Finally Vegan Salisbury Steaks Full of Flavor

"Tofu" and "Flavorful" aren't two words you often hear together unless there's a "not" in between them, but these Vegan Salisbury Steaks are about as flavorful as they come. I used my vegan ground meat made from frozen tofu as the base for these because it has a porous texture like cooked ground beef, absorbing flavors like a sponge.

To give these Salisbury Steaks a robust meaty flavor, I took two approaches. The first is a mixture of minced onions, mushrooms and garlic that are sauteed until caramelized. The Maillard Reaction turns these aromatics into a powerhouse of umami that loads the bland tofu up with a bold meaty flavor.

The second source of flavor is from a mixture of vegetable stock, soy sauce, porcini powder and smoked paprika. All these items are filled with umami boosting amino acids. To keep the liquids from leaking out, I mixed in some chia seeds, which not only thickens the liquid, it also helps to bind the crumbly tofu together without adding eggs or flour. As a result, the tofu soaks up the flavorful liquid and then releases the juices with each bite.

After kneading everything together I just shape them into oval patties and fry them until they're golden brown and crisp. You can also turn this mixture into meatballs or hamburgers just by changing their shape.

I like serving these like Japanese Hamburg Steaks by coating them in a sweet and sour sauce such as my Strawberry Barbecue Sauce, but these are also great with a mushroom gravy, or your favorite steak sauce.