The soul of this recipe comes from the ginger and tamari marinade that gives crispy tofu a sweet and savory winter coat. Use firm tofu, which will soak up the flavors quickly, then sear it to get those browned edges while keeping it soft and tender inside. Get a head start by cooking your grains a day or two before (farro, like its relative freekah, holds up well in the fridge for a few days). In the spring, try swapping the brussels sprouts for raw cucumbers.
Recipe information
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
1
1
1
2
1
1
6
12
4
⅓
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat oven to 425°. Toast farro in a large wide pot over medium heat, stirring often, until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and pour in cold water to cover grains by 1"; season generously with salt. Set pot over medium-high heat and bring water to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, skimming foam from surface, until grains are tender but still have some bite, 25–30 minutes. Drain farro and return to pot off heat; cover to keep warm.
Step 2
While farro is cooking, cut tofu lengthwise to create 2 wide, flat slabs. Pat dry with paper towels to remove as much moisture from surface as possible. Arrange in a single layer in a large shallow bowl.
Step 3
Whisk ginger, tamari, fish sauce, and cumin in a small bowl to combine. Pour half of marinade over tofu and gently turn to coat evenly.
Step 4
Toss scallions and brussels sprouts with 2 Tbsp. oil and remaining marinade on a large rimmed baking sheet to coat well; season with salt. Spread out vegetables to ensure everything cooks evenly and roast, tossing halfway through, until deeply browned in spots, 20–25 minutes.
Step 5
Finely grate zest from lemon over vegetables, then squeeze juice over. Add parsley and toss well to combine.
Step 6
Heat remaining 2 Tbsp. oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Working in batches if needed, cook tofu, undisturbed, until dark brown and very crisp, about 2 minutes. Carefully turn over and cook on other side until dark brown and very crisp, about 2 minutes. Transfer tofu to a cutting board and slice as desired.
Step 7
Divide farro and tofu evenly among bowls. Scatter brussels sprouts mixture on top.
How would you rate Marinated Tofu With Brussels Sprouts and Farro?
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Reviews (76)
Back to TopRead the reviews and tripled the marinade. Unfortunately, a lot of it burned on my sheet pan while roasted the veggies (I added broccoli to the brussels) so glad I reserved some. I also finished it with sesame seeds which added a nice flavor. Didn't feel like toasting the farro was necessary either. I cook tofu regularly and am always looking for new ideas, but felt this one was a lot of work and didn't quite hit the mark.
Anonymous
1/12/2022
I'm so glad I read the comments before attempting this recipe. I tripled the marinade and it was the perfect amount for both the tofu and veg. Overall, I thought this was an ok recipe. I think adding heat to the tofu would have been a good idea because the meal was kind of one note through.
Mel
Los Angeles, CA
1/11/2022
I made this almost exactly as the recipe is written, with the exception that I had pressed tofu already, which I used. I should have read the comments, as I agreed the marinade was just barely enough and could/should be at least doubled. I also think if could have used some chili-garlic sauce or red pepper flakes. The final dish was dry so I used sriracha to solve that (and add some spice). The scallion greens roasted much faster than the brussels and whites—I’d probably add them later or cook on the stovetop instead. Would also cook the tofu for longer and/or add cornstarch to help it get crispy.
Elizabeth
Denver, CO
11/24/2021
2 stars. I wish I'd checked the comments, first! Definitely lacking in...something. I'm guessing more marinade would have made this feel a little more 'tied together', but as it is I felt like I made three separate elements that I served together. I like cumin, but if I made this again, I'd probably leave it at 1 tsp and then double the rest of the marinade ingredients.
Anonymous
3/9/2021
The flavors are spot on but the marinade barely covers the tofu let alone covers the veggies. You need to make at least double if not triple the marinade to let the flavors blend. Overall a good dish tho, assuming you know how to handle tofu.
Spencer
Cleveland
2/26/2021
After pressing one inch slabs of extra firm tofu, I cubed it and marinated it. This marinade barely covered my tofu, so when I packed the leftovers for lunch (I made farro and roasted sweet potato to go with the tofu) I needed to make a little sauce to give this dish some flavor. The marinade wasn’t vibrant and , honestly, wasn’t flavorful at all. However, maybe because I pressed the tofu and then cubed it, I was able to get a decent crisp from frying. Overall, this recipe does not factor in tofu noobs. I at least know a little bit about tofu and was able to make this work.
Jane Doe
1/27/2021
Agree wholeheartedly with the other critical comments here. I made this recipe last night and it was very tasty, but this recipe does not seem like it was properly developed or tested and required much modification to turn it into a workable dish. I have been making tofu, one of my favorite foods, for close to 40 years. I'm not sure the recipe author has much experience with tofu, because there are a lot of things that need to be done differently. Extra firm tofu can't be marinated or cooked as a cutlet with just a pat dry with paper towels. It needs to be pressed between layers of dish cloths or paper towels with a cookie sheet and teakettle full of water placed on top for at least 15-20 minutes. Using super-firm tofu is a better bet, but even then I would still try to remove moisture for more time than the recipe calls for. I can also say definitively that a slab of tofu, especially one as large as a full 1/2 block, is never EVER going to turn "dark brown and crisp" with a 2 minute cook time per side. Never. I cooked for about 5 minutes per side and flipped 3 or 4 times, for a grand total of perhaps 15 minutes per batch. Even then, the tofu had a browned exterior but was not crisp. You're not going to get crisp tofu unless you coat it in something. Agree with the others that the marinade was woefully little. I easily doubled the marinade and still ended up glugging a bunch of tamari and fish sauce directly onto the tofu in the marinade dish. You must at least double or even triple the marinade. I made extra and added some sesame oil and rice vinegar to cook up into a sauce to ladle over the dish, which was essential in my opinion. Overall, the recipe is a keeper, but be prepared for on the fly heavy modification to make it work. Bon Apetit, you need to do better.
Erik
Brooklyn NY
1/26/2021