Try this recipe, or contribute your own.
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1 green bell pepper
- 2 red bell peppers
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp oregano
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/4 cup vegetable broth
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp cumin
- 1 large white onion
- for the fajita seasoning:
- chopped cilantro to garnish
- for the fajitas and tofu:
- 10-12 ounces extra firm tofu
- Carbohydrate 13.5367953903124 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 2.7462341745416 g
- Fiber 3.91841394347231 g
- Protein 2.14804536654567 g
- Saturated Fat 0.403032418947698 g
- Serving Size 1 1 -4 (198g)
- Sodium 87.0226572018237 mg
- Sugar 9.61838144684009 g
- Trans Fat 0.285078013382241 g
- Calories 82 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Drain the tofu. Wrap it in paper towels and press down firmly until most of the water is absorbed. You can also wrap it in paper towels, leave a heavy item on top (ie a heavy can or book) and let it rest for 10 minutes, letting the moisture slowly release. Once tofu is drained, slice it into ½" thick strips and lay the pieces out on the prepared baking sheet, about 12 strips.
- Mix together all of the ingredients for the fajita seasoning in a small bowl and then dust over half of it over the tofu and gently toss with your hands until all of the tofu is covered with the seasoning.
- Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until crispy, turning over halfway through.
- Meanwhile, spiralize the peppers and onions.
- Once you flip the tofu (after 15 minutes), place a large skillet over medium-high heat and add in the oil.
- Once oil is shimmering, add in the peppers and onions. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes or until they soften slightly.
- Then, add in the tomato paste and stir constantly until paste coats the vegetables.
- Add in the rest of the fajita seasoning and toss again to coat the vegetables.
- Add in the vegetable broth and let cook for 5 minutes more until the vegetables soften and the moisture makes a sauce.
- Divide the fajitas into plates and top with tofu slices. Garnish with cilantro.
Standard fajitas typically rely on thick, hand-sliced strips of peppers and onions seared on a scorching flat top, but transforming those vegetables through a spiralizer completely changes how they absorb heat and spices. Traditional Tex-Mex street vendors adapted Spanish livestock cuts and seasoned them with charred chiles, a historical technique that honored robust flavors over delicate preparation. When you run firm bell peppers and white onions through a spiral-cutting blade, the resulting ribbons cook down significantly faster than conventional slices because their increased surface area allows moisture to evaporate rapidly in a hot skillet. Pressing extra firm tofu for ten minutes under a heavy book removes internal water so the starch-free surface crisps evenly at 400 degrees Fahrenheit on parchment paper.
Mastering the Technique
Extracting excess moisture from the soy block is the single most critical step for achieving structural integrity during roasting. Slicing the drained tofu into half-inch strips ensures that heat penetrates the center while the exterior develops a golden crunch during its thirty-minute oven dwell. Cooking the spiralized produce requires constant attention once the tomato paste and vegetable broth hit the pan, as the natural sugars in the onions can burn instantly if the heat exceeds medium-high. Stirring continuously allows the paste to caramelize slightly before the broth deglazes the pan, creating a glossy emulsion that clings tightly to the curly vegetable strands.
Second-Day Transformations
Leftover spiralized vegetable and tofu mixtures maintain their structural integrity surprisingly well when stored in an airtight glass container for up to three days. Reheating this combination requires a dry skillet heated over medium-low flame rather than a microwave, which turns the crisp tofu into a spongy texture. Tossing the chilled ribbons into a hot pan without additional oil reactivates the caramelized tomato paste and softens the chilled aromatics without turning them to mush. Repurpose these cooled leftovers by folding them into morning scrambled eggs or stuffing them inside toasted corn tortillas for a quick midday meal.
