Vegan Tofu 'Fish' Sticks

The fish sticks beloved by kids do not necessarily need to be made from fish. For a homemade vegetarian fish substitute, you can use tofu and seaweed flakes.

You need firm or extra-firm tofu for this recipe. Tofu provides the necessary consistency so that the sticks hold their shape and do not fall apart when baked or fried. And nori, the edible dried seaweed, provides the sealike, sea-salty flavor that makes the sticks taste like seafood. 

The prep time for this recipe is all but five minutes, but depending on the type of tofu you use, you might need some extra time for pressing the tofu. Usually, firm and extra-firm tofu already have some of the moisture removed, but it won't do any harm to place the block of tofu between paper towels or a clean dishcloth and with a weight on top to remove any excess moisture. This process might take up to 30 minutes. The drier the tofu, the better the breading will come out. When the sticks are breaded but the tofu is too wet, the breading won’t have the crispy texture that makes fish sticks such an appealing dinner fare for kids.

Instead of using egg and milk for breading the mock fish sticks, this recipe uses soy milk seasoned with soy sauce for dipping before dredging the sticks in a combination of breadcrumbs, nori, and lemon pepper.

Because the soy sauce and the seaweed already add saltiness to the dish, there is no need for extra salt in this recipe.

You can either bake these vegan mock fish sticks in the oven, which is the low-fat way of preparing them, or you can pan-fry them.

Like real fish sticks, these are best when served hot straight from the oven or the pan.

There are many options for serving these “fish” sticks: with a vegan tartar sauce, ketchup, or even ranch dressing or barbecue sauce. To make them a full weeknight dinner or back-to-school meal, serve them with mashed potatoes, french fries, or sweet potato fries, and vegan coleslaw on the side.