A Virtual Vegan

Wholesome vegan food cooked with love

You are here: Home / All Recipes / Dinner Recipes / Tofu in Purgatory (Shakshuka)

25 Comments

Tofu in Purgatory (Shakshuka)

Share71
Pin1.9K
Tweet69
2.0K Shares

Silky, soft tofu rounds cooked gently in a fiery, garlicky and chunky tomato sauce. Tofu in Purgatory is the perfect brunch dish! 

Silky, soft tofu rounds cooked gently in a fiery, garlicky and chunky tomato sauce. Tofu in Purgatory is the perfect brunch dish!

I was flicking through some old Nigella Lawson cookbooks a few weeks ago and was reminded of her Eggs in Purgatory recipe. Before I was vegan I used to make it often for brunch and it was so very delicious. The next day, rather than making the usual vegan pancakes for brunch, I experimented with my own version of eggs in purgatory, and guess what?  Vegan Eggs in Purgatory happened. Who needs eggs!? From here on in it shall be known as Tofu in Purgatory!

JAM PACKED WITH FLAVOUR

Tofu in Purgatory is a really simple and quick recipe that is absolutely jam packed with flavour. To start, you make a fiery and very garlicky tomato sauce, then poach the tofu rounds in it until cooked through. Just before serving, sprinkle some Kala Namak, (sometimes known as Indian Black Salt) over the tofu for an eggy flavour. Of course this is optional but recommended. I had never used it before until now and I was so impressed with the eggy smell and flavour. It’s spot on!

Silky, soft tofu rounds cooked gently in a fiery, garlicky and chunky tomato sauce. Tofu in Purgatory is the perfect brunch dish!

WHAT IS PURGATORY & WHAT HAS IT GOT TO DO WITH MY BRUNCH?

Eggs in Purgatory originates from North Africa but is also a common brunch dish in the Middle East. Purgatory according to Wikipedia, is:

the intermediate state after physical death in which those destined for heaven “undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven”.

I am not religious at all but I guess the meaning behind the name of the recipe is that the eggs, or in this case the tofu, represent “souls” and the fiery tomato sauce surrounding them represents their suspension between Heaven and Hell. Is that a bit deep for brunch!?

Silky, soft tofu rounds cooked gently in a fiery, garlicky and chunky tomato sauce. Tofu in Purgatory is the perfect brunch dish!

HOW TO SERVE TOFU IN PURGATORY

Tofu in Purgatory is a great brunch dish but you could eat it for lunch or dinner too. It is perfect with some hot buttered toast (check out my super easy vegan butter recipe), fresh crusty bread or baguette. For dinner it is lovely with a crisp salad and some bread to mop up the fiery juice.

I hope you enjoy my Tofu in Purgatory! Let me know what you think in the comments below or share a pic with me on Instagram. I would love to see! I am @avirtualvegan or you can use the hashtag #avirtualvegan.

Tofu in Purgatory (Shakshuka)

Silky, soft tofu rounds cooked gently in a fiery, garlicky and chunky tomato sauce. Tofu in Purgatory is the perfect brunch dish!
4.67 from 3 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Breakfast, Brunch, Entree, Lunch
Cuisine: gluten-free, oil-free option, vegan
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total time: 25 minutes
Makes: 2 : Serves 2 hungry people
Calories: 284kcal
Author: Mel | A Virtual Vegan

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil (optional)
  • 4 large cloves of garlic
  • 1 796 ml can diced tomatoes
  • Salt & pepper to taste I used 1 teaspoon salt & ½ teaspoon pepper
  • 2 teaspoons dried herbs see recipe note
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried chili flakes use less if you prefer less heat
  • 1 teaspoon sugar optional but helps to bring out the tomato flavour
  • 1 block of unpressed medium tofu cut into rounds (around 350g although this doesn't have to be exact) see recipe note
  • Indian Black Salt (Kala Namak) optional

Instructions

  • Warm the olive oil in a skillet and cook the garlic over medium heat until just starting to turn a little brown. (use a drop of water instead of the oil to keep the recipe oil-free).
  • Add the tomatoes, salt, pepper, chili flakes, herbs and optional sugar.
  • Simmer over a medium heat for 5 minutes then add the tofu rounds.
  • Turn down the heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes until the sauce is thickening up a little and the tofu is soft and heated through.
  • Sprinkle the tofu with a little Indian Black Salt just before serving if you would like an eggy flavour.
  • Serve with toast, crusty bread or baguette to mop up the juice!

Notes

Mixed herbs are good. I used Herbs De Provence but Italian Seasoning, oregano or rosemary would all be fine - Just use what you have.
 Medium tofu is great for this recipe as once poached in the sauce it has a texture similar to poached egg white. I used a large block, cut it into ½ inch thick slices, then used a cookie cutter to cut the rounds. You don't have to make them round if you don't want to. It will taste the same no matter what the shape! Just keep the thickness to around ½ inch. Save your tofu off cuts to add to another meal. I used mine in a tofu scramble the next day. They keep in the freezer well if you won't be needing them for a while.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 284kcal | Carbohydrates: 26.6g | Protein: 20.3g | Fat: 9.4g | Sodium: 983.6mg | Fiber: 9.2g | Vitamin A: 29% | Vitamin C: 86% | Calcium: 37% | Iron: 28%
Tried this recipe?Tag @avirtualvegan on Instagram and hashtag it #avirtualvegan


Silky, soft tofu rounds cooked gently in a fiery, garlicky and chunky tomato sauce. Tofu in Purgaotory is the perfect brunch dish! #tofu #veganbrunch #veganegg
Share71
Pin1.9K
Tweet69
2.0K Shares

A Virtual Vegan is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. This post may contain affiliate links.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply

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

Comments

  2. This was awesome! Not too hot at all! I added some broccoli for last few minutes- that was great too- lunch for next 3 days from leftovers!

    Reply

  3. What kind of medium tofu do you use? My grocery store only had firm and extra firm, or silken. I bought one firm and a silken to try it out. Every tried to substitute the sugar with maple syrup? I don’t like to use refined white sugar but like the idea of adding some sweetener to bring out the sweetness of the tomatoes! Going to attempt this tonight, it looks delicious!!

    Reply

    • I use Soyganic Medium Firm Tofu. This one https://www.sunrise-soya.com/products/soyganic/soyganic-premium-medium-firm-tofu/. Firm will be ok but it won’t give that nice soft yielding texture which kind of mimics poached egg white. Soft tofu would also work, and silken would too as long as it’s firm silken, otherwise it might dissolve/fall apart in the sauce. As for sweetener, sugar works better than maple syrup in tomato sauces. No need to buy refined white sugar though. I buy unrefined cane sugar and use it in recipes like this. I know that probably doesn’t help you tonight, but for future reference! Maple will do in a pinch though if that’s all you have for now. I hope you enjoy it. It’s one of my favourite quick dinners/brunches!

      Reply

  6. “Unfortunately I can’t use any cookware made with cast iron due to a medical condition” Really? I haven’t heard of that. Is it something to do with iron? Hemochromatosis? Your starfrit pan looks fun though =)
    This sounds SO GOOD! I’m tempted to throw my meal plan tomorrow out the window so I can make this. I’ll try really hard to wait for next week though.
    And I’m super intrigued by your homemade butter – it sounds so good!

    Reply

    • Wow you’re well informed Kimmy. No-one I have ever spoken to has even heard of hemochromatosis!! Yes I have it. I’m a bit of a medic anomaly as it’s usually something that middle aged men are known as having. I’m female (obviously), and I was really young when I was diagnosed, which is really quite rare. I spent years having a pint of blood taken every week or two. Since I have been vegan funnily enough my ferritin levels have remained stable and at normal levels and I haven’t needed any treatment. Apparently quite a lot of iron leaches out from cast iron cookware, hence the reason people who are iron deficient are often told to cook with it and that’s the reason I can never use it which is a shame as I love it. It’s just not worth it though. I am enjoying a life without constant blood letting far too much and want to avoid it happening again for as long as humanly possible!
      I really hope you enjoy the tofu in purgatory and perhaps you could make the butter too and have a big heap of hot buttered toast with it!

      Reply

      • I actually have another friend with it, but I also learned about it when taking Symptomatology in nutrition school.
        “Since I have been vegan funnily enough my ferritin levels have remained stable and at normal levels and I haven’t needed any treatment.”
        Something I learned in school is that our bodies handle/absorb plant based iron better. We only absorb as much as we need and our body is smart enough to dump the rest. Unlike with meat, where we can overburden ourselves with iron. I found it very interesting. Another “yay veganism!” thing 😉
        I am DEFINITELY making this. And the butter =)

        Reply

  7. I am addicted to tofu! I love the idea of this, though I might have to take the spice level down a notch 🙂 I know this is traditionally a breakfast dish, but I think we’ll try it for dinner!

    Reply

    • Thanks Sarah! It’s great for any meal of the dewy. I have eaten it for dinner many times. I hope you enjoy it!

      Reply

ABOUT ME | PRIVACY POLICY | CONTACT ME | WORK WITH ME | RECIPE INDEX

MENU