This cranberry orange tofu is loaded with zippy flavor and super easy to make! Made with slices of pan-fried tofu smothered in a sweet and tangy cranberry sauce infused with orange and fresh rosemary, it's easy enough for a busy weeknight and festive enough for a holiday dinner.
I'm on a mission to normalize tofu as a holiday main dish. I've been at this for a while, but I just realized it. Hence, my apple cider tofu, brown sugar tofu roast, lemon and herb baked tofu, and Italian baked tofu. What I love about all of these recipes is that they're delicious, they make tofu feel special, and they're so, so easy. We're talking weeknight easy, but for a holiday dinner! This time it's cranberry tofu, and it's a new favorite. And yes, you're welcome to whip it up on a Monday or save it for Thanksgiving or Christmas.
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This recipe is as simple as pan-frying tofu and cooking it with homemade vegan cranberry sauce. But there's a little more to it than that, because this isn't just any cranberry sauce. It's got all those tangy, sweet and sour notes of the beloved side dish, but it's also savory and citrusy! We're adding orange juice and zest, along with fresh rosemary and shallots.
It's a delicious mix of flavors that's perfect with all those classic holiday sides you love.
Ingredients You'll Need
Below you'll find a list of ingredients in this recipe, with notes and substitutions. Scroll all the way to the bottom of the post to see the full recipe, including the amount of each ingredient.
- Tofu. The recipe calls for super-firm tofu, but extra-firm or firm will also work, as long as you press it before cooking.
- Vegetable oil. Any high-heat oil you like to cook with will work — canola, corn, and avocado oils are all fine!
- Shallots. Red onion works as a substitute.
- Cranberries. Fresh cranberries are ideal, but frozen will work too!
- Orange juice. Be careful, as some brands of orange juice contain non-vegan additives. Since you only need a bit of orange juice for this recipe, and you'll also be using zest, I recommend just buying a couple oranges and juicing them yourself.
- Brown sugar. Use organic brown sugar, since many conventional granulated sugars are bleached using animal bone char.
- Orange zest.
- Fresh rosemary. I recommend sticking with fresh here. Dried rosemary never has quite the same flavor.
- Salt.
How It's Made
Below is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!
Step 1: Cut the tofu. Start by cutting the tofu into 8 rectangular slabs, making sure to cut parallel to the shortest sides of your block.
Step 2: Cook the shallots. Heat some oil in a small saucepan, then add diced shallots. Cook them for about 5 minutes, until they start to soften.
Step 3: Cook the sauce. Add your berries, orange juice, brown sugar, orange zest, and rosemary to the pot. Simmer the mixture until most of the berries have burst. Remove the rosemary and season the sauce with salt when it's done.
Step 4: Cook the tofu. Heat some more oil in a large skillet, then add the tofu slabs, placing them in a single layer. Cook them for a few minutes on each side until they're golden brown.
Step 5: Sauce the tofu. Spread about half the sauce over your tofu slabs, flip and cook them for a minute, then spread the rest of the sauce on top, flip and cook them another minute. You want the sauce to caramelize just a bit.
Step 6: Serve. Your cranberry orange tofu is ready to enjoy! Divide it into plates, or place it all on a serving plate. Be sure to spoon any sauce that's left in the skillet over your tofu.
Variations
- Cranberry orange tempeh. Substitute two (8-ounce) packages of tempeh for the tofu.
- Sauce variations. Play around with different flavor profiles in the sauce. Try replacing the rosemary with different fresh herbs or warming spices like cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. You can also replace the orange juice with apple juice or cider.
- Cut variations. Not feeling slabs? Dice your tofu or cut it into triangles.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yep! The recipe as written includes no gluten-containing ingredients.
You can! Keep an eye on the sauce while it cooks, as the cook time can vary.
You can make the sauce in advance, but I recommend cooking the tofu just before serving. The sauce will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for about 4 days.
Leftover cranberry orange tofu will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for about 4 days. I don't recommend freezing it, as freezing tofu can alter the texture.
More Vegan Holiday Main Dishes
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📖 Recipe
Cranberry Orange Tofu
Ingredients
- 1 (16 ounce/454 gram) package super-firm tofu
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
- ½ cup finely chopped shallots
- 1 cup fresh cranberries
- ½ cup orange juice
- 2 tablespoons organic brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons orange zest
- 1 (3-inch) sprig fresh rosemary
- ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
Instructions
- Cut the tofu into 8 equal slabs, slicing parallel to the shortest sides of the block. Set it aside for now.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook them for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they start to soften.
- Add the cranberries, orange juice, brown sugar, orange zest, and rosemary. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, until most of the berries have burst, stirring occasionally. You can add a splash of water if the mixture gets too dry. Remove the pot from heat when done. Remove the rosemary sprig. Carefully taste-test the sauce (it will be hot!), and season with ½ teaspoon of salt, or to taste.
- While the sauce cooks, coat the bottom of a large skillet with the remaining 1 tablespoon of the oil and place it over medium heat. Give the oil a minute to heat up, then add the tofu slabs, arranging them in a single layer. Cook the tofu for about 10 minutes, turning the pieces about halfway through, until they are golden brown.
- Spoon half of the cranberry sauce over the tofu, then flip the pieces and cook for about 1 minute, allowing the sauce to caramelize slightly. Spoon the remaining sauce over the tofu, then flip the pieces again and cook for about 1 minute more, allowing the sauce to caramelize on the other sides.
- Remove the tofu from the skillet and transfer it to plates or a serving plate, spooning any sauce left in the pan over the tofu. Serve and enjoy!
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Nutrition
Nutrition information is provided as an estimate only and may vary based on ingredients, brands, portion sizes, and preparation methods.
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