Vegan Tofu Pesto Grilled Cheese Sandwich

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This Vegan Tofu Pesto Grilled Cheese Sandwich is going to be your new favorite way to have classic grilled cheese. Crispy tofu, basil pesto, roasted red peppers, and melty vegan mozzarella cheese come together to create the most flavorful and tasty sandwich.

Stack of Tofu Pesto Grilled Cheese Sandwiches garnished with basil.

Your favorite grilled cheese jazzed up! Adding pesto, roasted red peppers and crispy tofu to vegan grilled cheese takes it to a whole new level. This is the ultimate vegan tofu sandwich that you'll want to revisit over and over again!

Tofu and pesto make sure a delicious combo, especially when paired with melty cheese and good sourdough bread.

Kitchen Essentials

You'll need a food processor or blender to make the pesto but other than that this tofu grilled cheese recipe requires no special equipment.

Main Ingredients

This incredibly easy and delicious vegan pesto grilled cheese recipe comes together in just a few simple steps but has a big flavor. You can customize this tasty vegan pesto sandwich however you'd like!

Easy Vegan Basil Pesto
Extra Firm Tofu
Sourdough Bread
Vegan Mozzarella Cheese
Sautéed Onion
Jarred Roasted Red Peppers

Substitutions

Extra Firm Tofu: The tofu in this recipe is pressed and tossed in cornstarch then crisped up in a pan with a touch of oil. This can be replaced with vegan chicken and be equally as delicious.
Sourdough Bread: Crusty bread is preferred for this recipe so it doesn't get soggy but you can use any bread that you desire.
Mozzarella Cheese: I used Violife but follow your heart, daiya, or any other vegan mozzarella you enjoy will work here. You could also use cashew cheese or tofu ricotta.
Jarred Roasted Red Peppers: I love the flavor of jarred roasted red peppers but you can simply sauté thinly sliced peppers with the onions.

How to Make Vegan Pesto

I recommend making the Basil Pesto Recipe ahead of time and then continuing on with this sandwich- it only takes a few minutes!

Add all the pesto ingredients to a food processor or blender and blend a few times until combined. Add water as needed to help blend.

You may or may not need 3 tablespoons- this really depends on your food processor or blender.

Continue making the tofu pesto sandwich down below!

How to Make This Recipe

Press the extra firm tofu for 15-20 minutes to remove excess water. Thinly slice into 4 large rectangles.

Toss together the cornstarch, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and black pepper in a shallow bowl and coat the tofu evenly.

Heat a large pan on medium-high heat and cover the base of the pan in vegetable oil. Add the tofu to the pan and cook until crispy and golden brown. Remove and place on wire rack.

Thinly slice the small onion. Add the onions to a pan on medium-high heat with a small splash of oil. Season the onion with salt and pepper and cook until soft and starting to brown, about 7-10 minutes.

Assemble the sandwich by adding a layer of vegan pesto, sautéed onions, jarred roasted red peppers, crispy tofu, 1-2 slices of vegan mozzarella, and fresh basil leaves.

Head a large pan on medium heat with some vegan butter. Add the sandwich to the pan and cook until each side is crispy and golden brown, about 3-4 minutes on each side. Enjoy!

Frequently Asked Questions

Isn’t pesto already vegan?

Traditional pesto has parmesan cheese in it but can easily be substituted with vegan parmesan or nutritional yeast and trust me when I say that the cheese won’t be missed.

Why did my pesto turn brown?

You should use homemade pesto within 3-5 days. The top of the pesto turns brown when stored because it is exposed to air but this can be prevented by adding some more olive oil over the top. You can still eat it if the top turned a little brown.

Can I reheat leftover sandwiches?

This sandwich does taste better freshly made but leftovers were also incredibly delicious. I simply wrap leftovers in plastic wrap to store then reheated in a 350F preheated oven until hot.

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