An easy and light meal for spring! These pesto tofu skewers are paired with a pesto quinoa for a delicious meal that is full of flavor. Use your favorite homemade or store-bought pesto for this.
As we approach a new season I am ready for some lighter meals. I love tofu skewers and these pesto tofu skewers hit the spot. They are easy to make and they are delicious. It is important to use super firm or high protein tofu for these. I find any of the other tofus to be too soft. So. if you do use an extra firm or medium firm tofu they may just fall off the skewer completely. The super firm tofu comes in an almost vacuum sealed container with very little water, it does not need to be pressed. If you need to learn more about tofu be sure to check out my tofu 101 video.
Grilling Tofu
I do not like to grill tofu on an actual grill. The reason being because tofu can still be a bit soft and get stuck. If you do decide to use a real grill (which you can it may just require a bit more patience) be sure to dry your tofu well, clean the grill well, and make sure to use oil. I prefer to use either my mini George Foreman Grill or the Ninja Foodi Grill. Both of these work really well for grilling the tofu without it sticking.
For this recipe I did use the Ninja Foodi Grill because I find it works great for this. Another alternative would be to bake these! You can completely bake tofu skewers and they will come out great. Do make sure if you are going to bake or use a real grill to soak wooden skewers for a few hours prior to using them so nothing burns. You could bake them at 400F (204C) for around 15-20 minutes.
Keep It Easy
To keep this recipe easy I just used bell pepper and zucchini for the skewers. They hold up well, and their flavors develop more. You can also use big pieces of yellow squash, onion, tomato, mushroom, eggplant – it just comes down to preference. Just make sure to cute the vegetables and tofu into thicker pieces so they skewer easily and cook evenly. To keep this recipe easy, I used the Trader Joe’s vegan pesto. It is delicious. There are plenty of vegan pestos around or you can make your own. The addition of pesto to the quinoa adds so much flavor. I normally am not a huge quinoa fan but this was a perfect pairing. If you want to add something else on the side I would suggest a quick salad or some garlic knots!
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Pesto Tofu Skewers
Ingredients
- 8 ounces super firm tofu (227g) cut into large cubes
- 1 small bell pepper or ½ large bell pepper, chopped (about 135g)
- 1 zucchini about 150g, sliced
- ¼ cup + 3 tablespoons vegan pesto (105g) , divided
- Cooking spray or oil
- ½ cup white quinoa dry
- Basil and flakey salt for topping
Instructions
- Cut the tofu into 18 cubes. Cut it into ½ inch thick slices to get 3 rectangles. Then cut into 6 pieces. This will ensure the tofu is not too thin and good for skewering.
- Chop the bell pepper into medium size chunks and the zucchini into ½ inch thick slices.
- Then begin to add the tofu, pepper, and zucchini onto 6 skewers. 3 pieces of tofu per skewer with about 3 to 5 pieces of each vegetable, depending on how many pieces you cut.
- Once all 6 skewers have been made use a silicone brush to brush on about ¼ cup (60g) of the vegan pesto onto the skewers. Make sure to get all sides. **If you are going to use a smaller, indoor grill, or bake lightly spray the skewers with cooking spray. If you are going to use an actual grill be sure to rub it with oil before place the skewers on there.
- Set the Ninja Foodi Grill to cook on medium for 12 minutes. Once warm add the skewers. **If using a George Foreman grill cook for about 9-12 minutes. If baking bake at 400F (204C) for 15-20 minutes. To use a standard grill, grill it over medium heat for about 5 minutes per side, being sure to rotate.
- Meanwhile, prepare the quinoa by adding ½ cup of dry quinoa to a medium sauce pan with 1 cup of water. Bring to boil over high heat, then when boiling reduce to a simmer and cover with a lid for 15 minutes or until quinoa is translucent.
- Once the quinoa is done, add 3 tablespoons of the pesto to the quinoa.
- Divide the quinoa amongst two dishes and add 3 skewers to each dish. Top with fresh basil, flakey salt, and a drizzle of pesto if desired.
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