Crispy Tofu with Lemon Dijon Dill Sauce

This crispy tofu with lemon Dijon dill sauce is an easy and delicious dinner recipe. The tofu is done in the air fryer and breaded with cornflake pieces to make it extra crispy. It’s served with sauteed zucchini, arugula, and your grain of choice (I’ve done orzo here!). The sauce is made with Dijon mustard, olive oil (or vegan butter), lemon juice, maple syrup, garlic, and lots of fresh dill (and an option to add some plant-based yogurt for extra creaminess). Get the recipe below, and enjoy!

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Servings: 2

Ingredients

• 300-350g extra-firm tofu
• 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil (+ more for frying)
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 1/2-2 cups cornflakes
• 1/2 yellow onion
• 1 large (or 2 small-medium) zucchini(s)
• Quick pickled onions (optional)
• Grain of choice (orzo, quinoa, rice)
• Greens of choice (spinach, arugula, kale)

Dijon Dill Sauce

• 2 heaping tbsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp olive oil (other options: plant-based butter or plant-based yogurt)
• 2 tsp maple syrup
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1/2 lemon (or 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice)
• Pinch of salt
• Lots of fresh dill

Equipment

• Blender
• Frying pan
• Air fryer or lined baking sheet

Instructions

1. Slice an onion and zucchini and sauté on medium-low heat in a bit of olive oil until softened. Keep an eye on it and stir often while you prepare the tofu and rest of the ingredients.
2. If using an oven, start preheating it to 400F (skip if air frying).
3. Slice tofu into 4 fillets. You can slightly score the middle to allow the marinade to be more absorbed.
4. To a flat bowl, add 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil, soy sauce, maple syrup, paprika and garlic powder.
5. Next, add cornflakes to a blender and pulse until you’ve got crumbs. Add them to a flat bowl.
6. Dip each tofu fillet into the olive oil mixture then into the cornflakes, flipping until the entire piece of tofu is coated in cornflakes.
7. Add to a lined air fryer basket or lined baking sheet if baking in the oven. Roast for 20 minutes at 390F in the air fryer or 20-25 minutes at 400F in the oven, flipping halfway.
8. While the tofu is roasting, prepare the grain and sauce. Cook your grain of choice (orzo, quinoa, etc.). Prepare the sauce with Dijon mustard, olive oil (or plant-based butter or yogurt—if using yogurt, feel free to add 1-2 tbsp water to reduce thickness), maple syrup, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and chopped fresh dill.
9. Once the tofu is out of the air fryer or oven, assemble your bowls with your greens of choice, your grain, sauteed onion and zucchini, crispy tofu, quick pickled onions (optional), and the Dijon dill sauce.
10. Enjoy!

Notes

*For pickled onions, I like slicing red onions and adding them to a bowl with some lemon juice to quickly pickle them.

*For the sauce, I alternate between using olive oil, plant-based butter or an unsweetened plant-based yogurt—feel free to choose whichever sounds best to you!