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Vegan Holiday Cooking: Braised Cranberry-Orange Tofu

Vegan Holiday Cooking: Braised Cranberry-Orange Tofu

Vegan Holiday Cooking from Candle Cafe: Celebratory Menus and Recipes from New York's Premier Plant-Based Restaurants

Warm roasted tofu, ruby red cranberries, and oranges pop with the delicious flavors of the season in this beautiful dish, making this a holiday favorite for both Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Exclusively from Candle 79’s new cookbook, Vegan Holiday Cooking from Candle Cafe: Celebratory Menus and Recipes from New York’s Premier Plant-Based Restaurants, the book is a feast for the senses as it carries the home cook through a year’s worth of holiday recipes. Like the Candle restaurants, the book is 100% plant-based and the food is 1000% delicious.

Vegan Holiday Cooking from Candle Cafe: Celebratory Menus and Recipes from New York's Premier Plant-Based Restaurants
Vegan Holiday Cooking from Candle Cafe: Celebratory Menus and Recipes from New York’s Premier Plant-Based Restaurants

Braised Cranberry-Orange Tofu

serves 8 to 10

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 shallots, thinly sliced
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
  • 2 oranges, juiced
  • 2 tablespoons agave nectar, plus more if needed
  • 1 cup white wine
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon arrowroot powder dissolved in 2 tablespoons water
  • Finely grated zest of two oranges
  • 2 (14-ounce) blocks extra-firm tofu
  • 1 sprig fresh rosemary

Heat the oil in a small sauté pan over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Transfer the shallots to a saucepan; add the water, cranberries, orange juice, agave, wine, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil. Decrease the heat, add the arrowroot, and simmer until the cranberries burst and the sauce has slightly thickened, about 7 minutes. If the sauce seems too tart, add a bit more agave. Remove from the heat, stir in the zest, and let cool.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Oil a large baking dish.
Cut the tofu into ¾-inch-thick slices and put them in the prepared baking dish. Pour the cranberry-orange mixture over the tofu. Turn to coat each side. Top with the rosemary and bake for about 25 minutes, until the sauce starts to caramelize.

Serve immediately.

See Also

Braised Cranberry-Orange Tofu

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