Grilled Ginger Tofu Recipe You Can Put Your Own Spin On

A grilled ginger tofu recipe is ideal for warm summer days when you want a meatless meal that's hearty, spicy, and full of interesting flavors. Grilling tofu gives it a crisp, pleasing texture and a juicy interior, and marinating the tofu blocks before grilling them allows the pieces time to soak up the flavors.

Grilled Ginger Tofu Recipe

This recipe has many variations and is extremely versatile. A normal 1-pound package of tofu will serve three to four people, and it's easy to double or triple the grilled ginger tofu recipe to serve more.

Ingredients

• 1 lb. extra-firm tofu
• 2 T. soy sauce or tamari
• 1 T. maple syrup
• 1 T. orange or lemon juice
• 1/2 T. rice vinegar
• 1 T. fresh diced ginger
• 1/2 T. fresh diced garlic
• 1 T. sesame oil
• cooking spray

Process

1. Drain the tofu thoroughly by wrapping it in paper towels and squeezing it gently to release moisture.
2. Cut the block of tofu in fourths, and drain each piece further if necessary.
3. Mix the marinade. In a medium bowl, combine the soy sauce or tamari, maple syrup, orange or lemon juice, rice vinegar, ginger, garlic, and sesame oil. Whisk, then submerge the slices of tofu in the marinade.
4. Let the tofu sit, refrigerated, in the marinade for at least 1 hour.
5. Prepare the grill and coat it with cooking spray to prevent the tofu pieces from sticking.
6. Remove the tofu pieces from the marinade and set them gently on the grill. Grill the pieces until they are browned and crisp, about 5 minutes per side. To add additional flavor to the tofu, brush it with more marinade as it is grilling.
7. Serve immediately, while the pieces are still warm and crisp.

Variations

Serving large pieces of grilled tofu makes a nice presentation, but there are many alternate ways to prepare and present this recipe.

1. Freeze blocks of tofu first, then thaw them for a chewier, juicier texture.
2. Instead of grilling the tofu in large blocks, cut it into big squares, arrange them on a skewer, and set the skewers on the grill.
3. Prepare an alternate marinade for the tofu. Instead of using ginger and lemon juice, for example, create a marinade with hoison sauce, black-bean sauce, and miso paste or miso mayonnaise.
4. Stir fry, bake, or pan fry the tofu instead of grilling it. The texture will be slightly different and the blocks may not be as crisp on the outside, but they'll still be juicy and will absorb the flavors of the marinade.

Serving Suggestions

These blocks of tofu can be served in a myriad of ways with many different side dishes.

• Wilt, steam, or stir fry fresh hearty greens, such as spinach, collard, kale, chard, or mustard greens. Douse the greens with a bit of the marinade and serve them alongside the tofu.
• Serve the grilled pieces with fragrant rice, flavored with raisins, green peas, lemon zest, and a dribble of soy sauce.
• Pour the marinade into a vegetable stir fry, and heat until the liquid cooks away. Serve the tofu blocks on top of scoops of stir fry.
• Use the blocks as sandwiches. Place them on toasted ciabatta rolls, and spread with fresh greens, tomato slices, sprouts, mayonnaise, pesto sauce, or garlic aioli.