Sauerkraut Pasta with smoked tofu and walnuts is a great budget-friendly meal.
Vegan Sauerkraut Pasta is a super delicious autumn comfort food with only a few cheap ingredients to make. It’s also quick and easy to prepare, yet it tastes so so so good! Tangy sauerkraut, hearty smoked tofu and earthy walnuts, I think it’s a combo made in heaven.
To be honest I’ve been avoiding posting this recipe for a long time now, simply because already the idea of photographing this dish made me anxious. It’s just one of those dishes, that no matter what you do, will never look good…But since this recipe is so good and so stupidly easy, I decided to finally try to take some pictures of it. And who needs pretty food anyways, right? 😉
My love of sauerkraut takes many forms on the blog. I love it in soups, salads, Hungarian style, but my biggest and probably oldest favorite is this Sauerkraut Gnocchi recipe. It’s a super yummy two-ingredient dish, that is still a regular in my kitchen. If you haven’t tried that yet, you HAVE TO do so now!
Today’s Sauerkraut Pasta is an updated version of that recipe with some smoked tofu, toasted walnuts, and a little bit of milk for extra creaminess. As always, you can totally adjust the measurements and ingredients to your liking here, so feel free to experiment a little bit.
I went with whole wheat farfalle this time, but any type of pasta will do the job. Use marinated tofu, tempeh, or store-bought vegan meats instead of the smoked tofu, add chopped and toasted almonds, pecans, or hazelnuts, if you don’t like walnuts. You can also use coconut cream or cashew cream instead of plant milk, or just simply omit it all together. Add some cooked lentils or chickpeas for extra protein, and use your favorite fresh herbs to decorate it all.
Trust me, there’s no wrong way to make this dish!
If you try this recipe, let me know! I would highly appreciate if you could leave a comment and rate it. Also don’t forget to take a picture and tag it on Instagram (use the hashtag #greenevi) or post it on Facebook! I love seeing what you come up with! ♥︎
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Sauerkraut Pasta w/ Smoked Tofu
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 2-3 1x
Ingredients
180 g/6.5 oz pasta of your choice (use GF if needed)
1/2 cup of walnuts
1 tbsp vegetable oil (optional)
1 cup of diced smoked tofu
1.5 cups of sauerkraut, roughly chopped
1/4 cup of unsweetened plant milk
2 tbsp chopped chives
salt, pepper
Instructions
- Prepare pasta according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
- Meanwhile toast walnuts in a skillet until browned and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board, and once cool enough to handle, chop roughly.
- Put the skillet back on medium heat and add oil. Once oil is hot add tofu cubes, and cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until cubes are evenly browned. You can also cook tofu cubes without oil, just make sure you use a non-stick skillet. Set tofu cubes aside.
- Add sauerkraut to the same pan back at medium heat, and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. You want the sauerkraut to get a bit browned, but you don’t want it to burn.
- Add milk, cooked pasta, chopped walnuts, and tofu cubes to the sauerkraut, and mix everything well together. Cook for 2-5 more minutes, until everything is heated. Season with salt and pepper.
- Serve pasta warm with chopped chives on top. Enjoy!
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
What a wonderful meal! Sauerkraut and smoked tofu…I would have never thought of this unusual yet delicious combo, Evi.
Thank you, Angie! 🙂
You made it look beautiful and I am kind of intrigued by smoked tofu since I have never seen one here. This meal sounds really delicious and comforting.
Thanks! Smoked tofu is luckily super popular here, it’s actually my favorite type of tofu 🙂
The photos that you took of this dish look amazing! I’m so glad you decided to make this recipe. I can’t wait to try it myself! I think I may try adding beyond sausage as well, that might be a good addition.
This seems like a perfect meal for a cozy day.
Thanks, Brittany! Beyond sausage sounds like a seriously good addition here, I have some in the freezer, so definitely going to try it too 😉
HI, I made this recipe because I couldn’t get it out of the back of my mind after you posted it. I really enjoyed it! I love this combination you have come up with. Thank you! A welcome change from the many orange colored foods at this time of year. You must know that you are very talented! Cheers.
Hi Laura,
I’m so happy to hear you liked the recipe! Your sweet words totally made my day 🙂
Hi! Thank you for the recipe. I have a question. Can it be made without walnuts?
Yes, absolutely! In the original version I only use gnocchi and sauerkraut 😉
Sounds so good and easy! 😋 You make the darker earthy colors on the dish all look good together too. So glad you shared the recipe. 🙂
Thanks, Justin! I hope you will try and like the recipe 😘