Tapenade Tofu Sandwich Recipe

Meet the tofu sandwich of your dreams: deli style thin slices of tofu seasoned and roasted to perfection before being piled up high on tapenade slathered homemade bread. Simple, filling and beyond delicious!

Tofu Sandwich

Upgrade your lunches with this perfect tofu sandwich meat recipe piled up high on flavor brimming homemade olive tapenade with roasted peppers, garlic and basil. Serve between slices of your favorite homemade crusty bread, in my fluffy potato focaccia bread rolls, or the sesame potato bread shown in the photo. Easy to make, protein packed and mouthwatering delicious.

Making the Tofu Deli Meat Slices

• Super Firm Tofu – this high protein tofu is the ideal choice for this recipe, it needs NO PRESSING and slices beautifully. Use a sharp chef’s knife and starting at the narrow end of the block slice as thinly as you can. They don’t all have to be perfect, just do your best and place them either in a shallow oval platter or a rimmed baking sheet so you have plenty of space to season them properly with all the spices.
• The Marinade / Spice Mix – It’s packed with umami and tastes better than any store bough deli tofu out there. Shoyu, miso paste, smoked paprika, onion, garlic and a touch of rosemary plus a dash of liquid smoke deliver the ultimate flavor combo that checks all the boxes. Make sure the tofu is coated all over, use your hand or a pastry brush to spread the marinade well then arrange the slices in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Some overlapping is ok but do your best to give them space to roast nicely.

The Olive Tapenade

• Black Olives – brined black pitted olives deliver the texture and depth of flavor I’m after. Green olives can also work yielding a milder flavor profile.
• Roasted Peppers – Any jarred red peppers will work just fine here, but if you roast your own it’s so much better. You will get a subtle layer of smokiness caused by the blistering and charring of the skins that is truly outstanding. If your peppers are extra large use only 2 but the medium sized ones I’d use 3. You can adjust to your preference as you taste and might prefer going heavier on the roasted pepper flavor.
• Capers – for more umami and the extra savory saltiness I’m after. Use the brined kind not the ones packed in salt.
• Basil – I love adding a few fresh leaves of basil to my tapenade. Many recipes call for fresh oregano which can be nice when available but I prefer the basil to brighten up the deep savory flavors and infuse some floral aromas into my sandwich.
• Garlic – don’t skip it and make sure to grate with a microplane grater, this texture will deliver maximum flavor while blending in perfectly without the risk of anyone biting into a piece of raw garlic.

On Storage + Make Ahead

Both the tofu deli meat and the tapenade can be prepped ahead and refrigerated up to 6 days. Serve cold like a club sandwich on toasted bread with your favorite leafy greens, tapenade filling, vegan mayo and extra sauces to your liking.

Tofu Recipes

• Shredded Tofu Chicken
• Tofu Taco Meat
• Vegan Chorizo Tacos
• Tofu Bolognese
• Marinated Grilled Tofu
• Best Orange Tofu
• Crispy Baked Tofu (Italian sausage style)
• Sesame Tofu with Broccoli

how to make tofu sandwich meat

5 from 1 vote

Tapenade Tofu Sandwich

Meet the tofu sandwich of your dreams: deli style thin slices of tofu seasoned and roasted to perfection before being piled up high on tapenade slathered homemade bread. Simple, filling and beyond delicious!

Print Recipe

Prep Time:10 minutes mins

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Ingredients

For the Tapenade

• 2-3 roasted red peppers (jarred is ok but from scratch is best)
• 1 cup brined black olives pitted
• 2 Tbsp brined capers drained
• 2 large garlic cloves grated
• 5-6 basil leaves
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Tofu Slices

• 14 oz extra firm tofu (the high protein kind) (drained but DO NOT PRESS)
• 3 Tbsp shoyu
• 1 Tbsp maple syrup
• 1 Tbsp white miso paste
• 1 tsp sweet smoked paprika
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp granulated garlic
• 1/2 tsp dry rosemary
• 1 tsp liquid smoke
• 1 Tbsp olive oil + more to drizzle

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 425”F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
• Using a sharp chef’s knife slice the tofu into very thin slices at the narrow side. (Slice as thin as you can, they don’t have to be perfect, some might break it’s ok just do your best to slice as thin as you can). Transfer the slices to an oval bowl or high sided platter even a baking tray so you can have plenty of space to coat it in the spice mix.
  14 oz extra firm tofu (the high protein kind)
• In a small bowl mix together all the tofu seasonings until combined well, especially make sure the miso is dissolved. Pour the mixture over the tofu slices and using either a flat spatula, kitchen tongs or your hand move it around to get all the slices coated all over. (Try not to break them too much if possible).
  3 Tbsp shoyu, 1 Tbsp maple syrup, 1 Tbsp white miso paste, 1 tsp sweet smoked paprika, 1 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp granulated garlic, 1/2 tsp dry rosemary, 1 tsp liquid smoke, 1 Tbsp olive oil
• Arrange all the seasoned tofu slices on the prepared baking sheet next to each other. Try to give them space but if some corners overlap each other don’t fret it’s totally fine. Finish with a light drizzle of olive oil over the top then bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until nicely golden. (It’s fine to get some crispy edges but you don’t want it to get too crispy overall, this is supposed to be like deli meat.)
• Remove the tofu from the oven and allow to cool in the baking pan for a few minutes then pile up high in your sandwich. (This is great warm or cold straight from the fridge like deli meat).

Make Tapenade

• While the tofu is baking simply add all the tapenade ingredients to the bowl of a food processor. Press the Pulse button a few times until a nice chop of all the ingredients is achieved but do not overdo it. You want texture here not a puree. Taste and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper if needed, this will depend on the saltiness of the olives and the capers you used.
  2-3 roasted red peppers, 1 cup brined black olives, 2 Tbsp brined capers, 2 large garlic cloves, 5-6 basil leaves, 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• Serve on toasted homemade bread or vegan brioche bun: slater the bottom bun with tapenade, pile up high with tofu meat slices, some baby spinach (or butter lettuce or arugula whatever greens you’ve got). For the top bun you can slather some vegan mayo for creaminess or more tapenade to your liking.

Video

Notes

• Super Firm Tofu - this high protein tofu is the ideal choice for this recipe, it needs NO PRESSING and slices beautifully. Use a sharp chef's knife and starting at the narrow end of the block slice as thinly as you can. They don't all have to be perfect, just do you best and place them either in a shallow oval platter or a rimmed baking sheet so you have plenty of space to season them properly with all the spices.
• The Marinade / Spice Mix - It's packed with umami and tastes better than any store bough deli tofu out there. Shoyu, miso paste, smoked paprika, onion, garlic and a touch of rosemary plus a dash of liquid smoke deliver the ultimate flavor combo that checks all the boxes. Make sure the tofu is coated all over, use your hand or a pastry brush to spread the marinade all over then arrange the slices in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Some overlapping is ok but do your best to give them space to roast nicely.
• On Storage - Both the tofu deli meat and the tapenade can be prepped ahead and refrigerated up to 6 days. Serve cold like a club sandwich on toasted bread with your favorite leafy greens, tapenade filling, vegan mayo and extra sauces to your liking.

Nutrition

Serving: 1sandwich | Calories: 236kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Sodium: 1775mg | Potassium: 296mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 511IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 77mg | Iron: 2mg

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: olive tapenade, tofu sandwich

Servings: 4 sandwiches

Calories: 236kcal

Author: Florentina