Can you eat tofu raw? We explain to you what you should consider. You will also learn how to use raw tofu in dishes.
Eating tofu raw: possible without hesitation?
Tofu is a good plant-based source of protein and can be easily and versatilely integrated into the diet. Many recipes call for frying, baking, frying, or even grilling the tofu. But you can also eat tofu raw and thus make many dishes more nutritious – because tofu contains many other healthy nutrients in addition to proteins. You can read more about the ingredients here: Tofu: The soy product is so healthy.
Actually, tofu is never “raw”: tofu is made from boiled soy milk that is curdled using calcium sulfate, magnesium chloride or nigari (a seawater salt). This causes the soy protein in the liquid to flocculate. This can then be separated from the liquid and pressed into blocks. By the way: You can also make tofu yourself.
Like almost all legumes, raw soybeans contain lectins, proteins that are toxic to humans. However, you can destroy lectins by heating them. As described above, tofu is made from cooked soy milk and therefore no longer contains any lectins.
Eating tofu raw simply means that you use and eat it without further heating.
Eat tofu raw: delicious recipe inspiration
Eat natural tofu raw
Tofu comes in many different consistencies. This is due to the different moisture contents and processing methods. There are natural tofu with various textures, from soft and silky to dry and rather crumbly. The taste of these varieties is very unobtrusive. You can use natural tofu raw in many dishes without the soy flavor being the main focus.
Protein-rich smoothie: As a filling basis for your morning breakfast smoothie, you can simply add some raw natural tofu to the blender. This not only makes the smoothie particularly creamy, but also keeps you full for longer thanks to the protein in tofu.
Fluffy mousse au chocolat: This recipe for mousse au chocolat proves that raw silken tofu makes a wonderful, vegan dessert without cooking.
Dips, dressings and sauces: You can also eat silken tofu raw in the form of sauces, dips and dressings. To do this, puree it into a cream. This can serve as the basis for a vegan sour cream or an American dressing, for example. You can also use it to make a plant-based quark alternative.
Vegan feta alternative: You can marinate raw firm tofu in oil with Mediterranean herbs, making it a vegan alternative to feta cheese.
Eat smoked and marinated tofu raw
Smoked tofu has a firmer consistency than plain tofu. There is now also a range of tofu products that provide variety with a delicious marinade or additional ingredients such as herbs, nuts and spices. You can eat all of these types of tofu raw.
Smoked tofu sandwich: If you have an appetite for a hearty snack, you can use raw smoked tofu as a topping. In addition to a smoky aroma, this tofu also has a good bite. It is best to bed the smoked tofu on a delicious spread, lettuce and slices of tomato or cucumber.
Tofu as an ingredient and topping: Diced smoked tofu and other types of tofu are good in salads, stews or as an ingredient in soups. Because you’re using the tofu raw, you hardly need to spend any time preparing these toppings.
