• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Olives for Dinner

Vegan Recipes for Those Who Love to Cook and Eat

  • Recipes +
    • Breakfast and Brunch
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
    • Appetizers
    • Vegetable Sides
    • All Recipes
  • About
  • Umami Recipes
  • Interviews
  • Guides
  • Contact
Home » Vegan Recipes » Za’atar Tofu

August 26, 2012

Za’atar Tofu

POSTED BY: ERIN WYSOCARSKI | UPDATED ON: AUGUST 26, 2012 | 16 COMMENTS

Jump to Recipe·5 from 2 reviews
Za'atar Tofu

There is an amazing tiny Middle Eastern market near where I work. It has tons of spices, fresh pita bread, hard-to-find canned items and multiple barrels of fresh olives to choose from. I stepped in quickly the other day to pick up some raw tahini and came across a spice mix called za’atar, which I immediately picked up to inspect further.

As I gave it a good sniff, my initial thought was that it was for making tea, until I heard a voice from behind me say, “That’s good! You can mix it with oil and put in on bread,” followed by a friendly greeting from the shop’s owner. He went on to tell me more about its different uses, and I became intrigued by the spice mix, and wondered why I hadn’t heard about it before.

I bought the large bag, along with fresh raw tahini, and a handful of olives before chatting a bit more with the shopkeeper, and thanked him for his help. As soon as I left the shop, I got the idea to use it on tofu instead of bread, and it turned out to be a good tofu idea for a recipe. I mixed equal parts oil to za’atar spice mix and rubbed it on some pressed tofu. I added in some roasted garlic, fresh mushrooms, onion and tomato to balance it all out, and made a little tahini sauce on the side. It was fragrant, beautiful, delicious and different.

Za'atar Tofu

Get This Recipe In Your Inbox

Share your email, and we’ll deliver it straight to your inbox.
Plus, enjoy new content every week as a bonus!

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.
Loading
Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
Za'atar Tofu

ZA’ATAR TOFU


5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 2 reviews

  • Author: olivesfordinner.com
  • Yield: 2 servings
Print Recipe
Pin Recipe

Ingredients

  • One block of tofu, pressed well
  • 1/4 cup za’atar
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • one head of garlic
  • 2 TB olive oil
  • small red onion, sliced into rings
  • 6–8 bella mushrooms, quartered
  • 10 cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 2 TB raw tahini
  • 4 TB water
  • 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 2 TB chopped fresh parsley
  • fresh cracked pepper

Instructions

  1. Press your block of tofu very well. Mix the za’atar with the oil and rub it into the tofu. Place it into a glass pyrex dish and place into the refrigerator to marinate for at least two hours or overnight.
  2. Preheat your oven to 375. Slice off the top of a whole head of garlic and place into a small glass pyrex dish. Drizzle with the 2 tablespoons of olive oil, then cover the dish with aluminum foil. Roast for about 30 minutes, then flip the entire head over, spooning the olive oil over the top. Then roast for 15 minutes more, uncovered. Let it cool completely before separating the bulbs from the papery skins.
  3. Heat a little oil in a small cast iron pan over medium-low heat. Place the sliced onion into the pan and allow it to soften and slightly brown for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in the mushrooms and let cook for about 10 minutes.
  4. While your vegetables are cooking, heat up another skillet over medium heat. Place the tofu into the pan and cook for a few minutes on each side. (Grilling or baking should work well, too.)
  5. Return to your cast iron skillet. Toss in the tomatoes and soften for just a few minutes.
  6. Make your tahini sauce by whisking together the tahini, water and apple cider vinegar. Set aside.
  7. Toss your tofu, garlic and vegetables together. Drizzle any leftover za’atar/oil mixture over the top. Serve with the fresh chopped parsley, cracked pepper and tahini.

Did You Love This Recipe? Please Leave A Rating Below!

follow @olivesfordinner on instagram for more

Za'atar Tofu

Filed Under: Dinner, Mushroom Recipes, Tofu, Vegan Recipes

Filed Under: Dinner Mushroom Recipes Tofu Vegan Recipes

Nice To Meet You!

Hi! I'm Erin and this is Jeff. I love creating vegan recipes for those who love to cook and eat, and Jeff enjoys photographing them. We're so glad you're here!

Please check out our recipe index for more vegan recipes, interviews, and articles!

  • Bloglovin
  • Email
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest

 

Reader Interactions

LEAVE A COMMENT Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

Comments

  1. Victoria says

    July 10, 2018 at 4:29 pm

    This was a great taken tofu, very different than most other recipes, it was a fresh flavor and made cooking vegetarian for my family (while I’m not veg) fun again.

    Reply
  2. Rachel says

    July 20, 2017 at 12:16 pm

    I just stumbled onto this blog and made this last night! I love the blog name, btw. Anyway, this was delicious. I love za’atar but have only ever used it in olive oil to serve with bread. The tofu encrusted thing is such a great idea!

    I have a few suggestions/ observations:
    – definitely make sure you marinade the tofu as long as possible, and I would suggest lightly salting before rubbing with the marinade, as well. i notice the recipe does not specify how to cut the tofu, but I cut it into 8 triangles. it browned beautifully in the non-stick skillet.
    – we don’t like mushrooms and my husband isn’t a huge fan of cooked tomatoes, so I subbed those for broccoli and roasted red peppers with the onions. i lightly salted all this in the pan as it was cooking. this was also delicious.
    – the tahini we have reacted very poorly to being mixed with water. instead of making the tahini sauce as described (is that for powdered tahini, maybe??) I served the dish with tahini straight up, with lemon wedges on the side. the fresh lemon juice combined with the tahini, parsley, and broccoli was perfect! also took care of the acidity the apple cider vinegar would have provided in the sauce.
    – serving suggestion: i paired this dish with pearl/ Israeli couscous cooked in veggie broth. It was the perfect compliment.

    I just ate the leftovers for lunch and can’t wait to make this again for dinner next week! Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
  3. Katy Ionis says

    September 10, 2012 at 5:33 am

    how long do you marinade the tofu for this recipe?

    Reply
    • erinwyso says

      September 10, 2012 at 9:57 am

      Anywhere from two hours to overnight. I just updated the recipe to include this. I hope you enjoy it!

      Reply
  4. adrienne says

    September 3, 2012 at 1:56 pm

    Such a good idea! I am new to your blog (this is only my third post) and I feel compelled to comment on each one, if only because your recipes are so divine and your photos so lovely. That shot of your kitty looking down at the skillet is so precious. (I am a crazy cat lady. :)) Thanks for giving me something wonderful to look at on a lazy Labor Day morning – when I'm stuck inside with a cold. 🙁

    I think I've only had za'atar a handful of times and it was years ago – and just the typical bread/oil/dipping situation. I tend to avoid it because it has sumac and I've heard that if you're allergic to poison oak/ivy/sumac you shouldn't ingest it. I'm super duper allergic and don't want to test my luck! 🙁

    Reply
    • erinwyso says

      September 3, 2012 at 2:18 pm

      Thank you for your incredibly kind feedback, adrienne! I hope you feel better soon — I am also getting over a 24-hour cold-like thing, kind of crappy for my day off!

      Reply
    • adriennefriend says

      September 3, 2012 at 7:30 pm

      I'm just thrilled I found your site. You are a new favorite, for sure!

      Reply
  5. Richa says

    August 30, 2012 at 9:51 pm

    a- i love za'atar. b- i love your cat waiting to pounce on that delicious tofu:) my dog usually stays around when i take pictures too, coz the food is usually set up in very accessible places:) like the floor

    Reply
  6. Kristy says

    August 28, 2012 at 9:15 pm

    This looks amazing! I love za'atar but never would've thought to put it on tofu. Genius! And your cat is totally adorable! 🙂

    Reply
    • erinwyso says

      August 28, 2012 at 10:01 pm

      Thanks Kristy! Nimrod usually ignores us when we set up a shot, but she was totally into this one for some reason. Maybe she thought za'atar was catnip! : P

      Reply
  7. Amy says

    August 27, 2012 at 6:53 pm

    I have to echo the person before me by saying, what a great idea! I love zahtar– I just discovered it about a year ago by this fantastic middle eastern market in my town. I've only eaten it with pita and olive oil, but I'm always looking for new ways to try tofu… definitely trying it soon! Thanks.

    Reply
    • Katie says

      July 16, 2020 at 7:41 am

      Add some balsamic vinegar to the Zahtar and olive oil. Gives it a nice little kick of flavor!

      Reply
  8. LittleMonsterx14 says

    August 27, 2012 at 1:45 pm

    wow this looks amazing! and that store sounds great! i loooove the kitty photo too, my cat loves to help me 😛

    Reply
  9. christine says

    August 27, 2012 at 1:28 pm

    I've never heard of this spice mix, but I shall look out for it, you make it sound so tasty! I just fancy some spiced tofu now, and it's not dinner time yet:)

    Reply
  10. foodfeud says

    August 27, 2012 at 12:39 am

    What a great idea! I made a berbere mix last night and used up the last of my paprika and then saw how much sumac I have in the pantry as well – making a za'atar mix would be a great way to use that. Very inventive and gorgeous, as always.
    Why do you use raw tahini rather than roasted?

    Reply
    • erinwyso says

      August 27, 2012 at 1:05 am

      Thank you! I prefer raw tahini over roasted simply because I like the taste better, but a tasty tahini sauce can certainly be made from either!

      Reply

Primary Sidebar

Hi, I'm Erin!

Hi, I'm Erin!

Welcome to my little corner of the internet where I whip up delicious vegan dishes that feature vegan seafood, comforting classics, and crave-worthy umami flavors. You'll discover fresh and creative recipes here—all made with plants!

Our work has been featured in VegNews, HuffPost, Bon Appétit, and more.

My partner, Jeff, loves to capture all the photos you see here. We call Boston home, sharing our space with our adorable rescue pup, Harper.

More About Us →
  • Email
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Threads

Never Miss A Recipe!

Subscribe for more YUM.

As Seen On

I’m A Rouxbe Graduate!

Vegan Recipes for Spring

A creamy vegan tuna salad made with hearts of palm, served in a small white ramekin.

Vegan Tuna Salad (Two Easy Recipes!)

A close-up shot of a vegan California roll with vegan crab.

Vegan California Roll

Springtime Green Tea Noodle Salad

Green Tea Noodle Salad

A hand holding up a piece of vegan sushi.

Vegan Asparagus Sushi Rolls

Two glasses of blueberry kombucha cocktail with ice and fresh blueberries, with bottles of kombucha and blueberry syrup in the background.

Kombucha Cocktail

Vegan poke bowl with watermelon tuna, avocado, pickles, seaweed, and sesame seeds in a wooden bowl on a dark background.

Vegan Poke Bowl (with Watermelon Tuna)

Mâche and Mint Salad with Buttermilk-Ponzu Dressing

Vegan Buttermilk Salad Dressing

Seaweed pasta with vegan scallops served in black bowls, topped with sesame seeds and surrounded by seasoning ingredients.

Seaweed Pasta with Vegan Scallops

Search

Popular Posts

A plate with Boston Vegan Food Guide on it.

Best Vegan and Vegetarian Restaurants in Boston

Two hands holding dough.

Best Vegan Food Blogs to Follow

Easy Focaccia straight from the oven.

Quick And Easy Focaccia

Two hands holding a glass mason jar of coffee sugar scrub.

Homemade Coffee Sugar Scrub

A plate of vegan curry with mushrooms and cauliflower, with warm spices and a rich sauce.

Cauliflower Curry Recipe With Mushrooms

One hand holding a oyster mushroom taco, another squirting sauce over the top.

Oyster Mushroom Tacos with Chipotle-Lime Sauce

A whole head of firecracker cauliflower, basted with sauce in a cast iron pan against a dark background.

Firecracker Cauliflower

A top-down shot of sweet potato tempura and avocado vegan sushi rolls with pickled ginger against a dark background.

Sweet Potato Tempura and Avocado Rolls

Two hands holding a vegan lobster roll against a dark background.

Vegan Lobster Roll

Vegan shrimp, made from king oyster mushrooms.

The BEST Vegan Shrimp Recipe (Made With King Oyster Mushrooms)

A hand holding a crispy fried tofu sandwich.

Crispy Fried Tofu Sandwich

Two hands holding a bowl of bang bang cauliflower against a dark background.

Bang Bang Cauliflower (Vegan)

Footer

About

Olives for Dinner is a vegan food blog for those who love to cook and eat. You'll find fresh, creative, and delicious recipes here—all made with plants!

Search for recipes

Image Description

ALL RECIPES AND ARTICLES

Interviews

Brian Patton, The Sexy Vegan
A photo of Liv from the Liv Vegan Strong food blog, showcasing easy & comforting vegan recipes.
Nija and Shad Clark from The VGN Way vegan and gluten-free food blog.
  • Email
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest

HOME ∙ ABOUT ∙ CONTACT ∙ PRIVACY

Copyright© 2025 · Brunch Pro Theme by Shay Bocks