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+ servings
Pesto tofu in a large white bowl atop a granite countertop.

Pesto Tofu Recipe

Sheri Berger, RDN, CDCES
Pesto Tofu is a flavorful recipe that is far from bland tofu. The pesto can be made ahead 1-2 days if refrigerated or months ahead if frozen.
5 from 2 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Chinese, Italian, Japanese
Servings 4 people
Calories 275 kcal

Equipment

  • tofu press or heavy plate
  • blender or food processor
  • cutting board

Ingredients
  

Pesto Tofu

    Pesto

    • 1 cup baby spinach
    • 1 cup basil
    • ½ cup sliced almonds
    • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
    • ¼ cup unsweetened almond milk
    • ¼ cup nutritional yeast
    • 2 cloves garlic
    • dash salt optional
    • dash crushed red pepper optional

    Tofu

    • 14 ounce package extra firm or firm tofu
    • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 1 tablespoon corn starch

    Instructions
     

    Pesto Tofu Recipe

      Tofu

      • Press tofu with a tofu press or wrap in a paper towel and place a heavy dish on top to squeeze out excess liquid.
      • Slice tofu into 3 slabs.
      • Chop tofu into bite size pieces.
      • In a large bowl, combine corn starch, garlic powder, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and chopped tofu. Stir until tofu is coated well.
      • Preheat oven on 350 degrees.
      • Place seasoned tofu on a baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes total (flip after 15-20 minutes).

      Pesto

      • While tofu is baking, prepare pesto.
      • In a blender, combine spinach, basil, almonds, olive oil, almond milk, nutritional yeast, garlic, salt, and crushed red pepper. Pulse till pureed well.

      Pesto Tofu

      • After tofu is fully baked and golden brown, let it cool for a few minutes. Then, place in a large mixing bowl and add about half of pesto.
      • Refrigerate or freeze remaining tofu.
      • Enjoy!

      Notes

      • The nutrition calculated is the pesto tofu with just half the pesto.
      • Any green can be used in the place of spinach or basil.  Other popular choices are arugula, swiss chard, baby kale, beet greens, or carrot top greens.
      • Any nut or seed can be used in place of sliced almonds.  Other popular choices are pine nuts, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, or peanuts.
      • Any plant based milk can be used in place of the almond milk.  Or any dairy milk can be used if dairy free is not a preference. 
       
       

      Nutrition

      Calories: 275kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 13gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 0.01gSodium: 35mgPotassium: 361mgFiber: 6gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 1020IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 245mgIron: 3mg
      Keyword dairy free, easy, healthy
      Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!