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Baked tofu sandwiches with Asian flavors! These scrumptious sammies are stuffed with smoky baked tofu, crisp veggies, and slathered in kicky wasabi mayo. Packed with flavor and great for meal prep!

This entire sandwich was pretty much created around wasabi cashew mayo. Once I got the idea for that stuff in my head I got into I need to make this now mode.

This was my second attempt at wasabi mayo sandwich, the first being something I’d planned on calling a “sushi sandwich,” which was pretty much just sushi veggies and wasabi mayo on toast. It was fine, but I was so enamored with the idea of wasabi mayo that “fine” just wasn’t gonna cut it. Also, since doing that I’ve discovered that sushi sandwiches are a thing, and not what I had created.

I gave it some thought and decided smoky tofu sandwiches would be the perfect vehicle for wasabi mayo.

I was right! The tofu sandwich did not taste like sushi. This sandwich did taste like awesome. Best flavor combo ever! And even though I consider smoky tofu to be the perfect complement to wasabi mayo, I’m betting you’re going to want to put cashew wasabi mayo on everything from this day forth.

Let’s talk about baking tofu! For these sandwiches I wanted tofu you could sink your teeth into. Baked tofu is very teeth-sinkable. It’s also super flavorful. You press it before baking to squeeze all the flavorless tofu water out, then marinate it to replace the liquid with flavor-packed goodness.

Once your tofu has soaked in the marinade for a bit, pop it in the oven and bake until it darkens up and becomes dense and chewy.

Seriously, if you ever meet someone who tells you tofu is bland, bake them up a batch of this stuff. You’ll have a tofu addict on you hands pretty quickly.

While the tofu bakes, blend up some raw cashews, lemon juice, and wasabi in the food processor to make your mayo.

Layer everything on your favorite sandwich bread with cucumber slices, scallions and greens.

Tips!

  • Baked tofu keeps for about 3 days, so you can make a big batch ahead of time and assemble the sandwiches when you’re ready to eat if you like. Store the tofu in a sealed container or bag.
  • The wasabi mayo will also keep for about 3 days in a sealed container. It’s also freezer-friendly.
  • Go as heavy or light as you like with the amount of wasabi in the mayo. If you’re not sure how much you can handle, start with a small amount and add a bit at a time.
  • You can also, of course, skip the wasabi if you’re not into it or want to make the tofu sandwiches more kid-friendly.

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4.75 from 4 votes Print

Smoky Tofu Sandwiches with Wasabi Cashew Mayo

Baked tofu sandwiches with Asian flavors! These scrumptious sammies are stuffed with smoky baked tofu, crisp veggies, and slathered in kicky wasabi mayo. Packed with flavor and great for meal prep!

CourseSandwich CuisineAmerican Prep Time 1 hour Cook Time 40 minutes Soak time 4 hours Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes Servings 4 Calories 485 kcal Author Alissa

Ingredients

For the Smoky Baked Tofu

  • 3tablespoonssoy sauce
  • 1 ½tablespoonsrice vinegar
  • 1tablespoonmaple syrup
  • 1 ½teaspoonssesame oil
  • 1 ½teaspoonsliquid smoke
  • 1 ½teaspoongrated fresh ginger
  • 1garlic clove,minced
  • 1(14 ounce) packageextra firm tofu,drained and pressed at least 30 minutes

For the Wasabi Cashew Mayo

  • 1cupraw cashews,soaked in water 4-8 hours
  • 2tablespoonslemon juice
  • 1-2tablespoonwasabi powder,to taste
  • 1teaspoonsalt
  • 2-4tablespoonsunflavored soy or almond milk (as needed)

For the Sandwiches

  • 8slicessandwich bread,toasted
  • ½cucumber,sliced thin
  • 2cupsbaby spinach
  • 2scallions,chopped
  • 1-2tablespoonsrice vinegar
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Make the Smoky Baked Tofu

  1. Whisk the soy sauce, vinegar, maple syrup, sesame oil, liquid smoke, ginger, and garlic together in a small bowl. 

  2. Slice tofu into ¼ inch thick slabs and place it in a shallow dish. Pour the soy sauce mixture over the tofu.

  3. Allow the tofu to marinate for at least 30 minutes, turning once or twice to recoat all surfaces.

  4. Preheat the oven to 350°.

  5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange the tofu slices on it.

  6. Bake the tofu for 40 minutes, gently turning once about halfway through cooking, until it darkens and shrinks up a bit. You can also brush it with any excess marinade when you turn it.

Make the Cashew Wasabi Mayo

  1. While the tofu bakes, place the cashews into the bowl of a food processor fitted with an s-blade and blend them to a thick paste, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl as needed. 

  2. Add the lemon juice, wasabi, and salt, then blend again. Thin with as much milk as needed, and blend once more until the mixture is smooth and creamy.

Assemble the Smoky Tofu Sandwiches

  1. Slather one side of each bread slice with the wasabi cashew mayo, then pair up the bread slices stuff with the baked tofu, spinach, cucumber slices, and scallions. Drizzle the veggies with rice vinegar and sprinkle with salt and pepper. 

  2. Serve.

Nutrition FactsSmoky Tofu Sandwiches with Wasabi Cashew MayoAmount Per Serving (1 sandwich)Calories 485Calories from Fat 227% Daily Value*Fat 25.2g39%Saturated Fat 4.6g23%Sodium 1602mg67%Potassium 599mg17%Carbohydrates 49g16%Fiber 4.1g16%Sugar 10.7g12%Protein 21.3g43%Calcium 400mg40%Iron 5mg28%* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.« 50 Hearty Vegan Fall SoupsCinnamon Sugar Apple Cider Doughnuts »

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I tried it with horseradish instead of wasabi and salad instead of spinach. It was sooo delicious!
Alissa, because if you I can’t get enough of tofu and eat it nearly every day. Thank you so much for making that present to me.

Reply


  • I made the tofu to serve as a side dish with braised collard greens. I cut it thicker and used smoked paprika instead of the liquid smoke, which I did not have. I was concerned that the ginger, tamari and sesame oil flavors from the marinade would predominate, but it was just plain delicious. Another great recipe! My omnivore husband loved it and exclaimed that is was so much better that the commercial smoky baked tofu that I always use. This is my new smoky baked tofu and so glad that it was easy to make and tasted wonderful. Thank you again!

    Reply


    • Wow, this is one of my new favorite sandwiches! Great combination of flavors and textures. I usually find wasabi overpowering but it was perfectly balanced by all of the other ingredients – glad I didn’t leave it out.

      Reply

    • Hi, I’m Alissa! I’m a former attorney turned professional food blogger. I love creating vegan recipes with bold flavors!

      More about me →

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