BBQ Glazed Tofu Roast

This is the kind of roast dinner that makes tofu feel like the main event, not the thing someone added at the last minute.

Sticky barbecue tofu, crispy potatoes, colourful veg, cranberry sauce and gravy all land on one plate, and somehow every bit works together.

 

There is a lot going on here, but none of it is complicated.

That’s what I like about this sort of dinner.

You get golden roast potatoes, tender carrots, broccoli, tangy red cabbage and thick slices of tofu with properly browned edges.

Then cranberry sauce and gravy come along and make everything feel a little more special.

Almost festive, actually.

The tofu is important here.

It needs to be thick, juicy inside and browned enough that you can still see those crisp edges underneath the barbecue glaze.

No sad little cubes.

Looking closely at your photo, there’s also one difference worth mentioning.

You described pickled sliced beetroot and boiled shredded cabbage, but the purple part on the plate looks much more like shredded red cabbage.

I’m following the photo for the recipe because that’s the closest match.

 

Ingredients

This serves 4 people.

For the BBQ tofu

• 2 blocks extra-firm tofu, around 280g to 300g each
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 4 tablespoons barbecue sauce

For the roast potatoes

• 750g baby potatoes
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• Salt
• Black pepper

For the vegetables

• 4 medium carrots
• 1 large head broccoli
• Salt, for the cooking water

For the red cabbage

• 250g red cabbage, finely shredded
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup
• Small pinch of salt

For the cranberry sauce

• 200g fresh or frozen cranberries
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1 teaspoon orange juice, optional

For the gravy

• 1 tablespoon vegan butter or olive oil
• 1 small shallot, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon plain flour
• 300ml vegetable stock
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon cranberry sauce
• Black pepper

To finish

• Chopped fresh parsley or dried parsley

Prep the Tofu First

Start with the tofu because it needs a little time to lose some of that excess water.

Pressing it helps the outside brown instead of turning soft in the oven.

You don’t need any fancy equipment.

A plate, a clean tea towel and something heavy will do.

• Wrap the tofu in a clean tea towel or several sheets of kitchen paper.
• Place a chopping board or plate on top.
• Add a couple of tins for weight.
• Leave it for 20 to 30 minutes.

Once pressed, cut each block into thick rectangular steaks.

Aim for around three steaks per block.

Keep them quite chunky.

The ones in the photo are thick and substantial, which also helps them stay juicy in the middle.

Get the Potatoes Going

The potatoes take the longest, so start them before roasting the tofu.

• Heat the oven to 220°C fan.
• Cut the baby potatoes in half.
• Add them to a saucepan of salted water.
• Bring to the boil and cook for 7 to 8 minutes.
• Drain them really well.
• Leave them in the colander for a minute so the steam can escape.

Give the colander a couple of gentle shakes.

You want the edges of the potatoes to look slightly fluffy.

That rough surface is what goes crisp in the oven.

• Tip the potatoes onto a large baking tray.
• Add the olive oil, thyme, garlic powder, salt and black pepper.
• Toss everything together.
• Turn as many potatoes cut-side down as you can.
• Roast for 35 to 45 minutes.

Turn them once during cooking.

By the end, the edges should be golden and the cut sides should have those darker crispy patches you can see in the photo.

Season and Roast the Tofu

While the potatoes are roasting, season the tofu.

• Mix the olive oil, soy sauce, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder and black pepper in a small bowl.
• Brush the mixture over both sides of each tofu steak.
• Place the tofu on a lined baking tray.
• Roast for 15 minutes.
• Carefully turn each piece over.
• Roast for another 10 minutes.

Now add the barbecue sauce.

• Brush the tops and sides generously with barbecue sauce.
• Return the tofu to the oven for another 8 to 10 minutes.

You’re looking for a sticky, glossy coating with plenty of deep golden colour underneath.

Don’t completely drown the tofu in sauce.

The photo still shows those lovely browned surfaces, and that contrast is what makes it look so good.

Make the Chunky Cranberry Sauce

You can absolutely use shop-bought cranberry sauce if you’re short on time.

If you’re making it from scratch, keep it chunky.

That matches the spoonfuls in the photo much better than a smooth jelly.

• Add the cranberries, sugar and water to a small saucepan.
• Bring to a gentle simmer.
• Cook for 8 to 10 minutes.
• Stir every now and then.

Some of the cranberries will burst and some will stay partly whole.

Perfect.

That’s exactly what you want.

• Stir in the orange juice, if using.
• Remove from the heat and leave it to thicken.

Don’t worry if it looks slightly loose when it’s hot.

Cranberry sauce firms up as it cools.

Cook the Red Cabbage

The purple cabbage adds a sharp little contrast to all the rich, sweet flavours on the plate.

I wouldn’t cook it for ages.

It looks quite bright and textured in the photo, so it should still have some bite.

• Heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a small pan.
• Add the shredded cabbage.
• Add the balsamic vinegar, maple syrup and salt.
• Cook over medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes.
• Stir occasionally.

The cabbage should soften slightly while keeping its colour.

If it starts catching, add a tablespoon of water.

Cook the Carrots and Broccoli

The carrots and broccoli are very straightforward here.

And I mean that as a compliment.

There is enough flavour coming from the tofu, cranberry sauce and gravy already.

The vegetables don’t need six different seasonings fighting for attention.

Carrots

• Peel the carrots.
• Cut them into thick rounds or chunky slices.
• Bring a saucepan of lightly salted water to the boil.
• Add the carrots.
• Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until tender.
• Drain well.

Keep them tender but not mushy.

They should still hold their shape nicely on the plate.

Broccoli

• Cut the broccoli into medium florets.
• Bring another pan of salted water to the boil.
• Add the broccoli.
• Cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
• Drain immediately.

Broccoli goes from bright green to questionable green surprisingly fast, so don’t wander off.

A tiny drizzle of olive oil after draining is nice, but optional.

Make the Gravy

The gravy should be smooth and glossy.

Not watery.

Not something you could stand a spoon upright in either.

• Heat the vegan butter in a small saucepan.
• Add the shallot.
• Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until soft.
• Stir in the flour.
• Cook for 1 minute.
• Slowly pour in the vegetable stock while whisking.
• Add the soy sauce and cranberry sauce.
• Simmer for 4 to 5 minutes.
• Add black pepper to taste.

The little bit of cranberry sauce gives the gravy a subtle sweetness.

It also makes the flavours on the plate feel more connected.

If the gravy gets too thick, add a splash of stock.

Assemble the Roast Dinner

This isn’t one of those meals where everything should be mixed together.

Keeping the different parts separate makes the plate look much better.

• Add a generous pile of roast potatoes.
• Spoon the carrots alongside them.
• Add the broccoli.
• Add a small mound of red cabbage.
• Place two or three tofu steaks in the centre.
• Spoon over some of the gravy.
• Add chunky cranberry sauce over and around the tofu.
• Finish with a little chopped parsley.

I’d keep some extra gravy at the table too.

There is always someone who wants to turn their plate into a small lake.

 

How to Get the Tofu Juicy, Not Dry

The biggest thing is not slicing it too thinly.

Thick tofu steaks have enough time to brown outside while staying softer in the centre.

Extra-firm tofu is still the best choice.

It holds together well and absorbs the savoury seasoning without crumbling.

Also, don’t bake it for an hour hoping it will somehow become crispier.

There is a point where tofu stops getting better and simply becomes chewy.

Around 30 to 35 minutes total cooking time works well for thick steaks.

Adding the barbecue sauce near the end also helps.

If you put a sugary sauce on right at the beginning, it can burn before the tofu has properly browned.

Can I Make Parts of This Ahead?

Yes, and that makes this a much easier roast dinner.

The cranberry sauce can be made up to 4 days ahead and stored in the fridge.

The red cabbage can also be cooked ahead and reheated gently.

You can press and season the tofu earlier in the day too.

I would still roast the potatoes fresh.

They are never quite as exciting once they’ve been refrigerated and reheated.

The gravy can be made a few hours ahead.

Warm it slowly and add a splash of vegetable stock if it has thickened too much.

What Else Can I Serve With It?

If you want to turn this into an even bigger Sunday roast, stuffing would fit right in.

Roasted parsnips would be good too.

A few sprouts wouldn’t hurt either, assuming nobody at the table has declared a lifelong feud with them.

You could also replace the red cabbage with pickled beetroot if that’s what you originally had in mind.

The flavour works.

It just won’t look quite like the dish in the photo.

The real star, though, is still that barbecue tofu.

Between the smoky seasoning, sticky glaze, cranberry sauce and savoury gravy, it has enough going on that nobody is sitting there wishing it were meat.

And that is exactly how a tofu roast dinner should be.