Garden Fresh TLTs (Tofu, Lettuce, & Tomato)

At the start of the season, I stood firmly in my conviction that we were gonna have ourselves a sandwich Summer, an so far I’m following through on my end of the bargain. I did not want to find myself trying to get a dinner together during the most gorgeous part of the day - a situation I found myself in many times last year and I was going to not make the same mistake again. Essentially, I felt like Summer 2024 was my Summer of poor planning and foregoing way too many golden hours to go make dinners inside. Well I learned my lesson, and the solution - sandwiches. Putting them on heavy rotation for at-home dinners. But good ones! The goal is to keep it simple + still delicious, and explore the world of Summer sandos in the process. The big hit so far has been these Garden Fresh TLTs - tofu, lettuce, and tomato sandwiches. Hot damn - they are so good! A premium tofu sandwich, which last Summer I didn’t think could be a thing. These sandwiches are defining our backyard dinners right now. Made with our garden tomatoes, a sweet + spicy mayo that I’m not putting on every sandiwch, and one of my favorite condiments - chili oil. The crispiest pan fried tofu with a bunch of fresh veggies. It’s delightful.

 
 

Crispy tofu is a premium sandwich filling

We love sandwiches. We love veggie sandwiches. I tend to not love a meat altnerative in a vegetarian sandwiches. I have come to the other side. This pan fried tofu is thinly sliced, absords all the flavor of the oil, soy sauce, & seasoning, and just tastes so good loaded on a sandwich roll.

My secret ingredient - chili oil

Specifically Fly by Jing Sichuan Oil which is literally my most favorite thing. Any excuse to use this stuff, I will take! Here, I add it to the mayo with a just a little bit of maple syrup for a whole sweet heat aioli situation, and let me tell you what - it is quite addicting. We will be making this mayo again for future sandwiches, a dipper for french fries, and pretty much anywhere else a spicy-sweet aioli would be appropriate. It is supreme.

The chili oil is also sautéed up with the tofu, and it almost acts as a marinade. It permeates every bit + adding even more of that signature spicy flavor to the sandwich. It’s perfect!

 
 

This was our backyard dinner to break in our new covered patio space, and sitting down there amidst our Summer garden, enjoying a meal made with our homegrown tomatoes was the ultimate weeknight dinner vibe. Fun, delicious, and already a sandwich that has been on repeat this Summer.

 
 

For the mayo

  • 1/2 c. mayo

  • 1 tbsp chili oil (I love the “Fly by Jing Sichuan Chili Crisp”)

  • 1 tsp maple syrup

For the sandwiches

  • 1 block of extra firm tofu, pressed + sliced into thin rectangular pieces

  • 1 tbsp EVOO

  • 2 tbsp chili oil (I love the “Fly by Jing Sichuan Chili Crisp”)

  • 1 tbsp soy sauce

  • 1 tsp maple syrup

  • 2-3 tomatoes, sliced

  • green leaf lettuce, arugula or romaine

  • sandwich rolls

For the mayo - Add all of the ingredients to a small bowl. Whisk together until it’s well combined. Cover + set aside in he fridge,

For the sandwiches - Place a large skillet over medium heat. Add in the EVOO. When the oil is warm, add in the tofu pieces + toast for 5 minutes. Drizzle the chili oil, soy sauce, and maple syrup over the top, increasing the heat slightly to bring the sauce to a gentle simmer. Toast for another 2-3 minutes. Flip the tofu, and toast on the other side for another 5-6 minutes. The sauce should be absorbed by the tofu + the tofu pieces crisped up around the edges. Once crisped up, transfer the tofu pieces to a plate.

Toast the sandwich rolls. Spread a spoonful of the mayo on both sides of the sandwich. Top the bottom piece of the sandwich with a generous portion of the lettuce, then a layer of the tomatoes, and finally the tofu slices. Top with the other piece of bread, and gently smash is down. Cut the sandwich on the diagonal + serve with your favorite picnic salad, and enjoy.

Lesley ZehnerComment