Creamy Marry Me Tofu Steaks
Who said tofu had to be boring? These creamy Marry Me tofu steaks are golden and crispy on the outside, tender in the middle, and absolutely smothered in a rich, garlicky sun-dried tomato cream sauce.
I have one small requirement when it comes to creamy tofu recipes: the tofu still needs to taste like something.
Covering pale, unseasoned tofu with a good sauce does not magically fix the problem underneath.
So here, the tofu gets seasoned and properly seared first.
You want those deep golden, almost mahogany patches across the surface because they bring a savoury edge to all that creamy sauce and stop the whole dish becoming one beige, soft situation.
Then there’s the sauce.
It has garlic, finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes, herbs, chilli and enough creaminess to cling heavily to each tofu steak.
It’s unmistakably inspired by the whole “Marry Me” family of recipes, but I’ve kept this version completely meat-free and made the sauce work with tofu instead of simply swapping chicken for tofu and calling it a day.
Looking closely at the finished dish, the tofu is cut into thick rectangular steaks rather than cubes, with about six pieces nestled into a thick orange-pink cream sauce.
That’s exactly what we’re making.
What You’ll Need
This recipe serves 3 to 4 people, depending on what you serve alongside it.
For the tofu steaks
- 2 x 280g to 300g blocks extra-firm tofu
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon cornflour
For the creamy Marry Me sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small shallot, very finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 80g sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- ½ teaspoon chilli flakes, or less to taste
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 150ml vegetable stock
- 250ml vegan double cream or unsweetened plant-based cooking cream
- 40g finely grated vegan Parmesan
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- Small handful fresh parsley, finely chopped
Start With the Tofu
Pressing the tofu matters here, especially because we’re keeping the pieces fairly thick.
Pat the tofu dry, wrap it in clean kitchen paper or a tea towel and place something moderately heavy on top for around 15 to 20 minutes.
No need to construct an architectural masterpiece with every cookbook you own.
You simply want to remove enough moisture that the tofu browns instead of steaming.
Cut each block into three thick rectangular steaks, giving you six pieces altogether.
Try to keep them reasonably similar in thickness so they cook at the same rate.
In a small bowl, combine the smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, black pepper and cornflour.
Sprinkle the seasoning over both sides of the tofu and gently rub it in.
The thin cornflour coating helps build that beautiful browned crust visible on the tops of the tofu steaks.
Get Those Golden Edges
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Once the oil is properly hot, add the tofu steaks in a single layer.
If your pan isn’t large enough, cook them in two batches rather than squeezing everything together.
Crowded tofu is steamed tofu.
And steamed tofu is not invited today.
Cook the steaks for around 4 to 5 minutes on the first side without constantly poking at them.
Once they release easily from the pan and have developed a deep golden crust, flip them carefully.
Cook the second side for another 3 to 4 minutes.
Transfer the tofu to a plate while you make the sauce.
Don’t wipe out the skillet.
All those browned bits sitting in the bottom are flavour, and the sauce is about to collect them.
Build the Marry Me Sauce
Reduce the heat to medium and add another tablespoon of olive oil if the skillet looks dry.
Add the finely chopped shallot.
Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until softened, scraping up any browned seasoning left behind from the tofu.
Add the garlic and chopped sun-dried tomatoes.
Cook for another minute.
The tomatoes should soften slightly and the garlic should smell good, but neither needs to brown heavily.
Stir in the tomato paste, chilli flakes, oregano, thyme and smoked paprika.
Cook everything for around 30 to 60 seconds.
Cooking the tomato paste directly in the pan gives it a sweeter, richer flavour and helps create the warm peachy-orange colour of the finished sauce.
Pour in the vegetable stock and stir well, scraping the bottom of the pan.
Let it bubble for 2 minutes so it reduces slightly.
Make It Properly Creamy
Lower the heat before adding the cream.
Pour in the vegan cream and stir until the tomato mixture is completely combined.
Add the vegan Parmesan and Dijon mustard.
Let the sauce gently simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Avoid aggressively boiling it.
A slow simmer gives you a smooth, thick sauce rather than one that becomes oily or splits.
Taste the sauce before adding salt.
Sun-dried tomatoes, stock and Parmesan can all be fairly salty, so you may find it needs very little.
Add black pepper and another pinch of chilli flakes if you want more heat.
At this stage, the sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon but still loose enough to move around the pan.
Remember that it will thicken slightly more once the tofu goes back in.
If it becomes too thick, add a splash of vegetable stock.
Bring the Tofu Back In
Nestle the browned tofu steaks into the creamy sauce.
Spoon some sauce over the edges of each piece, but leave some of those deeply browned tops exposed.
That little bit of contrast is what makes the finished dish look so good.
Reduce the heat to low and simmer for another 4 to 5 minutes.
This gives the tofu time to warm through and absorb some of the sauce without losing the crust completely.
Finish with a generous scattering of finely chopped parsley.
And yes, parsley actually matters here.
The sauce is rich, creamy and tomato-heavy, so the fresh green herbs give it a little lift rather than being there purely for decoration.
How Thick Should the Sauce Be?
Quite thick.
The sauce in this dish shouldn’t behave like soup around the tofu.
It should cling.
You want to be able to drag a spoon through the skillet and briefly see the base of the pan before the sauce slowly settles back into place.
If yours looks thin, remove the tofu and let the sauce simmer for another couple of minutes.
If it becomes too thick, loosen it with vegetable stock one tablespoon at a time.
I’d resist pouring in loads of liquid at once.
Cream sauces have an irritating habit of going from “slightly thick” to “why is this now broth?” remarkably quickly.
What to Serve With Marry Me Tofu
You need something that can deal with the sauce.
That is the only real rule.
Fluffy white rice is probably my first choice because it soaks everything up without competing with the flavours.
Mashed potatoes are excellent if you’re leaning fully into comfort-food territory.
You can also serve the tofu over tagliatelle, linguine or another pasta with enough surface area to catch plenty of sauce.
For something lighter, add steamed green beans, tenderstem broccoli or a sharp little side salad.
And then there’s bread.
A warm piece of crusty bread scraped through what remains in the skillet might actually be the best part.
I realise that says something slightly alarming about my priorities.
Can I Use Coconut Milk?
You can, but I wouldn’t make it my first choice here.
Full-fat coconut milk will give you the creamy consistency, but it also brings a noticeable coconut flavour.
That isn’t necessarily bad, it just moves the dish away from the classic creamy, savoury Marry Me flavour.
An unsweetened oat, soy or plant-based double cream gives a much more neutral result.
Whatever you use, avoid thin drinking-style plant milks.
They simply won’t give you that thick sauce you see coating the tofu.
A Few Easy Ways to Get It Right
Use extra-firm tofu, not silken or soft tofu.
Those thick steaks need to survive searing, flipping and simmering in sauce.
Give the tofu enough time in the pan to really brown.
If you flip it after ninety seconds because you’re getting impatient, you’ll get pale tofu and spend the rest of dinner wondering why yours doesn’t look the same.
Chop the sun-dried tomatoes fairly finely too.
You want little intensely savoury pieces running through the sauce rather than enormous chewy strips in every forkful.
And finally, keep the sauce generous.
This is creamy saucy Marry Me tofu, not tofu lightly acquainted with cream.
The finished skillet should have enough sauce surrounding every steak that you can spoon extra over the top and still have plenty waiting underneath.
That’s where the good stuff is.
