I kind of spliced together a few different recipes for this. It's still basically the one posted on the Budget Byte$ blog, just with a few extra steps and a marinade thrown in. The extra steps and the idea of adding a liquid marinade as well as dry seasonings comes from the Easy Vegan. The marinade itself is my own concoction.

Barbecue Tofu Sandwiches

Adapted from The Easy Vegan and Budget Byte$

Ingredients

Tofu

• 350g extra firm tofu
• 1 Tbsp. light soy sauce
• 2 tsp. mushroom ketchup
• 1 tsp. dark soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp. tomato paste
• 1/2 tsp. ketchup
• 1/4 tsp. liquid smoke
• 1 tsp. paprika (preferably smoked)
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 20 grinds of black pepper
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1 Tbsp. cornstarch/cornflour
• 2 Tbsp. canola (or other neutral) oil (optional)

Coleslaw

• 1/3 c. mayonnaise
• 1/2 Tbsp. honey
• 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 10 grinds black pepper
• 250-350g coleslaw mix¹

Assembly

• 3-4 burger buns
• ~2 Tbsp. garlic butter
• 1/4-1/2 c. barbecue sauce²

Directions

Tofu

1. Freeze the tofu.
2. Thaw, drain, and cut into four thin slabs. (Cut the brick in half once vertically and once horizontally.)
3. Wrap the tofu slabs in a tea towel, place something heavy on top and press for at least half an hour. (Or just use a tofu press if you have one.)
4. Cut into bite-sized chunks and return to freezer.
5. Thaw the tofu chunks and press/pat dry with a tea towel.
6. In a small bowl combine light soy, mushroom ketchup, dark soy, tomato paste, ketchup, and liquid smoke and mix well.
7. Pour marinade over tofu and toss until all of the tofu has had a chance to absorb some.
8. Combine paprika, garlic powder, pepper, and salt and mix well.
9. Toss tofu with dry spice mix until evenly coated.
10. Toss with cornstarch, 1 tsp. at a time.
12. Heat oil over medium to medium-high heat (if using). Fry tofu in oil, turning only occasionally, until well browned and slightly crisp. Alternatively, bake in a 350°F (180°C) oven until outside is firm and lightly browned, flipping once.

Coleslaw

1. Combine mayo, honey, mustard, vinegar, salt, and pepper and mix well.
2. Add coleslaw mix and stir to coat.

Assembly

1. Cut the buns and spread them with garlic butter.
2. Toast.
3. Toss tofu with barbecue sauce.
4. Pile saucy tofu on toasted bun bottoms.
5. Spoon some coleslaw on top of the tofu.
6. Close the sandwich by placing the bun half on top.
7. Serve with extra coleslaw on the side.

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Variations

Vegan

Ingredients

Tofu

• 350g extra firm tofu
• 1 Tbsp. light soy sauce
• 2 tsp. mushroom ketchup
• 1 tsp. dark soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp. tomato paste
• 1/2 tsp. ketchup
• 1/4 tsp. liquid smoke
• 1 tsp. paprika (preferably smoked)
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 20 grinds of black pepper
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1 Tbsp. cornstarch/cornflour
• 2 Tbsp. canola (or other neutral) oil (optional)

Coleslaw

• 1/3 c. vegan mayonnaise
• 1/2 Tbsp. agave syrup
• 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 10 grinds black pepper
• 250-350g coleslaw mix¹

Assembly

• 3-4 burger buns
• ~2 Tbsp. garlic margarine or olive oil and fresh minced garlic
• 1/4-1/2 c. barbecue sauce²

If using oil and garlic for your buns: Brush the sliced buns with olive oil and sprinkle with minced garlic. Toast. Optionally sprinkle with fresh or lightly dried parsley.

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¹ Or make your own mix of shredded cabbage and carrots. I actually used broccoli slaw for mine because it was on sale for 50% off. ^Back
2 We didn't really have much in the way of barbecue sauce: just the dregs of an ancient bottle of HP sauce. I ended up sort of rolling my own sauce. I didn't measure anything, so I can't really give a recipe. It ended up being a mix of HP sauce, buffalo sauce, ketchup, hoisin sauce, roasted garlic paste, black pepper, hot paprika, liquid smoke, and Chinese 5-spice powder. I think a "real" BBQ sauce would've been better, but it did pretty well in a pinch. ^Back