Baked Tofu Bites With Basil, Spinach, and Beet Mash

The Story Behind the Recipe

I've wanted to share a baked tofu recipe for ages, but finding the time was another story. Luckily, a little time off finally gave me a chance to get into the kitchen and make this fresh, fun dish.

If you're staying in Israel through August (who are you brave people?), you'll be happy to hear that you don't need to spend hours in a sweltering kitchen to make a tasty, healthy tofu dish.

The prep is simple, the bites are light, and yes, they're good for you, too.
They work as a light lunch, a healthy addition to brunch, or just a savory snack when the mood strikes.
With tofu and spinach in the mix, these bites deliver a nice dose of protein and iron, plus a big basil flavor that's hard to ignore. They're crispy, seriously snackable, and made for enjoying—not overthinking.

Each serving (without the beet mash) contains:

183 calories

10.3 g protein

7 g fat

300 mg calcium

3 mg iron

Haggai Leffler — The Vegan Athlete. Written with Noam Bachar (an Israeli nutrition coach and fitness trainer).

Ingredients

3 servings — about 25 bites

• One 300 g (10.6 oz) package tofu
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened soy milk
• 1 bunch basil, stems removed
• 1/2 cup frozen spinach from Sunfrost (an Israeli frozen food brand); I couldn't find decent fresh spinach this season, so I used frozen
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 tablespoons golden whole wheat breadcrumbs for the mixture
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs for a golden coating

Beet Mash

• 1 large beet, peeled and quartered
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened soy milk
• 1 garlic clove

Instructions

1. Process the tofu, basil leaves, spinach, garlic, soy milk, and olive oil in a food processor until you have a uniform mixture.
2. If your food processor struggles to blend everything, add another tablespoon or two of soy milk.
3. Transfer the tofu mixture to a deep bowl, add the breadcrumbs for the mixture, and mix well.
4. At this point, the mixture should be firm and hold together.
5. With wet hands, shape the mixture into bite-size nuggets.
6. Pour the breadcrumbs for coating into a separate small bowl. Roll the tofu bites in the crumbs until coated on all sides.
7. Arrange the bites on a baking sheet and bake at 180°C (350°F) for just about 10 minutes.

To Make the Beet Mash:

1. Cook the beet in a pot of boiling water for about 10 minutes, or microwave it for about 7 minutes.
2. Blend thoroughly with the remaining beet mash ingredients.
3. Adjust the amount of liquid to get the consistency you like.

Baked tofu bites with plenty of basil and spinach