Sage and panko crusted tofu bites with warm cranberry dip
- Prepare
- less than 30 mins
- Cook
- 10 to 30 mins
- Serve
- Serves 8
These veggie, crunchy tofu bites are the perfect canapés for any meat-free friends during the festive season. See the recipe tips for easy ways to make them vegan.
Each serving provides 188 kcal, 8.3g protein, 28.8g carbohydrate (of which 10.3g sugars), 4.1g fat (of which 0.7g saturates), 1.1g fibre and 0.52g salt.
By Elly Curshen
Ingredients
- 2 blocks smoked extra firm tofu, cut into even 2cm/¾in cubes
- 4 tsp soy sauce
- 100g/3½oz plain flour
- 100g/3½oz panko breadcrumbs
- 4 tsp dried sage
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 1 free-range egg (see Tips for vegan subs)
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 200g/7oz cranberry sauce
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Spread the tofu cubes on a plate and drizzle over the soy sauce.
Put the flour and some salt and pepper in a small, lidded box. Mix the panko breadcrumbs, dried sage, garlic powder and onion powder together in a second lidded box. Break the egg into a bowl and beat well.
Add a few cubes of tofu to the box of flour, replace the lid and shake to completely coat. Shake off the excess flour and put to one side. Repeat until all of the tofu is totally coated in flour.
One by one, drop the floured cubes of tofu into the beaten egg with one hand. Ensure they are fully coated in the egg, then drop into the box of seasoned panko (you can add a few at a time).
Replace the lid and shake the box (with your dry hand) to ensure the cubes are totally coated in the flavoured panko. Repeat until all the cubes are coated.
Heat the air fryer to 190C. Place the tofu cubes in the air fryer in a single layer not touching each other (you may need to cook in batches) and either spray or drizzle with a little olive oil.
Air fry for 12–15 minutes, shaking a couple of times, until golden and crispy all over.
When they are done, quickly heat the cranberry sauce, you can do this in the microwave for 20–30 seconds or in a small pan.
Serve the tofu bites on cocktail sticks, with the hot cranberry sauce in the centre, to dip into.
Recipe tips
These canapés are dairy free and vegetarian. You can make them vegan by substituting the egg for ‘flax egg’. Just mix 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed and 3 tablespoon water together, stir well, then let it sit for 5–10 minutes until it thickens and becomes gel-like. Or, whisk 2 tbsp plant-based mayo with 2 tbsp melted plant-based butter. You can make them gluten-free by using gluten-free flour and gluten-free breadcrumbs.
If you don’t have an air fryer, you can bake the tofu in the oven at 190C/170 Fan/Gas 5 for 15–20 minutes, flipping halfway.
You can also swap the cranberry for sweet chilli sauce, garlic mayo, gravy or whatever dip you like!
