This tofu piccata is a vegan spin on the Italian classic—crispy, lemony, and tossed in a buttery caper sauce. It’s the perfect balance of bright, rich, and comforting.
Looking for more delicious plant protein meals? These are some of my favourites:
- Best Vegan Cheeseburger
- Gnudi Bolognese
- Golden Curry w/ Chickpeas
- Tofu Shawarma
- Marry Me Tofu
- Pumpkin Lasagna
- Vegan Schnitzel
- Chickpea Curry with Potato
There’s something so satisfying about the crispy tofu paired with a buttery lemon-caper sauce. It’s packed with flavour, protein-rich, and feels like a restaurant-quality dish you can make at home. I love that the ingredients are accessible and the whole thing comes together with minimal fuss.
The tofu is coated in a savoury crust made from cornflour and nutritional yeast, giving it crunch and depth. The sauce is light but punchy, thanks to lemon juice, white wine, and capers. I always make a double batch, it’s that good. You can pair it with pasta, garlic bread, or even mashed potatoes. It’s also surprisingly meal-prep friendly if you store the tofu and sauce separately. This is a must-try if you’re craving something special without the heaviness.
Main Ingredients & Why We Use Them
- Tofu – High-protein base, perfect for absorbing flavour; select extra firm so you don’t need to press the water out. Choose the vacuum sealed ones, I always use this one and it’s only $3.10 for 500g! For extras firm tofu that holds onto the marinade and holds it’s shape, freeze it overnight, and then thaw in the fridge.
- Lemon juice – Brightens the marinade and sauce, fresh is always best. I didn’t realise how beneficial getting a good quality lemon juicer would be (I used to just use my hands) but I highly recommend getting one, I get soo much more juice out of my lemons.
- Capers – Briny, salty hits that balance the richness, use capers in marinade otherwise they’ll be too dry.
- Cornflour – For a crispy, golden crusted tofu. You can also use regular flour, but it won’t be as crispy. I also add a bit of cornflour to the sauce to thicken it up but this is totally optional, I think it might have been better without it.
- Nutritional yeast – Adds savoury, cheesy flavour. I buy mine in big packs from Coles here.
- Garlic & onion powder – Boosts the umami of the coating.
- Shallot – Classic aromatics that deepen the flavour. Note, a shallot is not the same as an onion, it looks like a small onion, you’ll find them where you get your garlic.
- Dry white wine – For acidity and body in the sauce. You can use veggie stock instead, but you’ll get more flavour with wine. It doesn’t need to be fancy, I picked up a cheap Chardonnay from Aldi.
Tofu Piccata Ingredients
Tofu Marinade
Lemon Sauce
How to Make It
First, marinate and coat your tofu in the seasoned cornflour mix. Pan-fry it until golden on both sides, then set aside.
In the same pan, cook shallots and garlic, deglaze with white wine, then stir in lemon juice, capers, and a quick slurry to thicken. Finish with vegan butter and fresh parsley. Return the tofu to the pan to coat, then serve it hot.
Variations and Substitutes
- Use chickpea flour instead of cornflour for extra protein.
- Swap white wine for veggie broth + 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar.
- No capers? Try chopped green olives for a similar briny kick.
- Gluten-free? Ensure your cornflour and wine are certified GF.
Equipment
- Non-stick skillet
- Mixing bowls
- Tongs or spatula
- Sharp knife
- Small saucepan (optional for sauce)
How to Serve Tofu Piccata
Serve over spaghetti or mashed potatoes with a side of garlic bread and a crisp green salad. A little extra lemon zest on top makes it shine. I served mine with bucatini pasta which is similar to spaghetti, it’s a long, thin, noodle, but has a hole running through the centre, making it a tubular pasta. This hollow centrE allows it to hold sauces well – perfect for our lemony sauce!
How to Store Tofu Piccata
Store the tofu and sauce separately in the fridge for up to 3 days. If you store the sauce with the tofu, the tofu may get soggy. Reheat gently in a pan.
How to Make It
Tofu Piccata
Ingredients
Tofu Marinade and Coating
- 500 g tofu sliced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 4 tablespoon cornflour
- 2 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Frying Tofu
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon vegan butter
Lemon Sauce
- 2 tablespoon vegan butter melted
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 shallot finely chopped
- ⅔ cup cup white wine dry white eg chardonnay
- 2 teaspoon cornflour dissolved in 2 tablespoon water (optional)
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice fresh
- 3 tablespoon capers in brine drained
- 1½ teaspoon parsley finely chopped, plus more for garnish
- ½ lemon sliced
Instructions
Crispy Tofu
- Press and dry your tofu, then slice it diagonally into “cutlet” shapes.
- To help the marinade soak in, score the tofu by cutting shallow criss-cross lines on one side. Don’t cut all the way through.
- Coat tofu with ½ tablespoon olive oil and lemon juice.
- Mix cornflour, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. Coat tofu slices, pressing to adhere, then shaking off excess.
- Heat ½ tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Then add 1 tablespoon butter and let it melt. Add the garlic until fragrant.
- Place tofu in the pan. Cook 3 – 4 minutes until golden, then turn and cook the other side for 3-4 minutes. Remove onto plate, repeat.
Tofu Piccata Sauce
- In a seperate pan, whilst the tofu is cooking, set a medium size pan to medium heat. Add 1 teaspoon of olive oil,
- Add the chopped shallot. Sauté for 1 minute, then add the garlic and sauté for an additional minute.
- Still on medium high heat, add wine. Let it simmer rapidly until it reduces by half – around 3 minutes.
- Dissolve the cornflour in water, then add the slurry and simmer for an additional 1 to 2 minutes, until thick and glossy. You don’t need to do this step, only if you want a thicker sauce.
- Reduce heat to low and add lemon juice and simmer for 1 minute.
- Add 2 tablespoon cubed butter and swirl pan to make it just melt. Add extra water if you’ve added the cornflour to thin it out.
- Stir in parsley and capers. Serve tofu drizzled with sauce, on top of spaghetti (if using), sprinkled with extra parsley and sliced lemons.
- Note: if have leftovers, remove tofu from sauce to prevent getting sogging and store separately. Enjoy leftovers within 3 days of making and store in the refrigerator.
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