Tofu sourdough burger with a peanut sauce

Tamara West

I bake sourdough bread most Fridays for our Raglan locals and after a long satisfying day with the brick oven these tofu burgers start calling my name. Ani is an expert at making these, she can whip them up in under 15 minutes and I love seeing the pleasure she gets from serving us all such a tasty healthy dinner. Everyone loves a burger and when I’m biting through the layers of crunch, lusciousness and freshness I’m not asking “do I like tofu?", I’m too busy going yum yum yum.

Ingredients

½ Tbsp	Olive oil
4	Onions, sliced into thin rings
2 blocks	Firm tofu, halved into slabs (Main)
2 Tbsp	Soy sauce
4 slices	Tasty cheese, optional
1 Tbsp	Canola oil

Carrot salad and peanut sauce

1	Carrot, grated
1 tsp	White balsamic vinegar, or cider with a little honey
1 tsp	Canola oil
4 Tbsp	Peanut butter, crunchy
1 Tbsp	Peanut oil, or canola oil, optional
3 cloves	Garlic, minced, optional
¼ cup	Orange juice, optional

To serve

8 slices	Sourdough bread, use thin slices (Main)
4 tsp	Tomato ketchup, approx
4 tsp	Mayonnaise, approx, use good quality mayonnaise
8 leaves	Baby cos lettuce
½ small	Beetroot, finely grated
2	Tomatoes, sliced thinly

Directions

1. Get the onions going first so they are ready in time. Heat olive oil in a frying pan on medium heat, add onions plus a pinch of salt and cook gently for about 10 minutes, turning heat to low after first 5 minutes.
2. Lay the tofu on a plate, poke all over with a fork and sprinkle half the soy sauce on so it can soak in a bit.
3. Heat canola oil in a non-stick pan on medium heat and fry tofu for 5 minutes on each side. Just before removing from the heat, splash with a little more soy and allow it to dry, and coat the outside in flavour. If you fancy adding some tasty cheese, now is a good time to pop a slice on each piece of tofu so it can melt a bit.
4. Dress the grated carrot by mixing in a pinch of salt, the sweet vinegar and light oil.
5. For a quick burger I just use peanut butter, but if you fancy making a peanut sauce, add peanut oil to a hot pan with a sprinkle of black pepper and fry with garlic for 30 seconds. Add orange juice and cook for a minute or two till liquid is mostly evaporated. Remove from heat and allow to cool off for a minute then stir in peanut butter and allow the remaining heat to soften it.
6. To make up a burger, I prefer to lightly toast the bread under a grill on one side only, so it has a bit of crisp and a bit of soft going on. Lay two pieces on a plate, toasted side down. Spread peanut butter or peanut sauce on one piece, then tomato ketchup and mayo on the other. Place a piece of tofu on top of the peanut sauce and cover with cooked onion. Next place a couple of lettuce leaves then carrot and beetroot. Top with tomato and a sprinkle of salt and pepper, then top with second slice of bread.
7. Ideally, cut these in half with a serrated knife so you can start eating from the juicy middle of the burger. This also makes the filling easier to keep inside, which is a nice bonus.