top of page

Tasty Tofu Balls with Veggie Combo Sauce

Writer's picture: Yiannoulla BurnessYiannoulla Burness

These walnut size tofu balls are a great addition to any dish. Make and serve them over pasta with your favourite sauce or try the veggie combo sauce. Add them to a wrap layered with fresh salad and a mouth watering yoghurt or cheesy sauce. Pile them on a bed of raw vegetable noodles with fresh dollops of tomato marinara. Make a batch and freeze them ready for a quick meal after a hard days work. An easy recipe that children can help you make.

If you are not familiar with tofu it is made from soy beans. A milk is made from the bean then curdled. The whey and the curd are separated, then the curd is pressed to form a firm block. Tofu can be extra firm, semi firm, soft or silken. In this recipe extra firm tofu is used. Tofu has a bland taste but when mixed with other ingredients it absorbs the flavours wether sweet or savoury, sour or salty. Tofu is a plant based protein and is high in iron, calcium, potassium, magnesium, zinc, copper, omega 3s. It is widely used in asian cuisines. In this recipe tofu is used as a meat substitute.

Tofu balls on a bed of raw zucchini noodles topped with raw marinara sauce


EQUIPMENT

a food processor, baking tray or dish, medium size cooking pot.


Preheat oven at 180 degrees celsius


To save time preparing ingredients, when the recipe says chop, crumb or mash, they can be prepared in a food processor.


INGREDIENTS FOR TOFU BALLS

1/2 cup walnuts or pecans, finely chopped

2 cups fresh wholemeal bread crumbs ( day old bread )

1 large brown onion, finely chopped

375g firm tofu, mashed

1/4 cup plain flour

1/4 cup chopped parsley or coriander

2 heaped tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon dry basil

1/2 - 1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons light soy sauce


METHOD

*Place walnuts/pecans, wholemeal bread, onion and tofu, individually in a food processor, then place in a mixing bowl.

*Add plain flour, parsley/coriander, nutritional yeast flakes, garlic powder, dry basil, salt and light soy sauce mix well to combine.

*Take a tablespoon of the mixture and with your hands shape into medium walnut size balls. Place them in a lightly oiled baking dish, or on a tray covered with a baking sheet.

Tofu balls formed and ready to be cooked in the oven


*Place tray in the oven and bake at 180 degrees celsius for 20 minutes then turn the balls over and cook for another 20 minutes.

*At the end of cooking time remove the tofu balls from the oven, put them into a heat proof dish and cover with foil.

*Place the dish back in the oven and leave for at least 30, minutes, MAKE SURE THE OVEN IS SWITCHED OFF. Doing this gives the tofu balls a nice dark brown appearance.



Tofu balls that have rested in the oven after cooking with foil removed.


VEGETABLE COMBO PASTA SAUCE


INGREDIENTS

2 -3 tablespoons light cooking oil

2 large brown onions, finely chopped

3 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 heaped teaspoon dry basil

1/2 teaspoon dry oregano

1 1/2 cups chopped eggplant, skin removed (optional) 1 medium size red capsicum (pepper), chopped

1 cup fresh tomato chopped

400g Italian diced tomatoes in juice

2 fresh or dry bay leaves

2 teaspoon sweet paprika (optional)

2 teaspoon sweetening, light tasting honey or agave

season with salt to your taste


METHOD

*Heat a pan over medium heat, add 2 tablespoon cooking oil and add onions, sauté until just starting to brown.

*Add garlic and cook a further 2 minutes.

*Stir through basil and oregano and cook another 2 minutes.

*Add eggplant, capsicum and fresh tomato, allow vegetables to cook down.

*Add Italian diced tomatoes with juice, bay leaves, paprika, sweetening and salt.

*Stir to combine, turn heat low and let sauce thicken and reduce.

*Adjust flavour if needed.

DO NOT FORGET TO REMOVE THE BAY LEAVES

*For a chunky sauce leave, as it is.

*For a smooth sauce use a stick blender or add cooked ingredients (that are cooled) to a blender and blend on high a few seconds.

*For a thinner running sauce add water as needed.


TO PLATE UP

Place cooked pasta on a plate, top with tofu balls. Spoon over veggie combo sauce. Garnish with fresh basil or baby spinach leaves.


Tofu balls on a bed of cooked pasta topped with veggie combo sauce







33 views0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

Comments


bottom of page