Smkt Vegan Toast Recipe

Press and crumble tofu

Drain the 14 oz block of extra-firm tofu. Wrap in a clean towel or paper towels and press with a heavy skillet or tofu press for 15–20 minutes to remove excess liquid. Once pressed, crumble the tofu into a bowl with your hands or a fork into small, irregular 'feta-like' pieces (about 1/4–1/2" chunks).

Prepare marinade

In a separate small bowl whisk together 3 tbs lemon juice, 1 tbs apple cider vinegar, 2 tbs olive oil, 1 tsp sea salt, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp lemon zest and 2 tbs nutritional yeast until combined.

Marinate tofu

Pour the marinade over the crumbled tofu and toss gently to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, preferably 2 hours, to allow flavors to penetrate. For more depth, marinate overnight. Stir once or twice during marinating to redistribute the liquid.

Toast nuts and seeds

Preheat a dry skillet over medium heat. Add 1/2 cup hazelnuts (or almonds) and toast, shaking the pan occasionally, until fragrant and lightly browned, about 4–6 minutes. Transfer nuts to a cutting board. In the same skillet toast 1/4 cup sesame seeds until golden, about 2–3 minutes. Add 2 tsp coriander seeds and 1 tsp cumin seeds and toast briefly until aromatic, about 30–45 seconds; be careful not to burn.

Combine and grind

Allow toasted nuts and seeds to cool briefly. Rub hazelnuts in a clean towel to remove loose skins if desired. In a food processor pulse the nuts 6–8 times until coarsely chopped (you want a crumbly texture, not a powder). Add the toasted sesame seeds, toasted coriander and cumin seeds, 1 tsp dried thyme/marjoram, 3/4 tsp sea salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper and 1/8 tsp chili flakes (if using). Pulse 4–6 more times until the mixture is uniformly coarse — dukkah should be grainy with visible pieces of nut and seed.

Store

Transfer the dukkah to a small jar or bowl and let cool completely. It can be used immediately or stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

Prepare bread

Preheat a grill pan or skillet over medium-high heat, or set a toaster/oven to 425°F (220°C). Brush both sides of 4 slices of sourdough or multigrain bread lightly with 2 tbs olive oil.

Toast the bread until golden and crisp, about 2–3 minutes per side in a skillet or 6–8 minutes in the oven. Remove and keep warm.

Optional avocado layer

If using avocado, mash the ripe avocado in a small bowl with a pinch of flaky sea salt and a squeeze of lemon (about 1 tsp lemon juice). Spread mashed avocado evenly over each toasted slice.

Assemble

Spoon a generous portion of the marinated crumbled tofu onto each slice (about 3.5 oz tofu-equivalent per serving). Sprinkle a heaping 1–2 tbs of dukkah over the tofu on each slice, pressing gently so it adheres.

Garnish and season

Top each toast with microgreens or chopped fresh herbs (about 1 tbsp each), a light squeeze of lemon wedge, a pinch of flaky sea salt (about 1/8 tsp per toast) and a crack of black pepper. Drizzle with a little extra olive oil if desired.

Serve immediately while toast is warm so the dukkah stays crunchy and the tofu tastes bright. Leftover marinated tofu can be refrigerated for up to 4 days; dukkah keeps separately for up to 2 weeks.