Easy Lentil Tofu (Soy Free and SO GOOD!)
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- Äas pĆidĂĄn 17. 03. 2023
- I often get requests for soy free tofu alternatives, so here's a recipe for red lentil tofu! It's easy to make, budget friendly, and of course, delicious!
You can season and cook this tofu however you want, so just imagine the possibilities! I love to air fry it.
Let me know your thoughts in the comments section below! Will you try this? It's definitely worth giving it a go.
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Red lentil 'tofu' (Makes 2-4 servings, 45g Protein per batch)
Ingredients:
1 cup dried red lentils
3 cups boiling water
3/4 tsp salt
optional: add any spice flavourings you like! I added 3/4 tsp garlic and 3/4 tsp onion powder.
Directions:
1. Rinse red lentils really well and place in a large pyrex container (or other glass bowl)
2. Add 3 cups of boiling water to rinsed lentils and cover. Let sit for 20 minutes.
3. Add mixture to a blender (do not drain off water!)
4. Add your favourite spices/seasonings and blend until smooth
5. Add the mixture to a a large saucepan and heat on medium heat, stirring constantly using a whisk. When it starts to thicken or bubble turn down to medium-low or low heat.
6. Keep stirring for a total of 7-10 minutes until mixture is very thick.
7. Once it is very thick remove from heat and immediately put the mixture directly into 8x8 glass container. Smooth top over with a spatula.
8. Place in the fridge for a couple hours to allow the mixture to cool and set. You can leave it overnight too! Once mixture is cool and set, remove from container and cut into cubes and cook like you would normal tofu! You can add marinade/sauce to the cubes or season with spices, whatever you want. I enjoy marinading or spicing up the cubes and air frying them. You can also stir fry them or bake in the oven. Enjoy!
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Derek, have you tried red lentils and water made into a wrap/flat bread. Its another good use of red lentils.
Why no soy?
I will try a marinade for an hour or so.
@@debbimorgon2988 /// some people are allergic to soy, others can't have soy due
to hypothyroidism.
@@tarahh.3921 /// Maybe brown lentils, I didn't know about the green ones.
This is Nigerian moi-moi but made using lentils. For moi-moi we use beans and for the best taste we use moi-moi leaf, banana or plantain leaf.
Cool! The leaf is to shape it?
I do something similar. I soak the red lentils, blend them like you did (although with less water) add baking powder and soda, black salt, turmeric, pepper and chopped veggies (bok choy, red pepper, onions etc). Pour in silicone muffin pan and bake. They are very dense. When I want to eat them I cut in half and pop them into the toaster! Eat âem right out of the toaster or put between toasted English muffin. I freeze them too. Makes for quick breakfast!
I make a similar "lentil bread" but without the veggies. It really is bread and not really dense. I learned it from Refika's Kitchen.
Thanks for sharing your recipe.
what does the baking soda and powder do?
@@rollingthunderinho my hope was to make them less dense. Iâm not a baker. Any suggestions would be helpful.
@@mamakins5123 thanks for the reply
Been vegan forever, worked in vegan cafes and seen it all but my mind is blown right now! Gratitude!
In Bengali culture, making "daler bori" with all kinds of pulses is a common practice. Bori is sun dried pulses paste mixed with salt/ spices and sometimes winter gourd and can be preserved for months. It can be lightly fried, and put into the gravy of any curry. It's fluffier than tofu and should taste much better.
Even daaler Bora.
Barrian
Thanks, đ I will give it a try.
I love daler bori. Super delicious.
If you are allergic to soy this might be a great option. To get protein that doesn't cost as much as lean meats.
â€Just wanted to let you know I made my 2nd one almost immediately. I added The juice of a small lemon, Teaspoon of red chili powder, teaspoon of tumoric, and a thumb sized portion of red beat. It came out a beautiful color and the lemon gave it much more flavor. Also with that batch, I cut it up into one and a 1/2 inch French fry size pieces, put some oil, salt, pepper, garlic coder and onion powder Into the air fryer at 390 shaking it several times for approximately 9 to 12 minutes keep an eye. The best HEALTHY crunchy fries I have ever had thanks to you bringing light to this recipe! Way better than tofu krispies And super healthy as Lentils go!â€
Oh cool! I love that you did your own thing with it! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks, I thought maybe citrus would cause it to curdle!đ
Ooh...your recipe sounds brilliant. Will try
Thanks for sharing đđđđ»
you mean red beet ?
Thanks for sharing, could it be made with yellow split peas?
We tried this. It's just as easy as it looks on the video. Turned out fantastic. I thought it was gonna taste weird, but it was absolutely gorgeous. We did the salt& pepper with a little cajun and paprika. It's great because store bought tofu is really expensive here. I still have some leftovers, so I'm gonna try a marinade. I'm so impressed by the imagination being put into vegan cooking. I took a picture, but I don't think I can add it here.
â@T I don't know but i saw in tje comments someome said they freeze it
vegetable protein in large quantities/concentrations is harmful. there is no need/benefit to eat tofu!!!
It s the imagination from another channelđ
I made this and it's great! Also discovered it has the same consistency as potato, so I made red lentil fries! Just cut in strips shortways first, then down the middle longways. Afterwards, take stacks of 4 and cut each in half. Pre-salt, then air fry for 20-30 minutes and salt and shuffle midway. Excellent recipe! Same process applies to hashbrowns and anything else potato. This is amazing.
I made this with split peas following your exact procedure , it is delicious. Thank you
What I love is no straining OR pressing. Wonderful!
Yep it's so easy!
Never thought about that! đ
We made this today!! I added too much garlic/onion powder.. but it still turned out pretty good!! We toasted it in a frying pan and dipped it in some sweet chilli sauce. it tasted like french fries!!
I just made this using seasoning nutritional yeast, salt pepper and rosemary and dill it was amazing!!! So crunchy on the outside and soft inside. I am blown away. Way nicer than tofu, its more neutral I think. Thanks so much for this recipe. :)
Great idea! I make similar bater with less water, add spices, garlic and zucchini finely chopped, sesame and sunflower seeds, ... In a pan I fry it as a tortilla or make hamburgers. Red lentils are extremely versatile đ
I started making this last year to replace the soy in my diet. After experimenting with the recipe, I add 2 tablespoons of nacho flavored nutritional yeast and 2 scoops of Naked Pea Protein to add more protein. It's fire.
Thank you for sharing these great ideas.
More proteins? It has it own. Food combining is a thing (for digestive purposes). Research. To much of anything can be bad.
Youâre fire, thank you for the idea! I didnât even know nacho flavored nutritional yeast existed. đ„
@@iDontKnow77999 iâm not concerned getting to little either. Ppl should be more concerned of getting to much protein nowadays - because of the protein propaganda. When in fact protein should only be 10% of our diet - according to science ofc and not propaganda.
Yeah, but where do you get your protein... lol jk
"Better the next day" đđœ It's a Godsend. Red lentils make a great pizza crust as well.
Can you please forward that recepy? I Have a gluten I tolerance. I am very curious for this.
@@irismenheere3272 Hey there! I like using a cast iron skillet and this channel had an easy recipe. czcams.com/video/ktbkQ2QAeas/video.html
I didn't add tomato paste to my crust but it's up to you. I hope this helps, it's worth the trouble.
Can you please post the recipe for the pizza crust you make I would love to try it thank you
Hi Derek, I just finished making the âtofuâ âŠ.I mixed lentils with chickpeasâŠ.it came out so so yummy. Spice wise, I added marmite, paprika and nutritional yeastsâŠ.so freakn good !!, thank you for the idea !!! đ·đčđ·đč
I make lentil patties . Soaked 2 hour, in food processor, add green onions, carrot , both lightly chopped In processor. Mix all together add parsley, onion powder, garlic powder. Make small patties into air fryer 12 min at 400f,flip at 6 min....
The kitchen gods have smiled upon us yet again. đđŒ thank you Derek for being the voice of vegan-food badassery.
That little slice you made off the end at 5:40 -- the colour and texture kinda reminded me of a hot-dog and now I'm really eager to try out Vegan hot-dogs with it! Lentils are tasty and I never thought to do this before!
Kinda looks like ham doesnât it!
I bet seasoning the batter like sausage and molding it into a cylinder would make a killer hot dog
I thought the same thing! Did you try it?
What a great idea! I tried to make hame once, and it was soooo bad I was too scared to try again đ Is it just me, or are many cookbooks massively misleading?! I ended up with hammy glueđ
Lentils are great, will try! Thanks for the ideaâ€ïžâïž
I've made that today and my flavouring actually turned out like hot dog! Add 1 mushroom stock pot or cube, 3 heaped tbsp of tomato puree, a fair amount of liquid smoke, pepper, salt, paprika. Next time I'll add a bit of garlic and onion, but even without that it tasted pretty hot dog-ey
ON MY 4TH BATCH!
Shared this tofu with my vegan friend and he loved it! Sent him your video.
†Seriously can't thank you enough because I was starting to get sick of tofu đ
Eat some fish
@@LMTMarta ew
I'm new around here. This sounds amazing! What ways have you used this?
I've been vegan for over 30 years, vegetarian for 20 before that. I love my own cooking and recipes but you have opened a whole new world to me. I'm gonna be upping my vegan meals from now on. Thank you
This is great! I was thinking that since it looked so silky you could easily use this in all those tofu dessert recipes! Lentil ice cream anyone? God bless you all! Stay healthy!
Bro,
Thankyou for introducing me to this.
I just made this with brown Lentils, it was absolutely the most meaty non meat thing I've ever eaten.
Just awesome
Red and brown lentils are same. Brown one with peel, red one without peel, and it has specific name called "masoor dal".
I was wondering the same thing! Thank you for trying it out and letting us know.
Awesome. Thank you. Iâm dairy free but I canât eat soy either so this is great. Also good for lowering cholesterol â€
We just made this! Red lentils are the best! The batter already tastes good. (Added salt, garlic powder and a little turmeric + chili powder) Itâs in the refrigerator now, going to try the air fryer tomorrow : )
My aunt got me a big box of red lentils for my birthday and now I have another idea of how to use them. Thanks Derek!
That's a great birthday present! Your aunt must be amazing. đ„°
I rarely comment on stuff but I made this today because I had some lentils already, and it was super easy and air fried up so well! What an awesome cheap and yummy way to get some more protein. đ
This is a game changer for me!! What a brilliant idea. I use those little red lentils lots to make a nice thick soup with coconut milk and curry powder, but the solid product looks so versatile and yummy! Thanks for this đ
I just made this a few days ago, and first let me say it was so easy! It came out great, looked just like your demonstration. So great directions! Second, crisping them up in the air frier is a game changer. Made red lentil tofu âfriesâ in my air frier today and they were so delicious! Qualifiers- I like legumes and lentils. I am an omnivore, and was looking for some higher nutrition snacks and this just hit the spot. Thank you for your easy to follow recipes!
I'd recommend letting the lentil batter ferment in a warm place (like the oven with the light on if in cold country) overnight or for 12hrs and then fry or bake them. They turn out light and airy.
The batter before boiling it down or after?
@@hibiscusflower5911 before. You soak the lentils overnight and then blend with little to no water. The batter consistency should be thick and creamy. After that you cover it and let it ferment in a warm place for atleast 12 hrs or overnight and once you see the batter has expanded with bubbles on top you can add your seasoning and either bake or deep fry them in small batches.
If it doesn't ferment, add baking soda to it and bake
Hi. I was thinking about this too, but what you describe, the end product will be different, right, won't be soft like tofu?
@@Anione111 the fermentation will help make the final result more lighter and spongy. Unfortunately, lentil 'tofu' won't be as soft as silken tofu even though you have many varieties in the softness/firmness of tofu as well. So the fermentation of lentil batter will help. Google 'Medhu Vada' - it's one of the most beloved snacks in South India and is just made from fried/baked fermented lentil batter.
I have been making and eating this for awhile now and really love it as a savory dish with garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika and liquid smoke. But today I tried it using cinnamon, allspice and vanilla.....so good!!!! This is replacing my homemade soy tofu. It's so easy and quick to make and so delish!!! Thanks!!!
Just wanted to stop by to say " Thank you for sharing an amazing healthy recipe " I have tried it turned out very delicious. I have added 1 teaspoon of dry parsley, 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper, 4 Tablespoon of sweet potatoes starch . Cut shapes like hashbrowns. Pan fried and it tastes like hashbrowns, but better. Delicious. đđđ„°đ„°.
đđ I am allergic to soy. Going to try this.
Please, more soy-free recipes, Derek! đ
Yes to this! I am allergic to soy as well, as is another member of my household. Soy free recipes are very much appreciated!
Same here! Would love to finally try tofu now with this recipe
Awesome! So basically polenta, but with red lentils! I had no idea you could do this with them and I'm giving it a go right now! Thanks!!
Thatâs what i thought too!
You can also just blend lentils, salt water and cook like pancakes
â@@banzaitntDosa!! Been making them as alternative to grain based crepes (more proteins, fewer calories, win win)
Polentils!
Thanks for this. I have been overbuying shelf staples for a while and looking for new ways to use them. And it's so easy!
I am not, and never expect to be a vegan, but I think it's wise to learn and use vegan recipes
That is amazing! So simple and it's a great addition to green salads.
I am living for the tofu expansion that weâre seeing.
SAME!
đ
That is so interesting and looks so easy! Can't wait to try, thanks!
Hack: I do this but use a large square container in the microwave instead of a stove. Just cook it normally (approx 10min) and pull it out every 2 minutes to stir until its super thick (like in the video). Then just let it sit in the same container in the fridge to harden. I find this is easier, less labour intensive, and has less washing up (also great if you dont have a stove).
You're onto something here. As a lazy stoner vegan who lived for years with a shared kitchen, I got damn good at being a one pan man. I'd start with halved brussels simmering in a pan, add the onion, the mushroom, then the noodles with a good splash of water to hydrate the noods.
I bet you could use this same dish to not only nuke the blended mix and chill it to firmness, but also to marinade, and even to bake the sauced block with some veggies and top coat sauce... Yeah, sounds like a plan. Dishes suck
@@Somethinghumble Totally. Also like to add some cocoa, stevia, and vanilla to the mix. It sets as a delicious and healthy chocolate slice.
In India Jain community eats vegan food and they make many protein rich alternatives.
Something similar we do make out of chickpea flour.
We also separate protein from wheat flour (seitan) to be used as sides or mains .
Awesome! I love new creative recipes đ
Made this last night, Iâm kind of obsessed! Definitely going to be a kitchen staple for me now! đ±đ
Oh I am so excited to try this!! Gratitude for your share. đ„âïž
This is amazing! You guys are getting so good in the kitchen. I am impressed. đ
Thank you for taking the time to come up with an alternative for those of us with soy allergies/sensitivities. There have been so many of your tofu recipes I have wanted to try
You always have the best recipes!! this is epic!!
I love this idea I will have to try it again when I get more red lentils. Thank you so much for sharing.
This is awesome!! Totally going to try! I made some red lentil tortillas a few weeks ago and they were great! Excited to try this too!
Iâm proud of you too, Derek! Thanks for sharing. Your vids are so informative and light hearted. Thank you for being you!
Wow I had never even thought of it. I am trying this tonight and will use it for a stir fry. Thanks Derek !
Thanks for sharing this!! I absolutely love that this is a no bake recipe!! I don't have an oven because I live in a small camper and I can't wait to make this!
This is the recipe I've been looking for!
That is so cool! Can get more budget friendly than that. The options are endless. Awesome recipe! đ
Aaah, amazing! I actually started soaking lentils before the vid was even finishedđ đȘđ» canât wait to try it for dinnerđ
Can't wait to try this!
Love this easy recipe and now make it often. I have not bought tofu since Iâve been making it and rarely make seitan these days because this is so good, and easy. I didnât care for the texture after it was chilled but then I seasoned and baked it and wow, it is fantastic - great on sandwiches. Thanks so much for another great recipe!
I adore your videos. You make vegan easy and entertaining! Thank you for being awesome!!!
The âDerrick Simnett âtil-the-wisk-stands-up-by-itself testâ. đ Love your easy, fun approach to cooking!
thank you đđ gonna to try it!
Looks amazing!
It's in the fridge for overnight. It tasted so good I could have eaten it just like that out of the pot. đ
Enjoy!
What a great idea, I've never even heard of that before! So excited to try it! I love your containers I have the same ones from Costco and that same spiceđ
Added red chili powder and turmeric â€
It turned out amazing! And I baked part of my block of tofu (without oil) and am so surprised how nice and crispy it got but still nice and smooth inside. Thanks for sharing.
I just love how easy this is and that there is no waste at all!
Made this over the weekend and stored in the freezer. Just made my first meal with it (cubed and sauted with salad) and absolutely loved it! Crunchy outside and smooth centre
I think I will be using this as a burger next time, lovely stuff!
Oh cool so it does work frozen?!? Thanks for sharing. Lots of questions about that.
@@Simnettnutrition Yes, it worked great. I cut the big block into serving sizes and stored in a tupperware box in the freezer.
When defrosting, they do release a lot of water - but after a dry off with a tea towel and you are good to go!
Great idea to make a burger patty with it!đ Thank you!
Derek, this is brilliant! I have been making lentil wraps (excellent with cinnamon and nutmeg, wrapped around baked apples!) with just lentils and water and I love them. This will extend my recipe base as I cannot use soy so I never have tofu. Can't wait to try it!
I canât wait to try this!!!! Thank u!
I just made this SO fast, because I already had red lentils. It's now cooling in the fridge but I've already come up with so many ways to use it. Thank you so much!
Wow Derek! At our house we have made a couple of batches now, and this has turned out to be a fabulous substitute. The cooking part is amazing to watch it thicken! Thanks for sharing this with us and everyone online. LOL, I use the SAME Pyrex jug ALL THE TIME. đ€Ł Can't wait to try some flavours. Best wishes from Australia.
Great video!! Iâm going to have to make my own tofu! Looks amazing! đđ±đȘ
Thank you so much for this! It looks amazing.
I am definitely going to try this out thanks
Iâm excited to try this, even though I love soy tofu, itâs good to have a backup. Thanks, Derek, for the inspiration.đđ€©
It's nice to change it up. I hope you enjoy the recipe if you make it!
It came out great!
Will definitely try this !
Love this idea! Lately I've been wanting to try and make tofu for myself and now this video came up, right in time. đ„°
Awesome! This is definitely way easier than soy tofu haha
Thank you for this recipe! I made this and it is unbelievably delicious! My new favorite! You can flavor this any way you like! No more store bought tofu for me! This has FLAVOR!!!!
Wow! Really excited to try this!! Looks amazingđ
Wow that's a new thing for me, and it sound very exciting! Can't wait to try it out and to have a substitute tofu idea when I'm to tired to go to the grocery store đ . I already made the tofu and put it in the fridge!
Exited to see how it's going to be đ
What a great way to get more lentils in your diet. I'll definitely be trying the salt and pepper version.
I can't wait to try this. Thank you so much for sharing!
It is quick and easy ! I just made it and it's chilling in the fridge ! I'm so excited to taste it â€
That looks amazing, thank you! Red lentil flatbreads are already my go-to, i never tire of them, so i'm looking forward to exploring the new avenues this opens! Cheers :D
Recipe for flatbead pls.
We made this today! I canât believe how awesome it is!! 10 thumbs up! Thank you for this amazing dish! đ
I am so going to do this! Thank you!
Iâm so down! This is so amazing thank you so much for this GEM đ!
What a tremendously helpful video! Thank you, Derek! I highly respect your dedication and how thoroughly you explore vegan cuisine to teach us all these incredible ways of eating healthy :)
I'm making this tofu on repeat now. I tend to cut it into teeny-tiny pieces, add spices and a bit of oil, and bake. The end result is crispy, fragrant minced tofu.
â€What a great and delicious idea! Thanks!đ
You are so welcome!
I tried your recommendation, I believe it is the best NEW food I have tried this year, cubed and roasted in my air-fryer, dipped or alone, delicious, thinly sliced makes a decent chip! Thank you for sharing.
What a great idea !!!! Canât wait to try this !!!
I need to make this. I always have dried red lentils on hand so if itâs really this simple this is great to have in the kitchen arsenal!
Hope you enjoy the recipe if you do make it! It's so easy and versatile.
Okay, Iâm on board with this idea! LentilsâŠ.nutrition powerhouse! Iâm going to slice it thin, marinate it in smoky flavors, air fry it and make a BLOAT đ âbaconâ lettuce đ„Ź onion đ§ avocado đ„ and tomato đ
Nyom nyom!đ
Sounds great, but maybe you could call it a BLT + or something...lol
You could slip in a small chipotle pepper and it would be a 'smoked' tofu
@@sharit7970 the B in BLT is for bacon, L for lettuce, T for tomato. Add in an O and an A you get: B.L.O.A.T. Hence, BLOAT.
@@Silver-cl2bd Yes, gotcha; the reason I made the comment is that 'bloat' ...at least here in the US... has a pretty negative meaning. Not really an appetizing name for a sandwich.
So excited to try this!! Thank you!
I love this idea! I can't wait to try it. Thanks!!
I made this and it is AMAZING! I actually used the soup setting on my Vitamix and let it process until it was thick. Worked really well and save me from having to clean two items lol. But for those without that function, I am sure the saucepan method is just as easy. I love how the air fryer caused it to puff and crisp up. This will go into my weekly rotation. LOVE your videos! My other favorite is the Chickpea muffins that Crystal shared!!
It's great to know that the stirring the stuff in the pan can be skipped. I'll try that!
@@decimanightelf4135 The Vitamix has a soup setting that cooks as it processes. It is a 5 minute process and when done the lentil tofu is extremely hot and very thick just like when you cook it on the stove. Plus, I always air fry my tofu when I am ready to eat it so it is nice and crispy and puffs up! So it is essentially cooked twice đ
Is your Vitamix worth it? We're looking into a refurbished one.
Brilliant idea, thanks.
@@Authorthings yes! I use it a lot! It does such a great job really getting sauces smooth and as I shared, the hit cooking function is super helpful! I used to use a Ninja but it just left some sauces and nut butters gritty, and left little chunks sometimes when I wanted a really smooth consistency.
Similar to Burmese Tofu (chickpea) theyâre so easy to make!
Please share your recipe.
@@DValentine-lp3yr czcams.com/video/0Mv5jGrJw_A/video.html
Can't wait to make this.
Omg!! I have made these twice in 2 days! Shared with 2 people! So good!
Smoked paprika. That's what I'm going to throw in. đ€€ Thank you for this!
Amazing alternative & seems easy đđ
So easy! the hardest part is waiting for it to cool off in the fridge!
This is amazing! Thank you!
Awesome! Can't wait to try this! I've seen others' make this but yours is sooo easy! Thank you!