The Best Vegan Chicken Parmesan

Place 8 to 10 cups of water, 2 tablespoons of bouillon powder, and 2 teaspoons of the salt in a pot over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Once at a boil, gently add the tofu and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the tofu and pat each slice dry and set aside. Reserve 1 cup of the liquid used to boil the tofu and place it in a shallow bowl. Set aside.

Set up a breading station. The first shallow bowl is the tofu boiling liquid we reserved in step 1. In the second shallow bowl, place the flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning. Mix to combine. In the third, add the breadcrumbs with the remaining 1 teaspoon salt and pepper, mixing to combine.

To bread the tofu pieces, dip each tofu slice into the liquid, then coat in the flour mixture, then dip back into the liquid, and finally coat with the breadcrumbs, pressing gently to adhere. Continue until each piece of tofu is fully coated. Place the coated pieces of tofu onto a plate and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Once the oil is hot (you’ll know when you sprinkle in a few panko breadcrumbs and it begins to sizzle immediately) gently place the tofu into the pan and fry until golden and crispy, about 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer the crispy tofu to the baking sheet.

Once all the fried tofu is on the baking tray, top each piece with ¼ cup of sauce. Sprinkle 2 heaping tablespoons each of mozzarella and parmesan over the sauce and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbling.

Remove from the oven and top with fresh herbs and enjoy by itself, or alongside your favorite pasta and/or greens! ENJOY!