These BBQ Pulled Tofu Sandwiches with Creamy Kohlrabi Slaw are the ultimate summer sandwich! Saucy “pulled” tofu imitates chicken or pork remarkably well, and it’s piled high on buns along with a light and creamy kohlrabi cabbage carrot slaw for an amazing summer meal that will elicit two thumbs up from vegetarians and omnivores alike.
Hard to believe that it’s already Thursday. I know I’ve said this recently, but I am finding that the weeks are just flying by. It’s my dad’s birthday today; we’re going to grab some food from The Green Door and have a picnic this evening. As much as I love being in the kitchen, I always look forward to the odd night when I don’t have to cook. It’s kind of a treat!
Over the next couple of days, I will be sharing some Father’s Day recipes. I tested this bbq pulled tofu sandwich with creamy kohlrabi slaw on my dad earlier this week, and it was a big hit. It’s the ultimate summer sandwich, in my opinion. I was also able to use the delicious kohlrabi from my Ottawa Farm Fresh CSA. Kohlrabi is one of those vegetables that can be challenging to put to use. Shredding it into a slaw is always my go-to preparation for kohlrabi; it has a fairly neutral, slightly earthy flavour that goes very well with cabbage and carrots. The Greek yogurt dressing is lighter than a mayo-based dressing, while still providing that signature creaminess that everyone loves in a slaw.
And let’s talk about the barbecue pulled tofu, shall we? I developed the tofu recipe way back in 2019, for these bbq pulled tofu tacos. I wanted to highlight it again, in a slightly different format. I then realized that I had yet to try a bbq pulled tofu sandwich. This tofu is oh so simple to prepare; you simply sauté onions and garlic in a bit of oil, add smoked paprika and salt, and add a block of grated tofu. Next, you whisk together barbecue sauce, dijon, tamari, and Worcestershire sauce. Add that to the tofu and cook for a few minutes, until much of the sauce has been absorbed. This tofu is so good- definitely one of my favourite ways to prepare it. I could actually just eat it on its own as a snack, to be honest.
bbq pulled tofu sandwiches: the details
These sandwiches are easy to make, and consist of two main components: BBQ pulled tofu, and creamy kohlrabi, cabbage, and carrot slaw with Greek yogurt dressing. While they look incredibly splurge-worthy, they’re actually very nutritious and definitely suitable for a weeknight meal.
ingredients you’ll need
For the bbq pulled tofu, you’ll need extra virgin olive oil, onion, garlic, sea salt, pepper, smoked paprika, barbecue sauce, dijon mustard, tamari, Worcestershire sauce, and firm tofu.
For the kohlrabi slaw, you’ll need cabbage, carrots, kohlrabi, parsley, Greek yogurt, apple cider vinegar, garlic, dijon mustard or whole grain mustard, raw honey, sea salt, and pepper.
For making the sandwiches, you’ll need buns.
the method
Make the bbq pulled tofu: Warm the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for five minutes. Add the pepper to taste and smoked paprika. Grate the tofu using a box grater. Add it to the skillet. Whisk together the barbecue sauce, dijon, tamari, and Worcestershire sauce in a bowl. Pour over the tofu and stir to coat. Cook, stirring very occasionally so as not to break up the tofu too much, for another five minutes, or until much of the sauce has been absorbed and it’s thickened slightly. Remove from the heat.
Make the creamy kohlrabi slaw: Using the grater attachment on your food processor, shred the cabbage, carrots, and kohlrabi. Transfer into a large bowl. Add the chopped parsley. Whisk together the Greek yogurt, apple cider vinegar, garlic, mustard, honey, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Pour over the vegetables and toss to coat.
Make the sandwiches: Slice the buns in half and toast, if desired. Spoon a generous amount of pulled tofu onto the bottom half and top with some slaw. I like to add some pickled jalapeños, too. Eat!
I hope that you love these BBQ Pulled Tofu Sandwiches with Creamy Kohlrabi Slaw! If you make them, let me know how you enjoyed them by leaving a comment and rating below. And if you post a photo to Instagram, tag it @upbeet.kitchen and #upbeetkitchen. I love seeing what you’ve made.
Enjoy!
PrintBBQ Pulled Tofu Sandwiches with Creamy Kohlrabi Slaw
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
These BBQ Pulled Tofu Sandwiches with Creamy Kohlrabi Slaw are the ultimate summer sandwich! Saucy “pulled” tofu imitates chicken or pork remarkably well, and it’s piled high on buns along with a light and creamy kohlrabi cabbage carrot slaw for an amazing summer meal that will elicit two thumbs up from vegetarians and omnivores alike.
Ingredients
BBQ Pulled Tofu
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 3 medium garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 block (450 grams) organic firm tofu
- ⅔ cup of your favourite barbecue sauce, I used spicy chipotle
- ½ tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon tamari
- ½ tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Creamy Kohlrabi Slaw
- ¼ of a medium head of purple cabbage
- 2 medium carrots, peeled
- 2 small kohlrabi, ends trimmed off
- 1 cup finely chopped parsley
- ⅓ cup Greek yogurt
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 medium garlic clove, minced
- 2 teaspoons dijon or whole grain mustard
- 1 teaspoon raw honey
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For serving
- 4 sturdy sandwich buns
- Pickled jalapeños
Instructions
- Make the bbq pulled tofu: Warm the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for five minutes. Add the pepper to taste and smoked paprika. Grate the tofu using a box grater. Add it to the skillet. Whisk together the barbecue sauce, dijon, tamari, and Worcestershire sauce in a bowl. Pour over the tofu and stir to coat. Cook, stirring very occasionally so as not to break up the tofu too much, for another five minutes, or until much of the sauce has been absorbed and it’s thickened slightly. Remove from the heat.
- Make the creamy kohlrabi slaw: Using the grater attachment on your food processor, shred the cabbage, carrots, and kohlrabi. Transfer into a large bowl. Add the chopped parsley. Whisk together the Greek yogurt, apple cider vinegar, garlic, mustard, honey, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Pour over the vegetables and toss to coat.
- Make the sandwiches: Slice the buns in half and toast, if desired. Spoon a generous amount of pulled tofu onto the bottom half and top with some slaw. I like to add some pickled jalapeños, too. Eat!
Notes
To make it vegan: Replace the Greek yogurt with thick unflavoured, unsweetened vegan yogurt, and the honey with maple syrup.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: bbq pulled tofu sandwich
Have an awesome day! I’ll be back with oat flour biscuit strawberry shortcakes tomorrow.
Sue
Looks delicious! i think I will soon try kohlrabi for the first time, thanks to you!! Happy birthday to your dad; he’s lucky to have a personal chef. ?
Allison
Thanks so much, Sue!! I think you’ll love kohlrabi! And thanks for the birthday wish to my dad, too. 🙂 ?
Michelle
So, I have a question and a note. Do you press the tofu? Your notes don’t mention it and it’s such an unusual recipe that I’m really unsure on this step. The other thing is Worchestershire sauce is not vegan. It will require a substitute for that as well.
Allison
Hi there, no, pressing is not required for my recipe. You can press it if you like, though! The Worcestershire sauce that I use is vegan, it’s Wizard brand! Whole Foods 365 brand is also vegan. Hope you enjoy this recipe!