Tofu Piccata
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.
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.