Baked Tofu with Kale and Coconut
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Very recently I discovered the joys of baking tofu — no pressing, no marinating, no sticking — and now my tofu repertoire has expanded to a grand total of three recipes, all of which I love.
For the baked tofu, I’ve been using a recipe from Moosewood’s Simple Suppers. When combined with a favorite recipe for roasted kale and coconut, it becomes a sheetpan supper — easy peasy (though I do like to make coconut rice to go along with it).
Two more tofu recipes are below.
Warm Tofu with Spicy Dipping Sauce
In an old Gourmet, Ruth Reichl described this tofu as “a beautiful dish, which takes ten minutes, costs very little, and is so utterly delicious.” It calls for simmering tofu in water — sounds odd, I know — then pouring a delicious sauce over top. Love it.
Sesame Crusted Tofu with Nuoc Cham
Many years ago, when I worked at Fork (and High Street on Market was a place called Fork: etc;), we made this tofu for the prepared-foods case, and it always went flying out the door. It’s still a favorite of mine, and I especially love it with nuoc cham.
Baked Tofu with Kale and Coconut
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: Serves 3 to 4
Description
For the coconut rice: 1 cup jasmine rice (rinsed), 3/4 cup coconut milk, 1/4 cup water, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Bring to a simmer, cover, turn to low, cook 15 minutes, let stand 10 minutes before fluffing with a fork and serving.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil (or other neutral oil)
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Sriracha
- 16 ounces firm tofu
- 3 tablespoons melted coconut oil
- 8 ounces Tuscan (lacinato) kale
- 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
- Coconut rice for serving, see notes above
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400° F. In a large bowl, whisk together the grapeseed and sesame oil, soy sauce, and Sriracha. Cut the tofu into 1-inch cubes, and place them in the bowl. Gently toss the cubes to coat them in the dressing. Let sit until oven finishes preheating.
- Lightly oil a rimmed sheetpan with about a teaspoon of neutral oil. Arrange cubes of tofu on sheetpan, leaving excess dressing in bowl. Bake for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk the 3 tablespoons of melted coconut oil into the reserved dressing. Coarsely chop the kale, discarding the tough ends. Add the kale to the bowl of dressing along with the coconut and toss to coat.
- Remove the sheetpan of tofu from the oven. Gently, push the cubes with a spatula to loosen. Nestle the kale and coconut around the tofu cubes. Return pan to the oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until the kale has wilted considerably and is beginning to crisp and the coconut is golden brown. Remove pan from oven. Use a spatula to gently toss everything together. Serve over rice.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: tofu, kale, coconut, sheet pan, vegetarian, vegan
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19 Comments on “Baked Tofu with Kale and Coconut”
Yummy!
Thanks, Arthur!
Hi Alexandra
Is there a recipe for the baked tofu and krispy kale/coconut? I’ve been meaning to try to eat more tofu and it sounds divine. for some reason I couldn’t seem to find it on your site. Many thanks
Hi Anne! The recipe is over on Food52. Follow this link. I, too, have been trying to eat more tofu 🙂
Ali, you keep hitting homeruns! I don’t have a home or a kitchen yet, but I can’t wait to make this. And I would love to hear more about Fork and what you cooked there! – Many aloha hugs!
Oh, I could talk about Fork forever! We need a dinner date 🙂 Many aloha hugs to you. I cannot believe you are there. Very jealous. Hope you are settling in … I’m sure it has been an exhausting few weeks. Sending lots of love!!
Wow. This was AMAZING. I just made it for lunch and could have eaten the whole tray. I followed the recipe exactly, but I only had shredded coconut and it coated everything so nicely. Thank you for consistently sharing delicious, easy, and healthy recipes!!
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So happy to hear this, Sara!
Loved. Second time making this easy and delicious recipe. But I cannot find directions/recipe for coconut rice, so I serve with plain jasmine. (It just says see above, I am on mobile)
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Yay! So happy to hear this. And so sorry re no notes about coconut rice … they must have disappeared somehow. I just added them back 🙂
Thanks Ali for another great recipe! In the first step, it says to mix all oils and then in step 2 it says to add coconut oil to the kale. I think it may make more sense to clarify all oils except coconut oil (unless I’m totally misunderstanding something!).
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You’re right! Very confusing. I just edited the recipe. So glad you liked this one! And thanks for writing 🙂
I don’t know what it is about this recipe, but it’s always a winner. I have made it over and over. I double the tofu for our family with three teens. We also love your “green pancake” recipe, more formally titled swiss chard fritters – the post about your Canadian trip? Makes kale and greens disappear. Thank you as always,.
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So nice to hear this, Lori! I always think about those swiss chard fritters this time of year, when the greens from CSA start arriving in droves. Thanks for writing 🙂
I have made this recipe over and over and its my st so good! I’m surprised each time. Thanks again for sharing it.
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So great to hear this, Lori! Thanks so much for writing 🙂 🙂 🙂
Made this last night with coconut rice. So easy, so satisfying, so delicious. The coconut was meaty. This dish is a welcomed shift in the dinner rotation.
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So great to hear this! Thanks so much for writing 🙂 🙂 🙂
Hi Alexandra,
So, where’s the sesame seeds?? Nancy