan. Simmer until slightly thickened.
- Add tofu and toss to coat. Serve hot. Enjoy!
Garlic, Actually
Proof that a humble block of tofu and a few pantry staples can absolutely carry dinner. This Creamy Garlic Tofu is rich, cozy, ridiculously flavorful, and the kind of meal that makes you feel like you somehow hacked adulthood by turning “basically nothing in the fridge” into something restaurant-worthy. If you make it, let me know what you served it with — although I’m pretty convinced this sauce could make cardboard taste good. As always, happy cooking, and may your garlic measurements always be aggressively generous.
Love this recipe? I’d really appreciate if you gave me a 5-star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below! Lastly, if you made any of these recipes and decide to share them on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @SteamyVegan and use hashtag #SteamyVegan! I seriously love seeing what you’re cooking up! Plus make sure to check me out on YouTube —
Creamy Garlic Tofu
Ingredients
Method
- Toss tofu with cornstarch, nutritional yeast, salt, and pepper, then transfer to an air fryer basket. Air fry at 380°F for 20 minutes until crispy.
- In a high-speed blender, blend cashews, broth, and dijon until smooth and creamy.
- Warm a tbsp of olive oil in a nonstick skillet and sauté onion until softened, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook briefly until aromatic.
- Pour in sauce and stir in herbs, chili flakes, salt, pepper, and vegan parmesan. Simmer until slightly thickened. Adjust seasonings to taste.
- Add tofu and toss to coat. Serve hot with cooked pasta, rice, quinoa, potatoes, veggies, or crusty bread and enjoy!
I made this last night. It was as-is except that I added mushrooms and peas, because I had them. Husband really liked this method on the tofu and said it was very tasty. I liked it also. It was quite mustard-forward compared to some other creamy stroganoff-like sauces I’ve made before, which was a nice change. I was happy that the tofu retained some texture even after it’d sat in the sauce for a while. I had the leftovers today for lunch–the tofu wasn’t crunchy anymore, but the tiny bits that were crunchy last night were still firmish after sitting in the fridge in the sauce, and the flavor was good.
I will definitely make this again with whatever veg I have laying around at the moment, and the tofu method is a definite keeper. Thank you!
I can’t tell you how happy this makes me to hear you and your hubby enjoyed it so much! Adding the peas and mushrooms sounds really yummy. Love that you made it work for you, Kristina!
Really easy!
Hooray! I’m so glad you think so. Thanks for the 5-star rating! 😁