Persian Grilled Vegetable Tofu Skewers

These grilled Vegetable Tofu Skewers have delicious Persian spices. They’re a super quick and easy vegan dish that can be grilled, barbecued, baked, pan-fried or cooked in a grill pan. Perfect on a bed of Merchant Gourmet Persian-style Quinoa and Lentils.

Recipe sponsored by Merchant Gourmet.

easy veggie skewers

I love summery dishes that aren't just easy, but are packed with flavour.

They're so simple: vegetables and tofu are marinated in bold Middle Eastern flavors, then they're grilled to perfection.

You could bake the vegetables and tofu in the oven, but I really love the smokey char marks that grilling gives. You could try them on the bbq, grill or indoors on a grill pan on the stovetop.

Baking, BBQing and grilling all make the tofu get lovely and crispy on the outside, while the inside is nice and chewy.

Tofu is such an awesome flavour-sponge so it absorbs all the marinade spices. Even if you think you don't like tofu, I implore you to try it this way - it's always a hit.

Merchant Gourmet

Merchant Gourmet (you know, the company that makes all those tasty Globally-inspired grain sachets) asked me to come up with a recipe using their Persian-style Quinoa and Lentils.

But there was a fun twist: the easy plant-based recipe could only include 4 ingredients and would be served with their grains. Thing is, there's so much amazing flavour in their sachets of grains that you don't need much to go with them. And, you can serve the grains hot or cold - so they're super versatile (and my go-to easy way to make a picnic special - just pop a sachet into your bag and enjoy al fresco).

I've long loved cooking with Middle Eastern flavors (check out my Fesenjan), so it was a challenge that I happily accepted.

One of my favourite things about blogging is coming up with recipe ideas. I swear, I could sit all day dreaming up flavour combinations.

For this recipe, I've gone for quick and easy Persian-style veggie skewers. Four ingredients: plus oil, salt and pepper, garnish and a packet of their grains.

This recipe is full of Middle Eastern flavors, nutritious veggies and protein-packed tofu. It's a delicious, quick lunch or dinner.

Serving the skewers on a bed of Persian-style Quinoa and Lentils is perfect. The spiced grains are ready to just heat and eat so take just a minute to prepare (heat in a pan with a splash of water). You don't even have to heat them - I love using them as an instant flavour-packed salad so they work well with the skewers either hot or cold. So convenient.

They're made with traditional ingredients including kibbled onions and raisins and a mix of quinoa and lentils and delicious spices.

I hope you'll love this recipe as much as we do!

It's great as dinner and leftovers are perfect for lunch in the week, too. Just heat the skewers in a frying pan until hot and serve with hot or cold grains.

tofu kabobs

Kabobs (aka skewers) are such a great way to enjoy seasonal vegetables.

Spearing vegetables and thick chunks of firm tofu onto skewer sticks is such a fun way to cook and eat them. You can make individual portions, and they won't fall through the rack of the barbecue.

The veggies lightly char and cook, and I adore how the tofu sears and gets so crispy on the outside and soft inside. Bliss.

Lately, my organic vegetable box has been full of new season courgettes (zucchini) and I love how lightly cooking them on the grill makes them taste so delicious.

Paired with red bell peppers and a Persian-style marinade and this is a winning summer dinner!

ingredients

You don't need a lot of ingredients for this recipe, just a few core ingredients, plus a couple of pantry staples!

Tofu - you'll need a block of extra firm tofu for these skewers. Other varieties won't stay on the sticks and will crumble. Pat the tofu dry in a clean tea towel, or you could even wrap it in a tea towel and press it between two plates to draw out extra moisture. Not essential though!

Courgettes / zucchini - if they're small and narrow, just cut them into rounds. If they have a larger girth, then halve or quarter the slices. You want the veg and tofu to be similarly-sized so it cooks evenly.

Red Bell Pepper - or use any colour you prefer!

Baharat - this is a Middle Eastern spice blend made up, typically, of pepper, paprika, ground coriander, cumin and cinnamon. You can often find it in the spice aisle of larger supermarkets. Or make your own Baharat.

Merchant Gourmet Persian-style Quinoa and Lentils - Just heat the grains in a minute or so, lay the tofu skewers on top and voila - a quick, easy and flavour-packed Persian-style dinner.

You'll also need:
Oil
Salt & pepper

Garnish (optional):
Fresh mint leaves
Pomegranate seeds

cooking methods

You can cook these skewers in lots of ways. Grill the tofu and veg on the bbq, bake it, or, as I do, cook them indoors on a ridged grill pan.

Barbecue

These tofu skewers are great on the barbecue! Just heat the grill, place them crossways so they don't fall in and cook, turning occasionally until cooked through and they begin to darken.

Grill Pan

I love how using a ridged grill pan (or griddle pan) means you get the lovely charred taste without standing out in the rain at the barbecue! This is my usual method since you can't always trust the weather.

Simply heat the griddle pan until it's piping hot, add the Persian-marinated tofu and vegetables (either on sticks or just slice and cook) and cook until it all gets charred grill marks, then use tongs to turn each piece and cook the other side. 

Oven

You can also bake the Persian tofu and veg by simply tossing the veggies and tofu cubes in oil and seasoning, spread out in an even layer on a baking tray (or use two so you don't crowd them).

Bake at 400F / 200C for 25 minutes or until cooked through and the edges are starting to get crispy.

Air Fryer

You can even make these in the air fryer! Just toss the veg and tofu cubes in the seasoning, add it to your air fryer (you may need to do it in batches) and cook until the tofu is crispy on the outside and the veg is cooked.

how to make Perisan-style tofu veggie skewers

This recipe is sooo easy. Just follow these step-by-step photos, then scroll down to the recipe card for the full ingredients list and instructions.

First, make the marinade. Simply mix the oil and Baharat spice blend together.
Note: If you can't get hold of Baharat, you can make your own Baharat or mix:
2tsp each: black pepper, paprika, ground cumin, plus 1 teaspoon each ground coriander, ground cloves and cinnamon and ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom. Then just use the amount you need and store the rest in the cupboard.

Chop the unpeeled courgette into ½” rings. If it's a large courgette (zucchini) then halve or quarter the slices.

De-seed the bell peppers and chop into 1” square pieces. 

Pat the firm tofu dry, then cut into 1" chunks.

Heat a barbecue or grill pan until hot.

Thread the vegetables and tofu, alternating, onto the skewers.

Brush the skewers with the marinade. Leave to marinade while the BBQ grill or grill pan heat up.

Cook the skewers on each side until cooked. Repeat in batches if necessary.

Heat the Persian-style Quinoa and Lentils. Divide onto plates, top with cooked tofu skewers and garnish with chopped fresh mint and pomegranate seeds.

tips

• Try substituting or adding other veggies. Aubergine and tomatoes are perfect to keep the Persian-style vibe of this dish. Red onions cut into quarters are great, too
• If you have time, leave the tofu kabobs to marinate for 30 minutes for extra flavour.
• Try it with a teaspoon of rose harissa paste stirred into 2 tablespoon of vegan yogurt and drizzled over the skewers and grains.
• It's also great with a little tahini stirred with a dash of lemon juice and a little water into a simple dressing.

can this recipe be made ahead?

Absolutely! These skewers are great for prepping and taking along to a barbecue as a meat-free alternative.

To make ahead, prepare the vegetable tofu skewers, brush with the marinade and refrigerate, covered, for up to 2 days.

The cooked skewers also keep really well in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat the skewers on the grill or else in a frying pan.

I love making a big batch of these skewers as they're so convenient to have leftovers in the week for a quick, nutritious lunch. You can serve them with the grains hot or cold - there's so much great flavour in them that both ways taste great.

serving suggestions

Served on the grains, this is a complete meal. But you could try making it into a Persian feast with these recipes:

Fesenjan - a vegan version of the traditional Persian walnut pomegranate stew.
Aubergine Mujaddara - rice, fried shallots and aubergine (eggplant).
Rocca Salad - with a delicious Middle Eastern dressing.
Carrot Hummus - a tasty twist on the classic.

quick vegan dinners

Cooking doesn't have to be time-intensive! Try some of these quick vegan dinners that will be on the table in 20 minutes.

• Spanish Beans
• Naan bread pizza (use vegan cheese)
• Chickpea Curry
• Tofu Curry

Disclosure: This recipe was sponsored by Merchant Gourmet. All opinions are my own. Thanks for supporting the brands that make it possible for me to write VeggieDesserts.com

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