How do people who eat a whole-food, plant-based diet get enough protein, you may wonder. It’s an age-old question that for the more part, has been answered. But, to discover more about that topic, read my article, “Am I Getting Enough Protein on a Plant-Based Diet?“
What you’ll find is that you don’t really need to worry about getting enough…. but, if you are, there are plenty of options when it comes to plant protein.
Plant Protein Options
What you may not realize is that many foods, even vegetables have some protein. There’s more protein in legumes (beans & lentils), quinoa (a pseudograin), and seitan (made from the protein portion of wheat), and some in nuts and seeds, as well.
One of the highest plant protein options is soy. Three and a half ounces of boiled fresh soybeans has about 16.6 grams of protein. One cup of firm tofu has about 20 grams!
See the “How-To” Video ⬇️
Scroll down to go directly to a video of how to press tofu with a TofuBud press.
More About Tofu
Fresh soybeans, tempeh, which is made from fermented soybeans, and soy milk are on the soybean list. But, tofu surely is the most well-known of the soy products and is a great option.
It comes in two forms, the shelf safe version which is called silken tofu, and refrigerated tofu that’s packed in water to keep it fresh. Silken tofu is best used in desserts, dips, or dressings where you don’t need to press it to release the water. Silken tofu is quite fragile and takes delicate handling.
Here are a couple of Silken Tofu recipes
- Avocado Tofu Chocolate Pudding
- Plant-Based Vegan Sour Cream
- Macaroni Salad
- Crustless Broccoli Tomato Quiche
Refrigerated (non-Silken) tofu is more sturdy and requires draining and pressing for many recipes.
Some will say that tofu is flavorless and boring, but I say… they just don’t know how to prepare tofu to make it the delicious savory or even sweet plant-based vegan food that we’ve grown to love. Did you ever meet a plain ol’ boiled chicken breast that tasted great on its own? No, is the answer!
So follow along and discover how to make deliciously flavored tofu starting with pressing it in a TofuBud tofu press to release excess water and make room for your favorite marinade.
How to Press Tofu in a TofuBud Press
My favorite tofu press is the TofuBud and one of the reasons I adore the TofuBud is that it’s an all-in-one gadget that keeps your counter clean and dry because all of that released water drains right into the TofuBud container.
Be sure to use my 10% discount code by putting PLANTBASEDCOOKING_10 in the “Discount Code” box.
- To press, simply cut open the top and drain the water from the tofu container.
- Make sure the shelf is at the bottom of the press and add the tofu.
- Place the second shelf on top of the tofu. Slide the top into the press.
- Add the nob, and press down to one of the two pressure points.
- Turn the nob to lock in place, and start the pressing process.
- Press for about 20 minutes.
Voila, you’re ready to add your tofu to a marinade and get ready for a delicious meal. Here are a few more tips for marinating tofu.
Check out these other tofu recipes for a tasty plant-based meal.
- Green Thai Coconut Curry with Tofu & Brown Rice
- Spinach Tofu Benedict
- Sweet and Sour Tofu
- Baked Tofu
- Tofu Crab Cakes
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your site is awesome! I have learned so much!!! Thanks u so much