Garlic Mustard and Tofu Patties
One crispy, golden, umami, garlicky, foraged flavor-blast coming up! If you’re looking for a creative and flavorful way to eat tofu, or a great foraged garlic mustard recipe, these tofu patties are what you’ve been looking for. They’re great as a snack, dippable, or you can make them a little bigger and use them as a burger patty! Even though these tofu patties are packed with flavor, they only use 6 ingredients to get there and are both vegan and gluten-free.
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How to Forage Garlic Mustard
Garlic mustard is one of my favorite things to forage, since it’s plentiful and everywhere, invasive, and very versatile. It shoots up quickly in the spring, and takes as much of the available landscape as it can. It spreads chemicals through it’s roots that impede the growth of other plants. As the season continues, it creates an abundance of seeds to throw into the wind, furthering it’s reach. Garlic mustard, while tasty, is not great for American ecosystems. Where it’s native- throughout most of Europe- it is an important part of the environment, playing host to native caterpillars and butterflies. But here in the Americas, where garlic mustard is present in the majority of states, the persistent growth of garlic mustard competes with native plants, and has been shown to be harmful to some insect species.
Disclaimer- use caution when foraging wild edibles, and always be certain of your identification. While I assume responsibility for the accuracy of the information provided on this site, I can’t be responsible for the accuracy of your information. Consult multiple websites, books and local experts, and when it doubt, do without.
While garlic mustard is pretty easy to identify, it can be pretty confusing because it is a biennial. That means it takes two years to bloom, and looks very different depending on if it’s in the first or second year of it’s life cycle. The leaves of both years are edible- as are the roots, flowers, and seed pods. The first year plant comes in large rosettes of kidney-shaped leaves, that smell garlicky when you crush the leaves. They pop up very early in the spring, and remain throughout the summer. I usually eat the second year plant, which is a little easier to ID. Unlike the first year plant, where the leaves grow singlyor in clusters, the second year plants grow on thin stalks, 2-3 feet tall with leaves growing alternately from the stem. The leaves are sharper, and more pointed than the first year plants. A little later in the year, second year garlic mustard plants bloom with tiny white flower, each having four petals. They later grow long, spiky green seedpods.
All parts of the garlic mustard plant are edible, and highly nutritious. According to Edible Wild Plants they’re high in fiber, beta-carotene, vitamins C and E, zinc, omega-3 fatty acids, calcium, iron, and manganese. And, because they’re invasive (again, in the US), you can’t over-pick. Just try to insure you’re picking from somewhere that doesn’t spray pesticides
Looking for Garlic Mustard Recipes? Try one of these!
- Garlic Mustard and Spinach Saag
- Garlic Mustard Recipe: Laminated Wild Ravioli
- Spring Garlic Mustard Ramen Noodles
- Spring Garlic Mustard & Dandelion Green Vegan Frittatas
- Wild Garlic Mustard Tartlets
Looking for Tofu Recipes? Try one of these!
- Pipián Verde with Mexican Jackfruit and Tofu
- Rice Paper Vegan Tofu Dumplings
- Watercress Soup with Tofu and Vegan Broth
- Savory Steamed Silken Tofu with Crispy Shiitakes
- Hoover’s Breakfast Greens and Tofu
- Crispy Coconut Crusted Tofu with Pineapple Dipping Sauce
- Vegan Chili Braised Tofu, Korean-Style
- Roasted Black Bean Tofu
How to Make Garlic Mustard Tofu Patties
These garlic mustard tofu patties are based on a Japanese recipe called Ganmodoki, which are little patties made primarily of tofu with vegetables, and then deep fried. The trick to making this work is to use a food processor to really break up the tofu into fine curds, which is what allows the curds to stick together. We used garlic mustard in these, because they have a great garlicky flavor that really adds to the patties. In order to integrate them well and keep our patties solid, we steamed them to remove the excess moisture. Chop that steamed garlic mustard, as well as some scallions, and add them to the processed tofu. For added flavor, we mixed in miso paste and soy sauce, and to help the tofu bind we added cornstarch. Mix it all together, and you’ve got the base for your patties. You can add other spices or finely chopped vegetables, if you want to add a little twist to yours.
To cook your tofu patties, make sure your oil is nice and hot so they don’t soak up the oil and get greasy. Shape them into thin patties, and fry on both sides so they’re crispy and golden. They will likely be a little delicate while they’re cooking, so just be gentle while flipping and make sure you’re using enough oil to help it cook through. Once they’re cooked, they will firm up as they cool. You can eat these as is, add them as a burger patty, or dip in a dipping sauce. I love the idea of making this recipe for garlic mustard root horseradish and serving it on top!
Garlic Mustard and Tofu Patties
Ingredients
- 1 16 oz brick of extra firm tofu
- 2 packed cups of garlic mustard leaves
- 2 scallions, finely chopped
- 1 ½ tbsp. white miso paste
- 2 tbsp. soy sauce
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- Vegetable oil for cooking
Instructions
- Use a weight or a tofu press to remove excess water from your tofu. After letting press for about 10 minutes, transfer the tofu to a food processor, and process until the tofu has been split into individual curds. If you take a small amount of the tofu in your had and gently press together and they stick, you’ve processed enough. Transfer the tofu to a large mixing bowl.
- Add your garlic mustard to a steamer, and steam for about a minute, until they have wilted and shrunk in volume (you can also zap it in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time). Rinse the garlic mustard under cool water to stop the cooking and cool it down, and then squeeze the water out. Roughly chop the garlic mustard, and add it to the mixing bowl with the tofu.
- Add the remaining ingredients- the scallions, miso paste, soy sauce, and cornstarch. Mix well until all the ingredients are evenly distributed. Prepare a plate to place the cooked patties on with a paper towel to soak up oil.
- Get some oil heating on medium-high in a large skillet, and start making your patties. Scoop a heaping tablespoon of the mixture into your clean hands, and gently mold it into a patty shape, about half an inch thick. Repeat with the remaining tofu (or you can just make the patties as you cook, whichever works better for you). Working in batches, place the patties in the hot oil. Cook for a couple minutes, until golden and crispy. Flip the patty over, and cook until the second side is golden and crispy. Remove the patties onto your prepared plate, and dab the top with a second paper towel to remove excess oil. Repeat until all the tofu is used. They will firm up more as they cool. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce, and enjoy!
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