Serves 4

Baked Tofu Turki With Mushroom Gravy

This easy vegan tofu turkey is a full Thanksgiving plate in 29 minutes — crispy, smoky tofu with mushroom gravy and a cranberry arugula salad, all from scratch. From my cookbook, The 29-Minute Vegan. Yes, 3 recipes in YES 29 minutes, yes even for Thanksgiving. Or honestly any chilly evening.

I love this method of baking tofu. It’s cut on a bias for unexpected texture, and sort of a “carved” appeal. Then it’s oven baked with a simple marinade that works like a charm. The tofu sucks up the juices, the edges get crispy and the interior stays nice and juicy. And you don’t have to tediously pick and chop thyme leaves, norrrr do you need to resort to dried thyme (not that there’s anything wrong with that!). Whole thyme sprigs flavor the marinade with minimum effort, just by being there.

While that’s all baking down below, the gravy action is happening up above on the stovetop. Mushroom gravy never fails us. Here, it’s thickened with flour and sautéed in vegan butter for extra richness. On the side, a little 4-ingredient arugula salad gets the cranberry vibes going.

Can you really get this done in 29 minutes? Absolutely! The key is to get your oven preheating right away, then work on the gravy while the tofu bakes. Pre-sliced mushrooms don’t hurt, either. Follow the timing in the directions and everything will come together at once. And if it takes you a few extra minutes? Don’t sweat it, it’s still a fast, easy meal that’s lots of fun.

Serve with mashed potatoes, or stuffing, or simply some crusty bread. Have fun with this easy vegan tofu turkey!

Baked Tofu Turkey FAQ

Do I need to press the tofu? Nope! The marinade does the work here. Just slice and dredge.

Do I bake the tofu on the same sheet as the marinade? Yes! You mix the marinade right on the rimmed baking sheet, dredge the tofu slices in it, and bake them all together. The tofu soaks up the juices as it cooks, which is the whole point.

Can I use dried thyme instead of fresh? You can. Use about 1 teaspoon of dried thyme in place of the sprigs. Fresh is nice because the whole sprigs just hang out in the marinade doing their thing with zero prep, but dried will still give you the flavor.

What makes this tofu taste so good? It’s the combination of everything: the liquid smoke, the apple cider vinegar, the poultry seasoning, the garlic, and then the high-heat baking that crisps the edges while the inside stays juicy. The bias cut helps too because you get more surface area for the marinade to cling to.

Can I make the mushroom gravy ahead of time? Definitely. It reheats beautifully. Just add a splash of broth when warming it up since it’ll thicken as it sits. It keeps in the fridge for about 4 days.

Can I skip the salad? I mean, you can do whatever you want. But the cranberry arugula salad takes about 2 minutes and the tartness and freshness cuts through the richness of the gravy really nicely. It makes the whole plate feel like a meal instead of just tofu and gravy.

What kind of tofu should I use? Extra firm. Not silken, not firm — extra firm. You need it to hold up to the bias slicing and the baking. If your tofu is too soft, the slices will fall apart when you flip them.

Easy Vegan Tofu Turkey

Baked Tofu Turki With Mushroom Gravy & Cranberry Arugula Salad

Crispy baked tofu with herby poultry seasoning and a simple marinade, served with rich mushroom gravy and a tart cranberry arugula salad. A complete vegan Thanksgiving plate in 30 minutes or under.
5 from 12 votes
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Course Main Course
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

For the Smoky Tofu:

  • 2 14 oz blocks extra firm tofu

For the Marinade:

  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 6 cloves garlic
  • 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
  • 8 whole thyme sprigs
  • 2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 cup vegetable broth
  • 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke

For the Mushroom Gravy:

  • 3 cups vegetable broth
  • 1/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 medium yellow onion
  • 1/4 cup vegan butter or refined coconut oil
  • 10 oz package sliced cremini mushrooms
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
  • 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

For the Salad

  • 8 oz baby arugula
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon champagne vinegar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 425 F.
  • To carve tofu, stand the block on its side. Using a sharp 8-inch knife, slice 8 to 10 diagonal pieces about 1/4 inch thick (but purposefully uneven), starting from the top corner and working your way across. The slices will be a little wonky, but that's the beauty of it, it looks like carved roast! Use every bit, including that corner piece (as seen in the pic).
  • Combine marinade ingredients on a rimmed baking sheet, including whole thyme sprigs. Smash the garlic and add it in as well. Dredge tofu slices in marinade then place in as single a layer as possible. Bake for 10 minutes. Flip and bake another 10 minutes, dredging in marinade as you flip. It should be crispy on the edges and golden brown.

In the meantime, prepare the gravy and salad.

  • Preheat a 2 quart pot over medium heat. Rough chop the onion and saute the onion with a big pinch of salt in the butter for about 5 minutes, until translucent. Add mushrooms, garlic, poultry seasoning, salt and pepper and saute for about 5 more minutes, until mushrooms have released their moisture.
  • In a small bowl, mix the flour with about 1 cup of the vegetable broth until well dissolved. Then add the remaining broth and mix.
  • Add the broth/flour mix to the pot. Stir often until nice and thickened, about 7 minutes. In the meantime, toss together all salad ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Done!
  • Plate everything up, 4 slices of tofu per plate, gravy over the top and salad on the side.
Keyword 30 Minute Meal, easy AF
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