I didn’t even know what a po’ boy was until I ordered one at a vegan restaurant that was open very briefly while I lived in Philly. Are you familiar with them? A po’ boy is a Cajun sandwich that’s normally made with crispy cornmeal coated shrimp, lettuce, pickles, tomatoes, and Remolade sauce. What I remember distinctly about the vegan version was the smell of it cooking. All those spices! It was so nice, and the fact that I had to wait forever for it to show up was pure torture, but when it finally did find its way to the table it was pure awesome. It’s now fifteen plus years later and I’m finally getting around to making my own version of that sandwich. I knew I was onto something while the tofu was cooking and that peppery Cajuny aroma that I remembered started filling my house. It turned out pretty spot on, and absolutely delicious, which is really no surprise. Can you really go wrong with crispy tofu with Cajun spices in a big, sloppy sandwich? Probably not.
What You’ll Need
Vegan mayonnaise Horseradish mustard Hot sauce Garlic Spices (paprika, oregano, thyme, cayenne pepper, onion powder, garlic powder) Salt & pepper Olive oil Extra firm tofu A baguette (or some long sandwich rolls) Tomatoes Shredded lettuce Pickle slices
How to Make Tofu Po’ Boy Sandwiches
Start by making your Remoulade sauce. This is super easy! Just stir together some vegan mayo, horseradish mustard, hot sauce, minced garlic, and paprika.
Now make your breading by mixing cornmeal, spices, salt and pepper together in a small bowls. Make sure your tofu is drained and pressed, then cut it into small cubes. Place a few tofu cubes into the bowl with your breading and gently stir them around until they’re coated.
Heat up some oil in a skillet — you want it to be at least about ⅛ inch deep. Once the oil is hot, transfer your tofu cubes to the skillet. Make sure that they’re well spaced apart — this will probably mean cooking them in batches. Cook each batch of tofu cubes for 4 or 5 minutes, flip them, and then cook them for another 4 or 5 minutes on the other sides, until they’re golden and crispy.
Don’t worry if some of the breading comes off while your tofu cooks. This is totally normal and not a problem as long as most of it stays on. When the tofu cubes have finished cooking, remove them from the pan and transfer them them to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
Proceed with a second batch and repeat until all of your tofu is cooked. Be sure to add oil to the skillet as the level decreases between batches. Cut your baguette into 4 sections and slice each one open. Now slather the insides with Remoulade sauce and stuff them with crispy tofu, lettuce, tomato and pickle slices. Enjoy!
Can these sandwiches be made gluten-free? Yup! Just use gluten-free bread. It doesn’t have to be a baguette — rolls, pita, or even tortillas work! Leftovers & storage: I recommend storing the components separately instead of assembling and storing leftover sandwiches. Store the bread in a sealed bag at room temperature, and everything else in sealed containers in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat your tofu, simply pop it under the broiler for a few minutes until it gets crispy again. Are these sandwiches spicy? If you follow the recipe they’ll be just a little bit spicy. For a milder version, omit or reduce the hot sauce and/or cayenne pepper. For a hotter version, increase these ingredients.
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