Smoked Tofu & Nori Spread with Walnuts
Ten minutes in a blender, and it keeps for a few days. The nori does the work that soy sauce usually does — the savoury, faintly sea-salted note — without the salt that comes with it.
Makes: about 350 g, four servings Time: 10 minutes Storage: airtight container in the fridge, 3–4 days
Ingredients
- 1 block smoked tofu (180–200 g)
- 1.5–2 sheets nori
- 1 tbsp smooth mustard (not Dijon)
- 1 tbsp olive oil, up to 2 for a richer spread
- 1–2 tbsp lemon juice
- ¼ tsp smoked paprika
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 6–7 walnuts (~30 g shelled)
- Chopped parsley or chives
- A little water, to adjust the consistency
- Salt to taste (optional)
Method
- Crumble the tofu into a blender or food processor. Tear the nori into small pieces.
- Add the walnuts, mustard, olive oil, lemon juice, smoked paprika and pepper.
- Blend until smooth, adding water a teaspoon at a time until the texture is right.
- Taste, and add salt or more lemon if it needs it.
- Stir the herbs in by hand to keep the colour bright, or blend them in for a uniform green spread.
Nutrition
Estimated, and it varies by tofu brand — protein and salt especially.
| Nutrient | Whole batch | Per serving (¼) |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | ~630 kcal | ~160 kcal |
| Protein | ~37 g | ~9 g |
| Fat | ~51 g | ~13 g |
| – Saturated | ~6 g | ~1.5 g |
| – Omega-3 (ALA) | ~3.5 g | ~0.9 g |
| Carbohydrates | ~11 g | ~3 g |
| – Fibre | ~5 g | ~1.2 g |
| Salt | ~2.2 g | ~0.55 g |
Roughly 23% protein, 70% fat, 7% carbohydrate by calories. The second tablespoon of olive oil adds about 120 kcal and 13.5 g fat to the batch.
Why it is worth making
- Protein. Tofu is a complete plant protein, with all the essential amino acids.
- Omega-3. Walnuts carry more ALA than any common nut, and one batch covers more than a day’s requirement of 1.1–1.6 g.
- A good fat profile. Monounsaturated from the olive oil, polyunsaturated from the walnuts, and little saturated fat.
- Low in salt. Leaving the soy sauce out saves about 2.5 g a batch.
- Iodine from the nori, in a moderate amount well below the safe upper limit.
- Vitamins C and K from the fresh parsley or chives. No added sugar, and vegan.
- Not a B12 source, though. Nori’s B12 is mostly inactive analogues, so don’t count it.