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Texas Tofu

A sandwich with toasted sourdough, baked beans, spiced tofu, soy bacon, shredded cheese, and cilantro.

From the Recipes Wiki (Fandom) · 12 ingredients
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Why it works: Beans and cumin match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 1,188 recipes. Both carry linalool, which smells floral, citrus. The science ↓

Texas Tofu

Oven450°F
Timeabout 5 minutes

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare

  1. Preheat oven to 450°F.

  2. Arrange thick slices of bread in a large baking dish and set aside.

  3. Place beans in a large saucepan and heat over medium heat until warmed through.

  4. When the beans are hot, remove them from heat and set aside.

  5. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

  6. Sauté onion until golden, about 5 minutes.

  7. Remove onion from heat and set aside.

  8. Combine cumin, chili powder, onion powder, and cornstarch in a large bowl and mix well.

  9. Place cubed tofu in a bowl and dust each side with the spice mixture.

  10. Add remaining oil to the skillet and heat over medium heat.

  11. Sauté tofu cubes on all sides until crispy, 3 to 5 minutes.

  12. Remove tofu from heat and place in a bowl with the onion.

Assemble and bake

  1. Spoon beans over bread slices in equal portions.

  2. Sprinkle soy “bacon” bits onto the beans.

  3. Top with tofu and onions.

  4. Sprinkle grated cheese over each portion.

  5. Bake for about 5 minutes, or until cheese melts.

  6. Remove from oven and garnish with cilantro leaves before serving.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

1082Calories
45 gProtein
43 gFat
129 gCarbs

Counts 12 of 13 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 12 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Flour1 cup (125g) all-purpose455
Olive Oil1 tbsp (14g)119
Cheese1 oz (28g) cheddar113
Cheddar Cheese1 oz (28g)113
Sourdough1 slice (36g)93
Tofu100g firm76
Onion1 medium (110g)44
Bacon1 slice cooked (8g)43
Soy Sauce1 tbsp (15ml)9
Cumin1 tsp ground (2.1g)8
Chili1 tsp (2.7g)8
Cilantro1 tbsp chopped fresh (1g)1
Beannot in our table0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Beans + cumintop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together1,188 recipes

    Shared aroma: linalool (floral, citrus).

  2. Onion + cumintop 6% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together5,498 recipes

    Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).

  3. Beans + tofutop 6% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together122 recipes

    Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).

  4. Bread + cheesetop 7% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together2,130 recipes

    Shared aroma: delta-decalactone (sweet, creamy).

  5. Beans + oniontop 7% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together5,242 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Sourdough bread
Thick slices form the sturdy base that holds the beans, tofu and cheese.
Vegetarian-style baked beans
Provide moisture and a sweet, savory filling spooned over the bread.
Firm or extra-firm tofu
Cornstarch-dusted cubes fry to a crisp exterior that contrasts with the soft beans.
Cornstarch
Coats the tofu cubes so they brown and crisp when fried.
Shredded soy cheese
Melts in the oven to bind the topping and add rich, creamy texture.
Onion
Sautéed until golden to add sweetness and savory depth.

The step that matters

Sautéing the tofu until crispy. Tofu releases water as it heats, so it must be fried in a hot, uncrowded pan on all sides. Dusting with cornstarch helps the surface dry and brown rather than steam, which keeps the cubes crisp under the beans and cheese.

Swap the onion

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (bread, beans, cumin, tofu, cheese):

  1. Welsh onionfits better
  2. Tomatofits better
  3. Spinachfits better
  4. Onionthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against bread, beans, cumin, tofu, cheese. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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