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    Home Β» Recipes Β» All Recipes

    Feb 22, 2022 Β· Modified: Sep 25, 2022 by Liv Β· This post may contain affiliate links Β· 14 Comments

    Vegan Tofu Pesto Grilled Cheese Sandwich

    Jump to Recipe

    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
    • SautΓ©ed Onion
    • Jarred Roasted Red Peppers

    Substitutions

    1. 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.
    2. Sourdough Bread: Crusty bread is preferred for this recipe so it doesn't get soggy but you can use any bread that you desire.
    3. 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.
    4. Jarred Roasted Red Peppers: I love the flavor of jarred roasted red peppers but you can simply sautΓ© 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!

    top down shot pesto.

    How to Make This Recipe

    Press the extra firm tofu for 15-20 minutes to remove excess water.Β 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, sautΓ©ed 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?Β 

    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 withinΒ 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.


    More Sandwich Recipes You Might Like:

    • Roasted Vegetable Sandwich w/ Tofu Ricotta
    • Vegan Tandoori Chicken Sandwich
    • Vegan Steak Sandwich w/ Gouda & Arugula

    If You Make This Recipe:

    I would greatly appreciate it if you share your review in the comments below and leave a β­οΈβ­οΈβ­οΈβ­οΈβ­οΈ rating. I really appreciate it- it helps me out so much! Don’t forget to add if you made any fun substitutions. Thank you!

    Β 

    Stack of Tofu Pesto Grilled Cheese Sandwiches garnished with basil.

    Vegan Tofu Pesto Grilled Cheese Sandwich

    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.
    5 from 8 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes
    Servings: 4 Sandwiches
    Author: Liv King

    Ingredients
     

    Crispy Tofu:Β 

    • 1 Block Extra Firm Tofu
    • 2 tablespoons Cornstarch
    • Β½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
    • Β½ teaspoon Onion Powder
    • ΒΌ teaspoon Salt
    • ΒΌ teaspoon Black Pepper
    • Vegetable Oil for pan frying

    Pesto Grilled Cheese Sandwich:

    • 8 Slices Sourdough Bread
    • Β½ Batch of Easy Vegan Basil Pesto
    • 6-8 Slices of Vegan Mozzarella Cheese
    • 1 Small Onion sautΓ©ed
    • Β½ cup Roasted Red Bell Peppers from jar
    • Fresh Basil
    • Vegan Butter
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Prep ahead the basil pesto.
    • Press the extra firm tofu for 15-20 minutes to remove excess water.Β 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, sautΓ©ed 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 each side. Enjoy!

    Notes

    I recommend storing leftover components separately and assembling the sandwich when ready to serve.
    Did you make this recipe?Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram!
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sonja says

      January 31, 2023 at 6:56 pm

      5 stars
      This sandwich was incredibly delicious! Really amazing how good it is! Couldn't recommend more!

      Reply
      • Liv says

        February 01, 2023 at 10:07 am

        Thanks, Sonja! Happy you enjoyed πŸ™‚

        Reply
    2. Rachael M. says

      August 21, 2022 at 4:46 pm

      5 stars
      Liv strikes again! This is hands down the best sandwich I have made, vegan or not! Everything pairs so well together and the tofu adds such a nice heartiness. Thank you Liv!

      Reply
      • Liv says

        August 21, 2022 at 4:52 pm

        It one of my faves!! I'm so glad you enjoyed πŸ™‚

        Reply
    3. Nellie says

      July 13, 2022 at 7:49 pm

      5 stars
      Made this as well as your tomato soup and oh my god it’s so good!! Thank you!!! I replaced the red pepper on the sandwich with marinated tomatoes and it’s soo nice

      Reply
      • Liv says

        July 13, 2022 at 7:51 pm

        Love the addition of marinated tomatoes. That sounds delicious! I'm so glad you enjoy πŸ™‚

        Reply
    4. Vitor Hugo Pinheiro says

      July 10, 2022 at 10:57 pm

      5 stars
      Amazing - loved it !! Thank you for your work !

      Reply
      • Liv says

        July 11, 2022 at 11:21 am

        So glad you loved it!! πŸ™‚

        Reply
    5. Evonne says

      June 01, 2022 at 2:27 pm

      5 stars
      My new go to grilled cheese. This was out of this world delicious. Thanks

      Reply
      • Liv says

        June 01, 2022 at 2:40 pm

        That's great!! Thank you πŸ™‚

        Reply
    6. Miriam Jones says

      April 02, 2022 at 5:38 am

      My gosh, this sounds amazing!! Making it TOMORROW. Thank you πŸ™‚

      Reply
      • Liv says

        April 03, 2022 at 9:05 am

        Enjoy!! πŸ™‚

        Reply
    7. Mitch says

      March 10, 2022 at 3:26 pm

      5 stars
      It's hard to describe how good this was! Very likely the best sandwiches we have ever made, and everyone was blown away. Definitely going to come back to this one over and and over. Thanks Liv!

      Reply
      • Liv says

        March 11, 2022 at 2:35 pm

        I'm so happy you enjoyed πŸ™‚

        Reply

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