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Jenné Claiborne, the creator of Sweet Potato Soul and author of Vegan Vibes, recently shared a video exploring her picks of the best tofu marinades. Known for her delicious plant-based recipes, Claiborne has built a loyal following by showing that vegan food can be flavorful, accessible, and deeply satisfying.
In her latest video, she tackles one of the most common misconceptions about tofu – that it’s bland. “If you feel like you don’t like tofu, you’ve never had tofu that you’ve liked before, it’s probably not the tofu, it’s probably the way it was prepared,” Claiborne says. She goes on to demonstrate three simple but flavorful marinades: garlic gochujang, Jamaican jerk, and lemon caper. Each one brings out a different side of tofu and can be cooked in multiple ways depending on your preferences.
Garlic gochujang marinade
This Korean-inspired marinade combines gochujang paste, soy sauce, lime juice, agave, sesame oil, sesame seeds, and grated garlic. Gochujang – a fermented red chili paste – is naturally savory, slightly sweet, and gently spicy, making it ideal for tofu dishes.
Claiborne presses extra firm tofu, cuts it into cubes, and coats it with the sauce before marinating it in the fridge. She suggests baking or air-frying the tofu and using it in bowls, stir-fries, or noodle dishes.
Read more: How To Use Mushrooms To Make A Nutritious ‘Chicken’ Salad
Jamaican jerk marinade
For her jerk marinade, Claiborne blends onion, garlic, scallions, ginger, jalapeño, lime juice, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, agave, vegetable bouillon, water, and classic jerk spices like thyme, allspice, black pepper, and nutmeg. She credits the original inspiration to chef and author Bryant Terry.
“This is just one of the best jerk marinade recipes I’ve ever, ever come across,” Claiborne says.
She uses the marinade on cubed tofu, which she stores in a bowl before sautéing with onions and bell peppers for a flavorful, meal-ready protein.
Lemon caper marinade
The third option is a citrusy, umami-packed lemon caper marinade made from lemon juice, olive oil, maple syrup, capers, and seasonings like thyme and turmeric. This one is inspired by Claiborne’s cauliflower piccata recipe and works especially well when cooked into a sauce.
All three marinades are designed to elevate tofu while keeping the process approachable. Claiborne reminds viewers that tofu is highly versatile – and that the key is how you cook and flavor it.
You can find more plant-based recipes on the Sweet Potato Soul YouTube channel.
Read more: Cozy Up With This Vegan Chicken And Dumplings Recipe
