Alright, alright, let’s talk about them…what do you call ’em? Tofu croutons? Yeah, them little tofu things you put in soup. Never heard of such a thing ’til my grandkid told me. Said it’s all the rage, like them avocado toasts. Kids these days, always eatin’ somethin’ fancy. But hey, if it’s good, it’s good, right?
So, my grandkid, she showed me how to make these tofu croutons for soup air fryer style. Said it’s gotta be in that there air fryer thing. Looks like a spaceship, that thing does. But let me tell ya, it makes things crispy real good, like fried chicken but without all that oil messin’ up my stove.
First thing she did was take that tofu, the white blocky stuff. Looks like cheese but don’t taste like cheese at all. She said you gotta press it, squeeze the water out. Said it makes it crispy. I used to squeeze water out of clothes on wash day, never thought I’d be squeezin’ water out of food, but there ya go. Used some heavy plates and a dish towel, worked like a charm. My hands ain’t as strong as they used to be, you know.
Then she cut that tofu into little squares, like tiny bread pieces but not bread. She called ’em cubes, fancy word for squares. Then she dumped ’em in a bowl and threw in some spices. Said you could use anything you like. I grabbed some salt, some pepper, some garlic powder. I like garlic. Keeps the vampires away, they say. Not that I’ve seen any vampires around here, but better safe than sorry.
- Press the tofu: Get that water out, make it firm.
- Cut into cubes: Little squares, you know.
- Season it up: Salt, pepper, whatever you fancy.
She said she also adds paprika and some onion powder. Kids love those kinds of spices now, always wantin’ somethin’ different. Back in my day, salt and pepper was good enough for anything. But I gotta admit, that paprika stuff did make it smell nice. Kind of smoky like. Reminded me of that time old man Johnson burnt his barbeque, but in a good way.
Next, into that spaceship it went. The air fryer, I mean. She said you can’t put too many in at once. Gotta spread ’em out so they cook even. Like sunbathing, you gotta get all sides, you know? Set it to somethin’ like 380, I think she said. For about 15 minutes. Then she flipped them tofu pieces over halfway through, so they get crispy on both sides. She kept checkin’ on ‘em, makin’ sure they didn’t burn. Nobody likes burnt food, unless you’re old man Johnson, I guess.
And let me tell ya, them little tofu squares, they came out crispy! Crunchy little things. Like little chips, but not chips. Still tofu. She put them on top of some tomato soup. Said it adds “texture” and “protein.” Big words for a little food. But I gotta say, it was good. The soup was warm and the tofu was crunchy. A nice change from them soggy bread croutons I usually use. And healthier, she says. At my age, I guess I gotta start thinkin’ about that healthy stuff.
Now, she says you can put these tofu croutons on anything. Soup, salad, whatever. I even tried ‘em on top of my mashed potatoes the other day. Not bad, not bad at all. So, if you’re looking for somethin’ new to try, give these air fryer tofu croutons a shot. Easy to make, even for an old lady like me. And it gets those grandkids eatin’ their tofu, which is a win in my book.
Just remember, press that tofu good, spread ’em out in that air fryer, and keep an eye on ’em so they don’t burn. And don’t be afraid to add whatever spices you like. It’s your food, you can make it taste how you want it to. That’s what I always say. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I gotta go make some more. Got a hankerin’ for some soup and crispy tofu.
Tags: Air Fryer Tofu, Tofu Recipe, Soup Topping, Crispy Tofu, Healthy Snack, Easy Recipe
