Why It Works
- A simple marinade of maple syrup, soy sauce, and balsamic vinegar strikes a perfect balance between savory, tangy, and sweet flavors.
- Extra-firm tofu has a low moisture content, allowing it to get crisp in the oven.
Sometimes you get a sandwich craving so intense that it has you rummaging through the back drawers of your brain, perusing childhood memories of boardwalks, picnics, and boxed lunches until you find it. For me, it was the flavor profile of a West Coast health food store-style veggie sandwich, decked out with early-2000s sandwich shop favorites, such as alfalfa sprouts, seedy bread, roasted red peppers, pungent mustard, and slabs of cucumber. Not required, but nice for the ambiance: the subtle scent of fresh-pressed wheatgrass shots and a sprinkling of psyllium husk on every surface.
Beyond the nostalgia factor, this sandwich is also a stealthy meal-prep strategy. While it’s easy to assemble for a crowd, the baked, chewy, savory tofu sheets can be made in advance and refrigerated for up to five days—stored like deli meat for freshly assembled sandwiches throughout the week. A simple marinade of balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, and soy sauce strikes a balance between savory, tangy, and sweet, making it a versatile match for just about any sandwich.
Extra-firm tofu is key here for its low moisture content, which allows the edges of each sandwich-sized slab to get the crisp yet chewy texture that defined the tofu sandwiches of the early 2000s. There’s no need to press the tofu—the sheets are thin enough that a pat between paper towels is enough to wick away any lingering moisture before they’re doused in marinade. Because the tofu is sliced thin, it absorbs the flavor of the marinade in just 30 minutes. If you’d like to plan ahead, you can marinate the slices overnight. Baking works best for these delicate sheets, but the tofu is also delicious when grilled. Just cut the block of tofu into thicker slabs so that it doesn’t stick and crumble on the grill grates, and baste it with each turn.
While avocado, cucumber, roasted red peppers, and sprouts evoke the most nostalgia for me, any mix of your favorite savory sandwich additions would work well here. Lettuce and leafy greens, pickled carrots or radish, a dash of your favorite hot sauce, or a swoosh of hummus would all make stellar additions.
As for the sandwich itself, there’s no denying it: It’s large and in charge. Keep napkins handy for dribbles down your chin and wrist. Wrapping the sandwich and letting it rest help it hold together, as can the heft of toasted bread, but a bit of mess may be inevitable. Then again, isn’t that the fun of a really good sandwich?
Serious Eats / Jatin Sharma
I Finally Found My Dream Sandwich—It’s Salty, Sweet, and Totally Unstoppable
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For the Tofu:
14 ounces (396 g) extra-firm tofu, cut into 10 (2- by 3-inch) slabs about 1/2-inch thick
3 tablespoons (45 ml) regular soy sauce
2 tablespoons (30 ml) balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons (10 ml) maple syrup
3 medium cloves garlic (1/2 ounce; 15 g), grated
1/8 teaspoon chile powder, such as Kashmiri or Guntur Sannam
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
Vegetable oil, for greasing
For the Sandwiches:
8 slices seeded whole-grain sandwich bread, such as Dave’s Killer Bread
Vegan mayonnaise (optional)
1 medium Hass avocado, mashed
1/4 unpeeled English cucumber (3 ounces; 85 g), sliced into 1/8-inch thick rounds
3 to 4 jarred roasted red peppers, thinly sliced
Pickled onions, homemade or store-bought
Sprouts, such as alfalfa, broccoli, or clover sprouts
Dijon mustard
To dry tofu, line a 9-by-13-inch rimmed baking sheet with paper towels. Place tofu slices on top in a single layer. Cover with another layer of paper towels and press gently to remove excess moisture.
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In a large bowl, whisk together soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, garlic, chile powder, and black pepper.
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Remove paper towels from tofu. Pour marinade over tofu, tossing to evenly coat tofu in sauce. Let sit, refrigerated, for at least 30 minutes and up to 8 hours.
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When ready to assemble, adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a 13-by-18-inch rimmed baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. If using foil, lightly grease with oil. Arrange tofu in a single layer on sheet pan and bake, flipping halfway through, until the edges are browned, crispy, and chewy, 10 to 15 minutes. (The slices will look dark from the balsamic and soy. This is OK!)
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To Toast Bread: Using oven mitts or kitchen towels, adjust oven rack to upper-third position, about 6-inches from broiler. Heat broiler. Arrange bread slices on a 9- by 13-inch rimmed baking sheet. Broil, flipping halfway through, until bread is light golden brown on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes. (See notes.)
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To Assemble: Lay toasted bread on a work surface and, using a butter knife or offset spatula, spread mayonnaise on bottom slices and Dijon mustard on top slices. Top each bottom slice with 2 to 3 tablespoons mashed avocado, spreading evenly to coat from edge to edge, then layer sliced cucumber and roasted red peppers on top. Season generously with salt and pepper. Add 2 to 3 slices of tofu, followed by pickled onions and sprouts. Close sandwich and cut in half diagonally. Repeat with remaining sandwiches. Serve immediately.
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Special Equipment
13- by 18-inch rimmed baking sheet, parchment paper, butter knife or offset spatula
Notes
If assembling just 1 or 2 sandwiches, bread can be toasted in a toaster.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Once cooled, baked tofu can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
