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Creamy Mary Me Tofu Recipe | Easy Healthy Vegan Dinner Idea

Tender, golden tofu in a garlicky sun-dried tomato cashew cream sauce that’s cozy yet light and totally plant-based. Fast, comforting, and perfect over pasta, rice, or potatoes.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients
  

Ingredients

  • 14–16 oz extra-firm tofu, pressed 15–30 minutes
  • 1–2 tbsp cornstarch or arrowroot
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika (optional)
  • 1/2–3/4 tsp fine sea salt, plus pepper to taste
  • 2 tbsp olive oil (or avocado oil) for searing
  • 1 tbsp olive oil (or oil from the sun-dried tomato jar)
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (adjust to taste)
  • 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, chopped
  • 1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
  • 3/4 cup raw cashews, soaked 20–30 minutes and drained (or 3/4 cup full-fat coconut milk)
  • 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1–2 tsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning (or dried basil and oregano)
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt, to taste
  • Black pepper, to taste
  • Fresh basil or parsley, chopped, for garnish
  • Cooked pasta, rice, potatoes, or crusty bread, for serving

Instructions
 

Instructions

  • Press the tofu 15–30 minutes to remove excess moisture, then cut into 1-inch cubes or slabs.
  • Toss tofu with cornstarch, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper until evenly coated.
  • Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and sear tofu 3–4 minutes per side until golden and lightly crisp; transfer to a plate.
  • Reduce heat to medium, add 1 tablespoon oil to the skillet, then cook garlic and red pepper flakes 30–60 seconds until fragrant without browning.
  • Stir in chopped sun-dried tomatoes, add vegetable broth, and scrape up browned bits from the pan.
  • Blend soaked cashews with nutritional yeast, Dijon, lemon juice, Italian seasoning, and about half of the warm broth mixture until completely smooth, adding more broth to reach a pourable heavy-cream consistency.
  • Pour the cashew cream into the skillet with the remaining broth and tomatoes, simmer 2–3 minutes until slightly thickened, and season with salt and pepper.
  • Return the tofu to the pan, toss to coat, and simmer about 2 minutes to marry the flavors; adjust lemon, salt, and heat to taste.
  • Garnish with chopped basil or parsley and serve over pasta, rice, or potatoes.

Notes

For a coconut version, use full-fat coconut milk instead of cashew cream. For extra vegetables, fold in baby spinach at the end or sauté mushrooms after searing the tofu. Bake option: toss seasoned tofu with 1 tbsp oil and bake at 425°F (220°C) for 20–25 minutes, flipping once. Store leftovers 3–4 days refrigerated; the cashew sauce also freezes up to 2 months.