A list of 50+ delicious vegan tofu recipes including mains, side dishes, desserts, and more! Using simple ingredients and tofu (or tempeh!), you can recreate your favorite tofu recipes right at home!

Why You’ll Love These Vegan Tofu Recipes

Tofu is an amazing ingredient. Whether you’re making vegan stir fries with extra-firm tofu, or a creamy dessert with silken tofu, the result is always fabulous. Tofu is versatile, protein-packed, and one of my favorite ways to get in the nutrients I need through delicious vegan recipes.

One of my favorite things to do is to recreate comfort food staples using all vegan ingredients– and tofu definitely comes in handy here. It’s easy to find, easy to work with and isn’t super fussy for the most part. I love using tofu (and tempeh) for meal prep, alongside fresh veggies, in desserts, and more! The easiest ways to make protein-packed recipes!

If you’re going to use tofu a lot, I recommend a tofu press to help you remove excess liquid when required in certain recipes. Otherwise, using a heavy weight or object and a kitchen towel (or paper towels) works great. Removing the excess water helps crisp up your tofu so you achieve the texture you’re looking for.

What is the Difference Between Tofu and Tempeh?

Tofu and tempeh are amazing, plant-based sources of protein. I’ve compiled the best tofu recipes including breakfast ideas, main dishes, sweet desserts (seriously!), snacks, light bites, and even smoothies.

Tofu often gets a bad rap as a flavorless, bland, mushy substance but when prepared the right way, it can become the most amazing blank canvas for your favorite sauce and flavors! Because tofu tastes so mild, it really works with so many things. Additionally, many people don’t realize that tofu comes in many forms including silken, firm, extra firm tofu, high protein, pressed, and so on. The number of ways you can enjoy tofu is exponential! A block of tofu can really do a lot (think bite-sized tofu cubes, etc etc etc!). So next time you’re thinking tofu is a blah ingredient, think again!

Tempeh is another soy product but slightly less processed than tofu. The whole beans are preserved (you can see them in the slices!) and it is a fermented product, making it good for the gut as well. It can have an obvious fermented flavor to it sometimes and has a bit of a meatier texture compared to tofu.

Types of Tofu and Tempeh

As mentioned, there are many kinds of tofu and usually, they vary in firmness. Silken tofu is a soft tofu that is wonderful in smoothies, baked goods, sauces, dressings, and soups. It’s very easy to hide and adds creaminess to any dish. Firmer tofu varieties can be used to make scrambles, stand in for animal proteins, and be marinated however you’d like. You can also find fried tofu puffs and many related soy products like yuba that greatly vary in texture.

Tempeh is usually quite universal but you can find tempeh made with added grains instead of 100% soybeans and pre-marinated tempeh. One thing to note about tempeh, however, is that you can find tempeh made from other legumes and grains. Chickpea and black bean tempeh would be amazing alternatives for those avoiding soy, for example.

How to Use Tofu and Tempeh

One of my favorite ways to use tofu is as a protein replacement in a standard dish. Chicken, fish, beef, and most other animal-based protein sources can be replaced with tofu! It can make a plant-based meal feel a little more complete and is an excellent addition to many dishes.

Tempeh is slightly less versatile but tastes amazing when prepared baked, fried, breaded, marinated, etc. Actually, let’s just get into the list of recipes because there’ll be so much tofu and tempeh recipe inspiration!

50 Easy Vegan Recipes Using Tofu or Tempeh

Breakfast Recipes

Start your day with a protein-packed breakfast! Tofu works in both savory and sweet breakfast recipes.

• Simple Tofu Scramble Recipe
• Pumpkin Chai Smoothie by My Darling Vegan
• Tempeh Broccoli and Sweet Potato Hash
• Tofu “Eggs” Benedict by Hot for Food
• Sundried Tomato Spinach Quiche by Oh She Glows
• Tofu Pancakes by Anna Banana
• Strawberry Banana Tofu Smoothie by WellVegan
• Freezer Vegan Breakfast Burrito by Emilie Eats

Main Dishes

Tofu can be a great plant-based protein to center your meal around. You can treat it like you would an animal-based protein and get creative with textures, seasoning, and more! Here are some savory vegan tofu and tempeh recipes that would be great main dishes.

• Almond Crusted Crispy Baked Tofu Recipe
• Easy Tofu Stir Fry (with Broccoli and Teriyaki)
• Everything Bagel Crusted Tofu Sandwich
• Vegan Tofu Curry
• Vegan ‘Chicken” Noodle Soup
• Ricotta Stuffed Zucchini Ravioli
• Air Fryer Hasselback Tofu
• Tempeh and Mushroom “Bolognese”
• Indonesian Inspired Fried Rice
• High Protein Vegan Mac and Cheese
• Baked Citrus Tempeh by Nutrition Stripped
• Easy Soyrizo Tofu by Okonomi Kitchen
• Kung Pao Tofu by Okonomi Kitchen
• Black Pepper Tofu Stir Fry by From My Bowl
• Herb Crusted Tofu by Simply Quinoa
• Vegan KFC Style Chicken by Sweet Simple Vegan
• Tofu Egg Salad Sandwich by Vegan Yack Attack
• Lemongrass Tofu by Viet Vegan
• Vegan Spam by Cheap Lazy Vegan
• Indian Butter Tofu Paneer by Vegan Richa
• Tofu Karaage by Liz Miu
• BBQ Tofu and Collard Green Empanada by Sweet Potato Soul

Snacks & Sides

Finger foods, light dips, sauces, and sides to make with tofu and tempeh! Using tofu and tempeh adds a nice boost of nutrition to any side dish.

• Tempeh Tenders
• Rainbow Tempeh Rolls
• Crispy Garlic Sesame Tofu Sticks (Erewhon Copycat)
• Easy 2 Minute “Yogurt” by Okonomi Kitchen
• Vegan “Mayo” by From My Bowl
• Vegan Potato Skins with Tempeh Bacon by Bakerita
• Herb and Garlic Cream Cheese by Hot for Food
• Vegan Cottage Cheese by Ela Vegan
• Crispy Tofu with Sweet Chili Sauce by Vegan Richa
• Baked Tempeh Tots by Flora & Vino
• BBQ Tempeh Chips by Eating Bird Food
• Oven Baked Tofu Fries by Flora & Vino
• Tofu Satay with Peanut Sauce by Cupful of Kale
• Tofu Katsu Noodle Bowl by Woon Heng
• 4-Ingredient Jerk Tofu by It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken

Dessert

Can you believe you can make dessert out of tofu? It’s easy to hide and is great for creating a creamy texture and adding healthy fat to a sweet treat. Check out these vegan tofu recipes for dessert!

• High Protein Chocolate Mousse
• High Protein Banana Pudding
• Healthy High Protein Pumpkin Pie
• Vegan Basque Cheesecake
• Vegan Butter Mochi Cake with Matcha
• Dark Chocolate Cheesecake by Ambitious Kitchen
• Vegan Peanut Butter Cup Pie by Minimalist Baker
• Golden Chocolate Tofu Brownies by Pickled Plum
• Lemon Poppyseed Cheesecake by Cinnamon and Coriander
• Vegan Pumpkin Creme Brûlée by Natalie Jo

If you try any of these delicious tofu recipes out, don’t forget to tag the wonderful creators and share with me on Instagram @veggiekins so I can see your delicious re-creations and feature them! As always, I love when you share your reviews in the comments below, and if you make any fun substitutions, let me know how it worked out below too.

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