What’s so nice about beef jerky is it’s extremely high in good quality protein, making it perfect for building and repairing muscles. Much of the fat is also removed. Indeed, beef jerky seems to be the perfect snack. So what’s the catch? Well, it is high in calories and sodium. Also, not all the fat and cholesterol is removed.
Of course you can always go for ostrich or turkey jerky instead. But what if you are a vegetarian? Fret not because you can always find solace in vegan jerky! Just like what it’s called suggests, it is something that is free of any animal-based ingredient, perfect for anyone who is a vegan or simply wants to limit his or her consumption of animal products.
Certainly, you can always hit the supermarket of health food store near you in order to get your hands on some ready-to-eat vegan jerky. But where’s the fun and challenge in that?
These days when more and more people are turning to healthy food choices, you are not going to have a hard time finding a vegetarian jerky recipe that’s perfect for a beginner in the world of homemade vegan stuff. Some of the recipes you can come across on the web are those that entail the use of eggplants, mushrooms and even oatmeal.
However, some of the most trouble-free recipes for meatless jerky are those that call for the use of tofu!
To begin with, tofu is already healthy — it contains iron, calcium, phosphorous, selenium, manganese, magnesium, zinc, copper and vitamin B1. Definitely, tofu is a wonderful source of up to 8 amino acids, and that’s why it is one of the finest go-to foods on the face of the planet by vegetarians who like to get their day’s supply of protein.
Since tofu is a phenomenal source of protein, it makes for an excellent alternative to beef when making vegetarian jerky right in your own kitchen. Another great thing about it? It is high in protein but very low in calories and fat. Oh, and jerky out of tofu contains absolutely no cholesterol!
Without further ado, here’s how you can make your very own vegetarian jerk using protein-rich tofu:
Ingredients:
- 1/2 pound of firm tofu
- 2 tablespoons of soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon of honey
- 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon of olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon of liquid smoke
- 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder
- A little salt
- A little ground black pepper
Procedure:
- A few hours before making your vegetarian jerky, wrap the block of tofu in a large piece of paper towel or clean cloth.
- Place it on a large plate and then put another large plate on top of it, and something heavy like a large can of pineapple juice or a book. Doing this step will remove excess water, thus saving your tofu jerky from ending up soggy.
- Unwrap the block of tofu, place it on a chopping board and cut into strips using a sharp knife.
- In the meantime, place all of the rest of the ingredients in a large resealable plastic bag. Give it a good shake.
- Place your strips of tofu inside the resealable plastic bag. Seal the plastic bag and shake gently to ensure that every strip is coated.
- Stash the resealable plastic bag in the fridge overnight.
- The next day, take the resealable plastic bag out of the fridge, and have your oven preheated to 200 degrees.
- Grab a baking sheet and line it with parchment paper. Neatly arrange the strips of tofu in it.
- Let them slowly dry in the oven for about 2 hours and 30 minutes.
- Let them cool completely before serving or storing in an airtight container.
