BBQ Tofu Skewers with a Creamy Feta Sauce + Summer Peach Salad

Our first BBQ dinner in the backyard for just us two finally happened, and we’re working with our current obsession - tofu. BBQ Tofu Skewers with a Creamy Feta Sauce + Summer Peach Salad. And let me just say, it was the perfect Summer meal. Light, refreshing, loaded with Summer produce, and worth the wait.

Our Summer has been jam packed. July has both flown by to the point I’m asking myself “who let it be July 23rd” while also being the month that never ends. I’ve lived a whole life in this month along - from family in town + hosting our favorite party of the year to so many changes with work that have frankly been all consuming. We were due for a quiet night at home and time to fire up the grill for just us two. It ended up being one of the best meals of Summer so far, and a top tier Monday in month that has felt full of wild twists + turns.

 
 

Putting tofu on the BBQ is the way to go

My biggest fear was the tofu would just crumble off the kebab skewers once transferred to the grill. To my surprise, absolutely no problem at all! I did cut the tofu into sizable pieces (a knife + fork was required at the table) + we used an extra spray of EVOO on each skewer before putting them on the grill. I am sure both steps only helped our cause, and it was easy to execute. Also, threading them onto the skewers was pretty fun. Having identical skewers with the same pattern of tofu + veggies made it look so good all plated up!

I will say the hardest part was threading the veggies onto the kebab skewers. Holy hell that asparagus was going to be the death of me. My tips are don’t slice that squash too thin + do be patient threading on the asapragus.

Do season your tofu

The best thing I did for this meal was marinate the tofu for a full day. I dried it, let it sit in the fridge with EVOO + all the marinating spices, and all I know is that the end result was fabulous. It was flavorful, the herbs + spices seemed to really stick to the tofu during the grilling process, and the color was pretty dreamy.

The marinade did back a serious flavor, and the creamy feta sauce just tied it all together. I whipped up quite a bit of basil into that feta sauce as well, so it was cool, creamy, refreshing little dipper for very spiced up pieces of tofu. A total tie everything together sauce, though. A forkful of tofu with a dip of the sauce + a bite of salad - amazing!

 
 

Peaches + corn + tomatoes = Summer trifecta

And in our case we put it all in one salad. I feel like we always do something with these 3 ingredients combined in one dish. Sometimes is bruschetta or pizza, or we’re doing a salad kinda thing. This was the salad we will make over and over again thanks to one thing - basil vinaigrette. Holy crap the dressing is perfection. Sweet, tangy, and full of fresh basil. It was balanced in all right ways and tied together our little garden salad perfectly.

For the tofu skewers

  • 1 block of firm tofu, pressed + cut into small blocks or cubes

  • 1.4 c. EVOO plus more for grilling

  • 4 garlic cloves

  • 1 tbsp paprika

  • 1 tsp cumin

  • 1 tsp dried parsley

  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes

  • pinch of salt + pepper

  • 1 bunch of asparagus

  • 1 Summer squash, sliced

For the feta sauce

  • 1/4 c. nonfat Greek yogurt

  • 6 oz. feta

  • juice of 1 lemon

  • 1/4 c. fresh basil

For the peach salad

  • 2 tbsp EVOO

  • 2 tbsp Dijon or grainy mustard

  • juice of 1/2 a lemon

  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

  • 1 tbsp honey

  • 1 c. fresh basil, minced

  • Salt + pepper

  • 2 peaches, sliced

  • 1 c. cherry tomatoes, halved

  • 2 ears of corn, cooked + kernels removed (I cooked the corn on the cob 1st thing and added it to the salad while the skewers cooked on the bbq)

For the tofu - Start by marinating the tofu. Whisk together the EVOO + spices in a dish, including a pinch of salt + pepper. Add in the tofu + stir to coat. Cover + leave in the fridge for 4 hours or overnight. Move to prepping the other components.

For the feta sauce - Add all of the ingredients to a food process + puree until smooth. It should be whipped + airy. Cover + set in the fridge until it’s time to eat.

For the peach salad - Start by making the dressing. Whisk together the EVOO, mustard, lemon juice, vinegar + honey. Set aside. Add the peaches, corn, tomatoes, + basil to a large bowl. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt + pepper. Toss the salad with the dressing, cover, & set in the fridge until you ready to eat.

When it’s time to grill the skewers, heat the BBQ to 350 // 400. Assemble the skewers by threading the tofu, asparagus, and squash on the skewers. Be sure to really scrape up the tofu marinade + spread it onto the tofu as you transfer to the skewers. Either brush or spray the skewers with some extra EVOO to make sure nothing sticks to the grill. Lay the skewers on the, turning every 3-4 minutes until they’re at the desired crispiness (might take an extra minute or so on each side).

Serve the skewers with the feta sauce on the side. Serve the skewers alongside the peach salad and voila - you’re set! A perfect backyard dinner.

Lesley ZehnerComment