Ultra crispy marinated tofu, savory roasted red pepper olive tapenade, and a creamy tofu ricotta sandwiched between thick slices of sourdough bread.
This Vegan Crispy Tofu, Olive Tapenade, & Ricotta Sandwich is the perfect meal-prep meal, weekend lunch, or dinner. This sandwich is full of savory flavors and creamy and crunchy textures.
I mean..how can you go wrong with that ^^
Are you tired of boring sandwiches? I got you.
This sandwich is layered with flavor from the creamy tofu ricotta to the crispy shallow-fried tofu and savory roasted red pepper olive tapenade.
Pair this loaded sandwich with some fresh fruit or veg, pasta salad, or your favorite chips!
How to Make Vegan Crispy Tofu, Olive Tapenade, & Ricotta Sandwich:
Tofu Marinade
- In a shallow bowl, whisk together the tamari, water, spices, and nutritional yeast. Add the tofu slices, flipping to coat each side with marinade. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.
Roasted Red Pepper Olive Tapenade + Tofu Ricotta
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Add the bell pepper to a small baking sheet. Roast for 25 minutes until soft and charred on all sides. While roasting the pepper, prepare the ricotta.
- In a food processor, add all tofu ricotta ingredients. Pulse several times until creamy but some texture still remains. Add 1-2 tbsp of non-dairy milk if texture seems to thick. You want a creamy spreadable consistency. Spoon into a bowl and refrigerate.
- When pepper is done roasting, carefully peel off the skin and remove the core/seeds. To make this process easier, you can immediately cover the pepper with foil once it comes out of the oven. The steam will get trapped inside and ease the process of removing the skin.
- Add the bell pepper to a food processor along with olives, garlic, capers, olive oil, dried herbs, lemon juice and zest. Pulse a few times until all ingredients are finely minced. It should not be smooth – you want texture in a tapenade! See notes for reference* Spoon into a bowl and refrigerate.
Crispy Tofu
- In a large shallow bowl, whisk together the tofu breading ingredients including panko, flour, spices, salt, and pepper.
- Coat the bottom of a large skillet with oil. Preheat oil to 350°F. Coat both sides of marinated tofu in breadcrumb mixture and cook several pieces at a time in the oil making sure not to overcrowd the skillet. Cook on both sides until deep golden brown. Transfer to a paper towel and sprinkle with flaky salt to preserve crispiness. Repeat with all tofu pieces.
Assembly
- To make the sandwiches, spread a generous amount of ricotta over a thick slice of sourdough bread. Top with 3-4 slices of crispy tofu and spoon over olive tapenade. Top with another slices of bread. Enjoy!
Why this Vegan Crispy Tofu, Olive Tapenade, & Ricotta Sandwich works:
- Layered with flavor. Layers is what this sandwich is about. It starts with marinated tofu that is coated in a panko mixture and shallow fried until ultra crispy. Then make a creamy vegan ricotta from tofu, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, miso, and salt. Finally, roast a red pepper until nice and charred and pulse with olives and other ingredients to make a delicious olive tapenade. Everything is sandwiched between two slices of hearty sourdough bread.
- Texture variety. The secret to a good sandwich? Lots of texture! We get a good crunch from the crispy, fried tofu and sandwich bread. There’s smoothness to the ricotta and tapenade.
- Perfect for meal prep. It may seem like a lot of components, but fortunately you can prep a lot of them ahead of time! The ricotta comes together in less than 10 minutes and you throw everything in a food processor to make the tapenade. The crispy tofu is a little bit more laborious, but definitely worth it for the delicious flavor and texture!
- Easy-to-find ingredients. I always make sure my recipes include ingredients that are available at your usual grocery store. If you ever have trouble finding a particular item, let me know and I can see if I can help!
Enjoy this hearty sandwich on a summer day picnic or share with family/friends during a summer lunch get-together!
How long should I marinate the tofu?
I recommend marinating the tofu for at least 1 hr, ideally overnight but totally get it if you are short on time!
What olives do you recommend for the tapenade?
My favorite are kalamata olives, but any other than canned black olives will work great!
If you’re looking for more vegan lunch ideas, you’ll also love these Lemon Peanut Noodles w/ Crispy Tofu, this Smoky Chipotle Tofu Burrito, and The Best Chickpea Salad Sandwich.
Also, if you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram don’t forget to tag me @healthienut + #healthienut! I love seeing your mouthwatering recreations.
Ultra crispy marinated tofu, savory roasted red pepper olive tapenade, and a creamy tofu ricotta sandwiched between thick slices of sourdough bread.
- 4 oz. (½ block) extra-firm tofu, cut into ⅛" thick slices (see photos above)
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup tamari or low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tsp each: garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 red bell pepper
- ½ lb. kalamata olives
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp whole capers
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil
- Juice and zest from ½ medium lemon
- 4 oz. (½ block) firm tofu
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp miso paste
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp paprika
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- Avocado or vegetable oil (any high-heat oil)
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In a shallow bowl, whisk together the tamari, water, spices, and nutritional yeast. Add the tofu slices, flipping to coat each side with marinade. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.
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Preheat the oven to 425°F. Add the bell pepper to a small baking sheet. Roast for 25 minutes until soft and charred on all sides. While roasting the pepper, prepare the ricotta.
-
In a food processor, add all tofu ricotta ingredients. Pulse several times until creamy but some texture still remains. Add 1-2 tbsp of non-dairy milk if texture seems to thick. You want a creamy spreadable consistency. Spoon into a bowl and refrigerate.
-
When pepper is done roasting, carefully peel off the skin and remove the core/seeds. To make this process easier, you can immediately cover the pepper with foil once it comes out of the oven. The steam will get trapped inside and ease the process of removing the skin.
-
Add the bell pepper to a food processor along with olives, garlic, capers, olive oil, dried herbs, lemon juice and zest. Pulse a few times until all ingredients are finely minced. It should not be smooth – you want texture in a tapenade! See notes for reference* Spoon into a bowl and refrigerate.
-
In a large shallow bowl, whisk together the tofu breading ingredients including panko, flour, spices, salt, and pepper.
-
Coat the bottom of a large skillet with oil. Preheat oil to 350°F. Coat both sides of marinated tofu in breadcrumb mixture and cook several pieces at a time in the oil making sure not to overcrowd the skillet. Cook on both sides until deep golden brown. Transfer to a paper towel and sprinkle with flaky salt to preserve crispiness. Repeat with all tofu pieces.
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To make the sandwiches, spread a generous amount of ricotta over a thick slice of sourdough bread. Top with 3-4 slices of crispy tofu and spoon over olive tapenade. Top with another slices of bread. Enjoy!
