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Pesto gets some Asian flair with cilantro, fish sauce, sesame oil and lime in this vibrant tofu dish.
It's been a while since I cooked with tofu. My family loves it, and it's a nice alternative to meat-filled main courses occasionally.
This dish is really simple to put together, and the flavor of the pesto goes really well with the tofu.
I cut this recipe in half when I made it, and served it as a main course with a side of steamed basmati rice. Instead of spraying the baking sheet and then brushing both sides of the tofu, I just drizzled a thin layer of oil on the sheet, plopped down the slices of tofu and moved them around a little to coat with oil, flipped 'em and moved them around a little more so that both sides were coated. It worked really well.
The fish sauce really makes the pesto unique, but if you want to keep this vegetarian/vegan friendly, you can substitute soy sauce.
My family really enjoyed this meal. I particularly liked biting through the crispy exterior of the tofu and enjoying the silky center. Delicious!
Oh, and on a funny note - apparently I made this recipe back in 2009 and we didn't care for the Asian twist in the pesto. I think we're more into fish sauce than we used to be, which probably explains it. I mean, I do have more years of cooking under my belt now, so that's probably part of it as well. I guess just proceed with caution if you aren't really into the potent flavor of fish sauce (or go ahead and substitute soy sauce for a more mild flavor.
Print📖 Recipe
Broiled Tofu with Cilantro Pesto
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 12 as a side-dish or 4-6 as a main course 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Asian
Description
Pesto gets some Asian flair with cilantro, fish sauce, sesame oil and lime in this vibrant tofu dish.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup mild olive oil plus additional for brushing
- 2 (14- to 16-oz) packages firm tofu, rinsed and drained
- 2 cups packed fresh cilantro leaves
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 2 teaspoons Asian fish sauce*
- 1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- Garnish: pine nuts; fresh cilantro leaves; lime wedges
Instructions
- Preheat broiler and lightly oil a shallow flameproof baking pan with olive oil.
- Cut each block of tofu crosswise into 6 slices and pat dry between several layers of paper towels. Arrange in 1 layer in baking pan and brush tops of slices with more olive oil. Broil 4 to 6 inches from heat, without turning, until golden brown, about 15 minutes.
- While tofu is broiling, purée cilantro, pine nuts, lime juice, fish sauce, sesame oil, sugar, remaining ¼ cup olive oil, salt, and pepper in a food processor until bright green and smooth, about 1 minute.
- Transfer tofu with a slotted spatula to a platter and serve with cilantro pesto.
Notes
Recipe from Gourmet November 2004 via Epicurious
Pesto can be made 3 days ahead and chilled in an airtight container.
*Substitute soy sauce for fish sauce to make this dish vegetarian/vegan friendly
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12 as a side-dish or 4-6 as a main course
- Calories: 376
- Sugar: 2.1 g
- Sodium: 543.1 mg
- Fat: 29.8 g
- Saturated Fat: 4.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 8.3 g
- Fiber: 3.6 g
- Protein: 21.1 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Keywords: tofu, meatless monday, cilantro pesto, pesto sauce
Joanne (eats well with others)
I can't believe how crispy that tofu got!! Totally a winner.
Kare @ Kitchen Treaty
That tofu just couldn't look more golden-brown perfect. Can't wait to try this one! The pesto clinches it.