Tofu bruschetta

This tofu bruschetta is a protein packed vegan starter or side that comes together in just a few minutes, and is incredibly fresh and healthy!

Why does this one work?

It’s one of those recipes that is incredibly useful to have in your arsenal. It comes to together in no time and is suitable for a starter, side or even small lunch. You can make a large batch of it, so if you’re cooking for a group of people, it’s easy to scale.

It’s basically a normal bruschetta with some added protein and flavour from the tofu and the pumpkin seeds.

What is tofu bruschetta?

Well, it’s not traditional! But it tastes really good and is very healthy. Bruschetta, in its original form, is just toasted bread with garlic rubbed over it, drizzled with olive oil and seasoned with salt. Then it’s normally topped with just diced fresh tomatoes [1].

My version is pretty similar to be honest. I just like to add some cubed tofu that has been fried gently. Then top it with some pumpkin seeds for a little extra protein and contrast.

Ingredient notes

The bread – I like a nice sourdough, or heart seeded bread. Any that you like should work fine, but generally a more substantial wholemeal bread will work best here.

Tomatoes – I think a quality cherry or plum tomato is best here. They are like little flavour bombs. They also hold their shape a bit better when cut to the sort of size we want for this recipe.

Tofu – An extra firm tofu works best here. We want one that can be cubed up nice and small, become little chewy, crispy additions to our bruschetta.

Pumpkin seeds – Most seeds or nuts should work here. Sunflower seeds or flaked almonds would also be good. Basically anything that adds a little textural contrast to the bruschetta.

How to make tofu bruschetta

1. The tofu is going to take the longest, so start by cutting it into small cubes. Then heat a couple of tablespoons of oil in a frying pan. Fry the tofu on each side until slightly crispy, but don’t overdo it. It should take around 10 minutes. Just remember to give it a stir every now and again.

2. Toast the bread to your desired crispyness.
3. While the tofu is cooking, cut up the tomatoes. I like to make them fairly small but, not so small they disappear. In general I take a small cherry tomato, cut it in half, then each half into thirds.
4. Rub the garlic clove over the toast and then drizzle with olive oil. This will leave a beautiful hint of garlic to the bruschetta.

5. The tofu should be done by now. So mix it into your tomatoes and drizzle with some more olive oil.
6. Spoon generously over your toast and top with some basil if you have some!
7. Sprinkle the pumpkin seeds over the top for garnish and added crunch.

Potential variations

Tips for getting it right!

This is something I will say quite often. But when you are making a recipe with only a few ingredients. Get the best quality ones you can!