Vegan Tofu Satay with Peanut Sauce

Tofu satay skewers served with peanut sauce and chopped raw vegetables.

5 from 2 votes

Incredibly flavorful tofu satay skewers are paired with a creamy, rich peanut sauce. This delicious dish is also vegan, healthy & utterly delicious !

Prep Time40

Cook Time20

Total Time1

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indonesian, Malaysian, Thai

Servings: servings (2 skewers)

Calories: 188kcal

Author: Meesha

Equipment

Ingredients

1 14 oz block extra firm tofu drained and pressed*

For the marinade

4 shallots
3 cloves garlic
2 stalk lemongrass **
2 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
½ tablespoon coconut sugar or other granulated sugar

For the peanut sauce

3 tablespoon natural peanut butter
1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
2 teaspoons maple syrup
2 teaspoons rice vinegar (or lime/lemon juice)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1-2 tablespoons water to thin
¼ teaspoon chili powder optional, exclude to omit heat)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

If you have yet to do so, press tofu by using a tofu press, or stack something heavy on top on tofu block for at least 20 minutes. Cut it into bite sized cubes.
1 14 oz block extra firm tofu
Start by adding in shallots, garlic, lemongrass, soy sauce and coconut sugar into a food processor and pulse until everything is finely chopped and a watery paste forms.
4 shallots, 3 cloves garlic, 2 stalk lemongrass, 2 tablespoon soy sauce, ½ tablespoon coconut sugar
In a large plate, add in tofu cubes along with the paste and toss until tofu is well coated. Let it marinate for 30 minutes or up to 2 hours. You can even let it marinate overnight in the fridge.
In the meantime, make your vegan satay sauce by combining all ingredients needed. Mix well and thin it out with more coconut milk, if needed.
3 tablespoon natural peanut butter, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 2 teaspoons rice vinegar, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1-2 tablespoons water, ¼ teaspoon chili powder, 2 teaspoons maple syrup
Skewer about 4 cubes of tofu on each satay sticks and you should get about 12 skewers.
To grill - Cook them on grill or a grill pan on stove for 2-3 minutes on each sides, until all sides are nicely browned.
To bake - Bake them in the oven preheated to 200C / 400F for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
Plate them up and serve them together with peanut sauce and some chopped raw veggies, if you like.

Notes

*Tofu -Use extra firm tofu that have been drained and pressed. You can either press them using a tofu press, or by stacking something heavy on top. Check out this blog post on how to press tofu if you are unsure on how to do it as it goes into so much more details!

**Lemongrass - can be substituted with 2 teaspoons of lemongrass paste. Alternatively, you can use the zest of 1 lemon instead.

Helpful tips

Use natural peanut butter. They should only contain peanuts and sometimes salt without oil. This is because they are bolder in flavor and thinner, which makes them a great option for making peanut sauce!
If you decide on making tofu satay on grill, make sure to soak your bamboo skewers in water for a few hours before using to prevent them from burning.
You can easily batch make a large batch of peanut sauce and store them in the fridge for other uses. They are great as a salad dressing, in stir fries, or to be toss into cooked noodles! You might have to thin it out with some water before using.

Storing - Store leftover tofu satay in a sealed container for up to 4 days in the fridge. As for peanut sauce, it can last up to a week refrigerated, and be frozen for up to a month.

Nutrition