Go Back Email Link
Sweet & Spicy BBQ Shredded Tofu Sandwich with Quick-Pickled Red Onions and Cabbage on a plate
Print

Sweet and Spicy BBQ Shredded Tofu Sandwich with Quick-Pickled Red Onions and Cabbage

Halfway between lentil sloppy joes and pulled jackfruit, our Sweet and Spicy BBQ Shredded Tofu Sandwich with Quick-Pickled Red Onions and Cabbage is an easy high-protein, high-fibre handheld meal sure to hit the spot any day of the week.
Scoops of shredded tofu drenched in a quick and easy homemade sweet and spicy mango BBQ sauce. Mounds of crisp pickled red onions and cabbage dripping with brine. Heaps of fresh sprouts. All piled on two wide slices of Silver Hills Bakery Full Seed Ahead sprouted whole grain bread generously slathered with creamy hummus. 
Course Main Course, Lunch, Dinner, Sandwich
Cuisine Plant-based
Diet Vegan, Vegetarian
Keyword Sandwiches
Difficulty Easy
Servings 4 sandwiches
Author Silver Hills Bakery

Ingredients

Ingredients for the Sweet & Spicy BBQ Shredded Tofu Sandwich with Quick-Pickled Red Onions and Cabbage (Makes 4):

  • 8 slices Silver Hills Bakery Full Seed Ahead bread (or your favourite Silver Hills Bakery sprouted bread)
  • ½ cup hummus (2 Tbsp per sandwich)
  • 1 batch Sweet & Spicy BBQ Shredded Tofu with Mango BBQ Sauce (¼-batch per sandwich, recipes below)
  • 1 cup Quick-Pickled Red Onions and Purple Cabbage (¼ cup per sandwich, recipe below)
  • 1 cup fresh sprouts (¼ cup per sandwich)
  • Sweet & Spicy Mango BBQ Sauce (extra sauce as desired)

Ingredients for the Sweet & Spicy BBQ Shredded Tofu:

  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 package (284g / 10 oz – 350g / 12.3 oz) extra firm tofu
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika or chipotle chili powder
  • to taste salt and pepper
  • ½ – 1 cup Sweet & Spicy Mango BBQ Sauce (recipe below), or store-bought barbecue sauce

Ingredients for the Quick-Pickled Red Onions and Cabbage:

  • ½ small red onion , thinly sliced
  • ¼ – ½ small red cabbage , shredded or sliced into thin strips (see tip)
  • 1 cup apple cider vinegar (or rice vinegar)
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp whole spices (optional, see tip for suggestions)

Ingredients for the Sweet & Spicy Mango BBQ Sauce:

  • 2 Tbsp olive oil or vegan butter
  • 1 small (or ½ medium) onion , finely diced
  • 2 – 4 cloves garlic , grated or minced
  • 1 Tbsp fresh ginger , grated
  • 1 small jalapeño pepper , seeded and finely diced (and/or ½ – 2 Tbsp hot sauce, such as Louisiana or Tabasco (or to taste))
  • 1 – 2 tsp smoked paprika or chipotle chili powder
  • 2 medium-large fresh ripe mangos , puréed (or 1 cup frozen mango, thawed or puréed, see step 2)
  • 1 cup ketchup
  • 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 fresh lime , zested and juiced (or 2 Tbsp lime juice)
  • ¼ cup apple cider vinegar (or rice vinegar)
  • 1 – 2 tsp soy sauce (or vegan Worcestershire sauce)
  • 1 – 2 Tbsp maple syrup or agave nectar (optional), or sweeten to taste
  • to taste salt and pepper

Instructions

Instructions for the Sweet & Spicy BBQ Shredded Tofu Sandwich with Quick-Pickled Red Onions and Cabbage:

  • Lightly toast 2 slices of your favourite Silver Hills Bakery sprouted grain bread per sandwich (if desired) and spread about 1 tablespoon of hummus on each slice.

  • On the bottom slices of each sandwich, add a generous scoop of Sweet & Spicy BBQ Shredded Tofu, spread into an even layer, and top with about ¼ cup Quick-Pickled Red Onions and Cabbage.

  • If you like your sandwiches on the saucy side, add more Sweet & Spicy Mango BBQ Sauce to taste.

  • Top with a generous handful of fresh sprouts or greens of your choice, close the sandwiches, and enjoy!

Instructions for the Sweet & Spicy BBQ Shredded Tofu:

  • Make the Quick Pickled Red Onions and Cabbage and the Sweet & Spicy Mango BBQ Sauce: Set both aside to cool while you prepare the shredded tofu. If baking, preheat oven to 375°F, line a baking sheet with parchment, and prepare the shredded tofu while the oven preheats.

  • Prepare the shredded tofu: Wrap tofu in paper towel and press gently to remove some water so it isn't slippery. Grate tofu over a medium size bowl using the largest holes on a box grater and use a knife to chop up any large pieces that break off as you grate. Toss shredded tofu with oil, smoked paprika, and salt and pepper until evenly coated.

  • To bake the shredded tofu: Spread seasoned shredded tofu on the parchment-lined baking sheet in a thin, even layer and bake 18 – 22 minutes, pausing to mix and re-spread with a spoon or spatula once or twice during the cook time so all sides cook evenly. Remove from oven when shredded tofu is dry* buy still tender and has some golden brown crispy parts.

    To pan-fry the shredded tofu: Heat a large skillet or frying pan over medium-high heat. Spread seasoned shredded tofu in a thin, even layer in the pan and cook without stirring for about 2 minutes. Stir, then repeat every 2 minutes until shredded tofu is dry* but still tender and has some golden brown crispy parts, about 12 – 15 minutes.

    *Dry is relative. Aim for "dryer than before it was cooked" not "crouton dry and uniformly crunchy"—closer to un-sauced al dente pasta than a bag of shoestring potato chips! (See photo)

    Close up of shredded tofu texture before sauce
  • Sauce the shredded tofu: Transfer oven-baked tofu back to a bowl or remove pan from heat. Starting with ½ cup, pour Sweet & Spicy Mango BBQ Sauce over the tofu in the bowl or pan and fold in the sauce until shredded tofu is evenly coated.

    As desired, mix in more BBQ sauce ¼-cup at a time until preferred sauciness is reached—we found ¾ – 1 cup was about right (more BBQ sauce = a messier shredded tofu sandwich!)

Instructions for the Quick-Pickled Red Onions and Cabbage:

  • Thinly slice or shred red onions and cabbage and set aside (see tips).

    Note: the thicker the slices or coarser the shred, the crispier your quick-pickled red onions and cabbage will be—use thickness to achieve the softness or crunch you crave!

  • Make the quick-pickle brine: add remaining ingredients to medium saucepan and simmer over medium to medium-high heat until salt and sugar dissolve. Remove from heat.

  • Add sliced or shredded red onions and cabbage to the saucepan with the hot quick-pickle brine. Use a spoon or tongs to press the cabbage and red onions into the brine until they're completely submerged and there are no big bubbles of air trapped under the veg.


    Let cool to room temperature—at least 20 minutes, but the longer the better—before using in your sandwich.

  • To make ahead and store: Transfer room temperature quick-pickled onions and cabbage—and all the brine—to a clean mason jar or container with a tight-fitting lid. Make sure the brine covers your quick-pickled cabbage and onions (press down if needed) and store in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.


    Makes about 2 ½ cups of Quick-Pickled Red Onions and Cabbage.

Instructions for the Sweet & Spicy Mango BBQ Sauce:

  • Heat a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. When hot, add oil or vegan butter, then sauté onion until soft and translucent. Add garlic, ginger, jalapeño,* salt, pepper, and smoked paprika or chili powder and cook 1 – 2 minutes until fragrant, stirring often.

    *If using hot sauce, save it until step 3.

  • If using a countertop blender: purée mango* before adding to the saucepan with remaining ingredients. Reduce heat to medium or medium-low and simmer 10 – 15 minutes to allow flavours to mingle, stirring regularly (see tip).

    If using an immersion blender: add diced mango* to the saucepan along with remaining ingredients (see tip). Reduce heat to medium or medium-low, and cook stirring regularly until mangoes are soft, about 10 – 15 minutes (see tip). When mango is soft, remove saucepan from heat, cool until no longer bubbling, and purée with immersion blender until smooth.

    *If using cubed frozen mango: thaw first if using a countertop blender so it's easier to purée without liquid (or borrow the vinegar to help it along); if using an immersion blender, thaw mango first and roughly chop to break up large chunks, or add 3 – 5 minutes to the total cook time).

  • Taste and adjust sweet, sour, or spice as desired: add hot sauce, more black pepper, or a dash of cayenne for more heat; more maple syrup or agave for sweetness; or an extra splash of vinegar or lime juice for more zip!

  • Makes about 3 ½ cups Sweet & Spicy Mango BBQ Sauce—more than you need for one batch of BBQ Shredded Tofu Sandwiches. Make the sauce ahead or store leftover sauce in a jar or container with a tight-fitting lid in the fridge for up to 2 weeks (or see tip).

Nutrition

Serving: 1sandwich

Tips

**For the Sweet & Spicy Mango BBQ Sauce:**
- Save the optional maple syrup or agave nectar until step 3 and taste before adding—ripe mango has plenty of natural sweetness, so you may not need more.
- If you won't be able to use up the remaining sauce in 2 weeks, freeze in an ice cube tray, transfer to a zip top bag or container, and freeze for up to 6 months (thaw portions as needed).
**For the Quick-Pickled Red Onions and Cabbage:**
- Options for whole spices include:
- black, white or pink peppercorns
- chili flakes or dried hot peppers
- cumin, fennel, dill, mustard, or other seeds
- star anise
- pickling spice
- sliced or whole garlic (peeled)
- sliced fresh jalepeño or other fresh peppers
- A mandoline is the best way to slice cabbage and red onion into consistently thin slices if you have one. Otherwise use a sharp knife, make sure your cabbage and onion have a stable flat edge, and keep your fingers out of the way.
- Or give your cabbage and onion the coleslaw treatment! Shred on the large holes of a box grater. Or use a food processor with a shredding attachment if you have one.
- Use this quick-pickled red onions recipe with other onions (sweet onions like Vidalia or Walla Walla would be wonderful!), green or savoy cabbage, or any hard vegetable you'd eat raw or turn into a salad or slaw.
- Try making sandwich-topping quick-pickled vegetables with spiralized or matchstick carrots or daikon radish—or quick-pickle spiralized or grated beets or turnips, or thinly sliced fennel or mini cucumbers.
- Use leftover quick-pickled red onions and cabbage to add a tangy, crispy contrast to savoury dishes of all sorts! Use them as a hot dog or burger topping. Try them on tacos. Roll them in wraps or burritos. Pair them with brown rice in a power bowl. Or toss them into a salad!
**For the Sweet & Spicy BBQ Shredded Tofu:** 
- Sandwiches aren’t the only serving option for this cheap and cheerful protein-packed shredded tofu. Just like the leftover quick-pickled onion tip above, you can use this to fill tacos and wraps or bring protein to power bowls or salads. Or simply switch up the sprouted bread base for one of our burger buns or bagels—hot or cold, this sweet and spicy barbecue shredded tofu is super versatile!