This is dish inspired by Mediterranean and Greek flavors. A delicious pan fried tofu is paired with crispy chickpeas and kale. Served with a delicious lemon and garlic vegan yogurt sauce and rice.
There is just something about pan fried tofu that will always have my heart. It is so yummy especially when it is heavenly seasoned like this one is. Tofu is delicious and a great way to get in some plant based protein. This dish is made even better with the chickpeas, kale, and rice.
Rice Choice
I decided to use RightRice in this bowl to amp up some of the protein. It is made with lentil flour and it is really delicious. You can always use orzo, couscous, quinoa or regular rice instead though. I really enjoy kale but if you don’t like it you can use zucchini or spinach with the chickpeas. It will be delicious and is still a great way you get your greens in.
Pan Fried Tofu
To make this delicious tofu you are going to need to use super firm tofu. This type of tofu has the least amount of water and the highest amount of protein. It is great for recipes like this. If you would like to use a tofu press and press extra firm tofu you can but I find it still remains slightly mushy inside compared to when you use super firm tofu. If you are new to tofu I would recommend using super firm tofu. The tofu is coated in a lot of seasonings as well to give it great flavor.
More Tofu Recipes
Pan Fried Tofu with Crispy Chickpeas & Kale FAQ
- Can I swap the tofu? While tofu is the star of this dish you could use tempeh or vegan chicken.
- Can I use other veggies? Of course zucchini, escarole, broccoli rabe, bok choy or spinach would work well here.
- How long does this last? In the fridge up to 2 days, leave the yogurt sauce seperate.
- Can I use frozen tofu? Yes certainly!
- Is this gluten free? Yes it is.
- Can I use regular rice? Yes, I just prefer RightRice for higher protein.
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Pan Fried Tofu with Crispy Chickpeas & Kale
Ingredients
Pan Fried Tofu
- 4 ounces (115g) super firm tofu, cubed
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon cumim
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- Crack of black pepper
- Salt to taste
Kale and Chickpeas
- ½ cup canned chickpeas drained and rinsed (80g)
- 1 ¼ cup kale chopped (45g)
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- Pinch red pepper flakes
- Pinch of salt
Yogurt Sauce
- ⅓ cup (90g) vegan yogurt
- ⅓ lemon
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt or to taste
- Garnish with black sesame seeds and flakey sea salt
Other
- ⅓ cup Right Rice
Instructions
- In a medium nonstick fry pan pour in the oil along with the kale and chickpeas. Toss to coat in the oil. Season with garlic powder, red pepper flakes, and salt. Cook over medium high heat for 5 to 7 minutes until crispy and kale is tender. If you need to add a splash of water to help cook the kale. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Then spray the same pan with a bit of cooking spray. Place the tofu in and cook over medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes until crispy. Season with garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, paprika, pepper, and salt. Toss the tofu in the seasonings. Tofu should be golden when done.
- Prepare the RightRice according to package directions, similar to couscous.
- Prepare the lemon garlic yogurt by mixing the vegan yogurt, juice of the lemon, garlic powder, and salt together in a small bowl.
- To assemble the dish spread the vegan yogurt sauce on the bottom of a dish. Top with the cooked RightRice, kale, chickpeas, and tofu. Garnish with black sesame seeds and the sea salt.
Video
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Thanks for the recipe! We really enjoyed it and it was quick and easy, using things I already had. I used quinoa instead of RightRice (which is also great) and just seasoned it with lemon and garlic because I didn’t have yogurt. I baked the tofu while cooking the chickpeas and kale and it came together quick. The ingredients list is a little confusing without separating the different parts (garlic powder listed 3 times and instructions don’t specify which amount to use). Easy enough to figure out, but at a quick glance while food is sizzling, had to keep double checking. Will make again. Thank you!
Hi Holly! Thank you for trying it and I am so glad you enjoyed! Yum love the use of quinoa so good. I will remedy that there should’ve been headings and it was a mistake on my part but overall glad you enjoyed and thank you for taking the time to try and leave a comment!
I made this today and we thought it was excellent. Made it very close to the recipe and will stay with ingredients listed. Thanks
Hi Thomas, awesome thank you so much for trying it out! you are so welcome!!
Thank you for this recipe! Tonight I cooked this recipe, did not have chickpeas and used brown lentils instead. This is a really impressive recipe – easy and incredible tasty. I did not expect the outcome of the tofu that is seasoned during cooking. That works very well.
So glad you enjoyed it thank you for trying it!!
This was insanely easy to make and soooo damn good. Thank you for sharing this lovely recipe!
Yay that makes me so happy to hear so glad you enjoyed it!!!
Really surprised at how good this was (no offense, lots of online recipes can be hit or miss!) but this was so fast and easy and healthy! The lemon and spices give it all the flavor it needs and it’s a great meal. Well definitely be repeating this.
Hi Grace, so glad you enjoyed it yay!!!