Replica Recipe: Trader Joe’s Vegetable Nuggets
DO you miss TJ's Tofu Edamame Nuggets? So do a lot of people... so here's a replica recipe to make them at home - and gluten free, at that!
Servings: 28 Nuggets
Calories: 52kcal
Ingredients
Filling
- 1 Brick Medium-soft Tofu About 1 lb
- ½ White Onion
- 1 Large Egg
- 1 tablespoon Soy Sauce Gluten-Free, if needed
- 1 ½ teaspoon Nutritional Yeast
- ¾ Cup Soy Flour
- ¼ Cup Corn Starch
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ teaspoon Ground Pepper
- ¾ teaspoon Salt
- ⅔ Cup Shelled Edamame
- ⅓ Cup Shredded Carrot Large shred, not fine
Batter
- ½ Cup Masa Flour
- ½ Cup White Rice Flour
- ¼ Cup Corn Starch
- ½ teaspoon Baking Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Paprika
- 1 Large Egg
- 1 teaspoon Soy Sauce Gluten Free, if needed
- 1 ¼ cup Cold Water
Instructions
To Make the Nuggets
- Drain tofu, wrap in 3 layers of paper towels, and place in a strainer. Add something a little heavy – we used a peanut butter jar – on top, to press. The tofu will mush a bit, that’s OK. Allow to stand for ten minutes. Discard paper towels, chop up pressed tofu and transfer to a food processor.
- Grate onion. With clean hands, squeeze out as much water as you can. Measure 2 tablespoon squeezed onion into a food processor, along with egg, soy sauce, and nutritional yeast, if using. Blitz until smooth and well combined.
- In a medium-large mixing bowl, combine soy flour, corn starch, garlic powder, pepper, and salt. Add tofu mixture, stir until smooth and well combined. Add edamame and carrot, stir until vegetables are well distributed.
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Using two tablespoons, scoop mounds of filling onto the prepared baking sheets – you’ll want rounded Tablespoons, close to about 2 tablespoon in volume. Use a wet finger to smooth mound into a “nugget” about 1.5″ x 2.5″, and about ½” thick. Repeat with rest of batter.
- Once all nuggets are formed, transfer pans to freezer and allow to chill until firm.
- Once your patties are prepared, heat vegetable oil to 375 F. You can use a deep fryer, or a heavy pan. If not using a deep fryer, use a deep, heavy pot, filled to at least 3″ deep. As oil is heating, prepare your batter:
- Whisk together dry ingredients. Add egg and soy sauce, whisk until well combined. Add a small amount of water, stirring to combine. Continue adding cold water, stirring gently until just combined – mixture can be a bit lumpy.
- For best results, set bowl of batter in another, larger bowl that is filled with ice. The colder the batter, the better the coating!
- Gently dip chilled patties in the batter one at a time, slowly removing from the batter and allowing excess to drip off. Carefully transfer to heated oil. Fry a few at a time – turning every couple of minutes.
To Eat Immediately:
- Fry until golden, about 5-7 minutes. Transfer fried pieces to platter lined with paper towels. Salt lightly – if you’d like – and serve hot!
To Freeze and Heat/Eat Later:
- Fry only until batter is no longer wet and is only lightly golden, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from oil, transfer to paper towels, and blot well. Cool to room temperature. Arrange on baking sheet lined with parchment paper, freeze. Once frozen, transfer to airtight freezer container until use.
To Bake Frozen Nuggets:
- Preheat oven to 350F. Place frozen nuggets on a baking sheet, bake for 10 minutes. Flip each nugget, bake for 10 more minutes. Serve hot!
Nutrition
Calories: 52kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 126mg | Potassium: 116mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 279IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 1mg
