Tofu alla cacciatora
A veganised version of the traditionally Tuscan dish, perfect for lunchtime
Whether it’s for vegan recipes or not, tofu is often cooked in Asian-style sauces – and, hey, that’s delicious! But this time round, I wanted to try tofu in a recipe reminiscent of my own culture. Pollo alla cacciatora is a traditionally Tuscan dish featuring chicken cooked in a delicious tomato sauce. Turns out tofu really can do it all!
Tofu alla cacciatora
Ingredients
- 270 grams extra firm tofu
- 1/2 white onion
- 1 celery stick
- 8 cherry tomatoes
- 1 garlic clove
- 400 grams canned peeled tomatoes
- splash of white wine
- 1 sprig of rosemary
- handful of black olives
- salt and pepper to taste
- olive oil for cooking
Instructions
- Drain the tofu and slice it in roughly 1cm thick rectangles – you should get approximately 6 slices. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a pan and fry the tofu, making sure to turn it so that both sides get crispy and golden brown.
- While the tofu is cooking, finely chop the onion and celery stick. Cut the tomatoes in half lengthwise.
- When both sides of the tofu have browned, remove from the pan and set aside on a plate. Add the chopped onion, celery, tomatoes and the garlic clove. Add a little more oil to the pan if needed.
- When the onion starts becoming translucent, add a splash of white wine to deglaze the pan. Cook until the alcohol has evaporated.
- Add the 400g of canned peeled tomatoes, along with the sprig of rosemary and olives. Crush the tomatoes in the pan with the back of a wooden spoon, so that a sauce forms. Cook until the sauce has thickened. Season with salt and pepper at this point.
- Once the tomato sauce has thickened, add the tofu back to the pan and cook for an extra 5 minutes, so that the tofu warms up and absorbs some of the flavour of the sauce.
- Serve with roasted potatoes, a side salad, or on its own with a slice of bread for dipping!