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Succulent tofu fish in a creamy cream sauce – hardly anyone can resist this warm, hearty, delicious meal. It tastes tender, spicy and creamy. What’s more, the creamy vegan salmon gratin can be conjured up on the dining table in no time at all if you have already marinated the tofu the day before. You can find a detailed recipe with the exact quantities and step-by-step instructions below.
Select ingredients for creamy vegan salmon gratin
Tofu
Use good quality natural tofu that is mild and juicy. With its neutral taste, it absorbs the flavors of the spices added to it well and is ideal as a base for the vegan salmon.
Seaweed
Seaweed ensures that the tofu salmon tastes like fish. I have used nori sheets for this. Seaweed also gives these dishes the taste of the sea
- vegan fish sticks,
- vegan fish cakes,
- vegan tofu fish,
- carrot lox,
- vegan black caviar,
- vegan tuna salad,
- vegan sprats,
- vegan Shuba salad.
Beet and turmeric
Beet juice and turmeric powder give the tofu fish the color typical of real salmon. You can either buy 100% direct beet juice or make it yourself from raw beet.
Linseed oil
Linseed oil adds a fishy flavor to vegan salmon. Buy pure, cold-pressed oil for this.
Fish seasoning
I have used a ready-made fish spice in the recipe. You can also make your own spice mix according to your preferences.
Liquid smoke
Liquid smoke makes the tofu fish even spicier and more aromatic. You can use smoked salt instead.
Vegan cream
I prepared the cream sauce with soy cream cuisine. Alternatively, you can use another plant-based cream alternative.
Tomato puree
Tomato puree gives the cream sauce a slightly fruity and tangy note. A small amount is sufficient for the recipe.
Cornstarch
Cornstarch binds the sauce and makes it creamier. A very small amount is also sufficient to prevent the cream from becoming too thick.
Dill
Dill gives the dish a fresh and aromatic flavor. You can also use dried herbs.
Marinate the tofu fish
To make your creamy vegan salmon gratin tasty, it is very important to season the tofu fish well, just like the lentil patties, the carrot fritters or the oatmeal patties. It needs plenty of time to soak in the marinade. As the pieces of tofu are quite thick and large, you should marinate them in the mixture of spices, soy sauce, linseed oil and seaweed for at least 12 hours, but preferably 24 hours.
Vegan cream sauce without ready-made products
For this creamy vegan salmon gratin, you don’t need any ready-made products from the supermarket. These often contain questionable additives such as flavorings or flavor enhancers.
You can make the cream sauce for the gratin yourself quickly and easily. All you need is vegan cream, onion, garlic, spices, herbs, some tomato paste and a small amount of cornstarch to thicken.
The homemade vegan cream sauce tastes much better than store-bought. It is heavenly creamy, spicy and aromatic. You also know which ingredients are in it.
How to serve creamy vegan salmon gratin
The creamy vegan salmon gratin is filling and makes an ideal hot meal for lunch or dinner when time is of the essence, similar to the rosemary roasted potatoes, the avocado pasta, the cauliflower curry or the buckwheat with mushrooms. Provided you have already marinated the tofu fish beforehand.
You can serve the creamy vegan salmon gratin on its own or with a side dish. Potatoes, pasta, rice and vegetables such as broccoli or spinach go very well with it.
This tofu gratin is
- creamy,
- juicy,
- tender,
- smooth,
- spicy,
- savory,
- delicious,
- with fish flavor,
- aromatic,
- vegan – without fish,
- filling,
- without ready-made products,
- easy to make with just a few ingredients,
- ideal as a hot meal for lunch or dinner.
How to make creamy vegan salmon gratin: tips and tricks
- Instead of using a ready-made fish spice, you can mix different spices of your choice for the marinade.
- You can adjust the amount of garlic to taste.
- Instead of soy cream, you can use another vegan cream alternative.
- You can replace fresh dill with dried dill.
- You can use smoked salt instead of liquid smoke.
Have you made the creamy vegan salmon gratin using this recipe? I look forward to your results, your star rating and your comment below on how you liked it.
Try these vegan main dishes too:
- Vegan lasagna classic – the best recipe with lentil bolognese
- Uzbek plov – vegan recipe with tofu
- How to make poke bowl – vegan recipe with sesame sauce
Creamy vegan salmon gratin
Equipment
- Casserole dish
Ingredients
for the tofu salmon
- 400 g natural tofu (2 tofu blocks, 200 g each)
- 2 nori sheets
- 150 ml beet juice
- 5 tbsp linseed oil
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp fish spice
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/3 tsp liquid smoke
for the vegan cream sauce
- 400 ml soy cream cuisine
- 1 onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp tomato puree
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 5 stalks dill with leaves
- 1 tsp salt or to taste
- 1/2 tsp black pepper or to taste
Instructions
Preparation of the tofu salmon
- Pat natural tofu dry and squeeze it lightly with a clean tea towel or kitchen paper to remove the excess liquid.
- Cut each block of the tofu in half from the long side so that you have four fillets.
- Slightly cut the top of the tofu fillets several times (do not cut through) so that they look like real salmon fillets.
- Place the tofu fillets in a suitable, not too large, sealable container.
- Chop nori sheets finely.
- Put beet juice, linseed oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, fish spice, turmeric powder, liquid smoke and the chopped nori sheets in a bowl and mix together.
- Pour the marinade over the tofu fillets, seal the container and leave the tofu fish to marinate in the fridge for approx. 24 hours, turning the fillets as often as possible.
- Leave the tofu fillets in the marinade at room temperature for approx. 1 hour before further processing so that they warm up a little.
Preparation of the vegan cream sauce
- Peel and chop onion.
- Peel garlic and press it through a press.
- Chop dill finely.
- Dissolve cornstarch in 3 tablespoons of cold soy creme cuisine.
- Heat vegetable oil in a pan and fry the onion and the garlic until translucent.
- Add tomato puree and stir.
- Pour in the rest of the soy creme cuisine and the cornstarch mixture, season with turmeric powder, salt and black pepper and bring the cream sauce to a boil briefly, stirring constantly.
- Remove the vegan cream sauce from the heat and stir in the chopped dill.
Preparation of the creamy vegan salmon gratin
- Remove the tofu fillets from the marinade, pat them dry thoroughly and squeeze out the excess liquid.
- Place the vegan salmon fillets in a casserole dish that is not too large.
- Pour the cream sauce over the tofu fillets and bake in a preheated oven at 392 °F (200 °C) for approx. 15 - 20 minutes.
- Serve the creamy vegan salmon gratin hot immediately.
Notes
- Instead of using a ready-made fish spice, you can mix different spices of your choice for the marinade.
- You can adjust the amount of garlic to taste.
- Instead of soy cream, you can use another vegan cream alternative.
- You can replace fresh dill with dried dill.
- You can use smoked salt instead of liquid smoke.
- See the detailed tips and tricks for preparing the creamy vegan salmon gratin at the top of the article.
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