Perk up your sandwiches with this lip-smackingly delicious vegan tofu pastrami. Easy homemade deli slices.
You don’t have to miss out on deli slices (deli meat) and deli sandwiches when you eat a plant-based diet.
In fact, this easy vegan tofu pastrami has all the spices and flavours of pastrami, but it’s also healthier than any shop-bought deli slices.
It’s the perfect filling for sandwiches, although it’s hard not to nibble your way through a batch, it’s so tasty!
Try adding slices to these Italian Deli Sandwiches with beans.
Jump to:
At a glance – tofu pastrami deli slices
⏲️ Ready in: 35 minutes
👪 Serves: 4
🍽 Calories: 152
🧾 Main ingredients: tofu, beet juice (vinegar from jar of pickled beetroot – adds colour & flavour), brown sugar, soy sauce, olive oil, dried spices & herbs
👩🏻🍳 Suitable for: vegan, plant-based, dairy-free, egg-free, vegetarian
Summarise & save this recipe:
🥓 Homemade deli slices
Tofu pastrami is so easy to make and can be baked in the air fryer or oven.
If you’re using the air fryer, remember it cooks more quickly, so keep an eye on it.
Make a batch and keep it in the fridge to add to sandwiches for a high-protein filling that tastes delicious.
💭 Which type of tofu?
You need firm or extra-firm tofu to make this easy vegan deli meat.
DO NOT use silken tofu, as it’s a creamy tofu used for sauces and desserts and is the wrong texture for pastrami slices.
If you are using firm tofu, you will have to press it first to remove the excess water.
You can do this with a tofu press (if you have one).
Or dry the excess water from it with kitchen roll (kitchen paper), then wrap in more kitchen roll and a tea towel, then pile heavy cookbooks on top.
One heavy cookbook and a few cans (think canned tinned tomatoes, soup or lentils) work well too.
It will do the job just as nicely as a shop-bought tofu press.
Extra firm tofu is pre-pressed, so very convenient, but it does tend to cost more, so buy to suit your budget.
🔪 Peel that tofu
For this recipe, I use a potato peeler to peel thin slices of tofu.
Of course, you could slice it thinly with a sharp knife.
It’s up to you!
I like the crispy bits on the edges of the vegan tofu pastrami when it’s peeled instead of chopped.
⏲️ Give the tofu time to marinate
The secret to getting all the flavour into tofu deli slices is to give them time to sit in the tasty marinade.
Just make up the marinade in a tub (the beautiful colour comes from beet juice), then add your tofu slices.
Add the lid and give it a good toss in the marinade by turning the tub a few times, then leave it to sit.
Turn it again before laying the slices on a lined baking tray and cooking.
It doesn’t need long to soak up all the colour and flavour, just 10-15 minutes, or you can pop it in the fridge to cook later.
👩🏻🍳 Keep the nubbly bits
You’ll find you have bits of tofu that drop off as you are slicing or end bits that are too small to peel or slice.
Crumble them, then set them aside, then toss them in leftover marinade, once your slices are cooking.
Bake them spread out on a lined sheet pan (baking tray) and use this crumbled tofu to add to a wrap or two with mustard, salad leaves & slices of cucumber.
This is a no-waste recipe.
📋 What you need to make plant-based pastrami slices
Here are the simple ingredients you need to make these simple spiced deli slices.
- Tofu – firm tofu (press it yourself) or extra firm tofu (or super firm tofu, which is pre-pressed and ready to slice)
- Beet juice – the vinegar from a jar of pickled beetroot for that colour and to replace the brine in the process of making regular pastrami
- Olive oil
- Soy sauce
- Water
- Paprika
- Brown sugar – or demerara sugar
- Ground coriander
- Mustard powder – I use English mustard powder, but you could use dijon mustard or yellow American mustard instead
- Onion salt – or a mixture of onion powder (onion granules) and salt
- Garlic powder – garlic granules or fresh garlic crushed
- Salt and black pepper – to season
The full printable recipe card is at the bottom of this page under the step-by-step photos.
🥪 Serving tofu pastrami
Other than just nibbling on it as a snack, here are some ideas for serving these tasty tofu slices.
- Breakfast– serve as part of a cooked breakfast in place of bacon (check out my gochujang tofu bacon too)
- BLT – add it to a vegan BLT (bacon, lettuce & tomato sandwich).
- Deli sandwich – layer it up with cheese, salad, gherkins (dill pickles) and mustard for a bangin’ sandwich (also check out my vegan New York Deli Sandwich)
- Cheese deli board – add these pastrami slices to a deli board with slices of vegan cheese, olives, pickles, oatcakes or crackers and grapes for a picky dinner (or shall we call it ‘girl dinner’, which was big on Tiktok for a while)
- Pizza topping – in place of pepperoni, but as I say with my easy vegan pepperoni, if you are making some of these deli slices to add to pizza, undercook them as it will cook again on the pizza, so only cook for 5 or 6 minutes
I’m sure you will have some good ideas too, but you do have to nibble some, for quality control, of course.
Although, try not to quality-control the whole batch!
👩🏻🍳 Storing homemade deli slices
You can keep these pastrami deli slices in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
It will lose some of the crispness, but will still be very tasty.
💭 Top Tip
Ovens can cook unevenly. They are often hotter at one side, so for an even bake, turn your homemade deli slices during cooking for an even finish.
Looking for other sandwich fillings similar to this? Try these:
⭐ Sign up for a free recipe sent to your inbox every morning
Join my list and have one recipe emailed to you every morning for inspiration, also make sure you are signed up for my new recipe email, so you don’t miss any new recipes.
👩🏻🍳 Easy sandwich ideas
Buy my ebook 150 Easy Vegan Sandwiches (5 ingredients or less) for less than the cost of a cup of coffee.
It’s a set of easy sandwich lists to keep on your phone to scan through when shopping.
Or print it out and keep in the kitchen for making quick and easy sandwiches when you are stuck for ideas.
👩🏻🍳 How to make easy vegan pastrami with tofu
These step-by-step photos will show you how to make these delectable deli slices. The full printable recipe is below these photos.
Step 1
- Add the beet juice (vinegar from a jar of pickled beetroot) to an airtight container.
- Make sure it is big enough to marinate a batch of tofu slices and that it has a tight-fitting lid.
- Start to add the flavourings (full recipe card below).
Step 2
- Add the rest of the flavourings and mix the marinade well.
- Cut the pressed tofu (firm tofu will need to be pressed first, extra firm tofu can be used after it is patted dry) into two thinner chunks, then peel it into thin slices or slice thinly with a sharp knife.
- Don’t throw away any nubbly bits (pieces of tofu that crumble off while you are peeling or cutting, or leftover bits), set them aside.
Step 3
- Place your thin slices of tofu in the marinade, add the lid (making sure it is one firmly) and turn the tub a few times to allow the marinade to coat the tofu.
- Leave to sit for 10-15 minutes, then give another couple of turns.
- Place the slices on a lined baking sheet (sheet pan or baking tray), with space between them (I bake them in 2 batches).
- Bake until crisp at the edges.
- Toss the nubbly bits (crumbled tofu) in the remaining marinade and bake to use in wraps.
- Nibble on some for quality control, then use the rest for sandwiches.
- Enjoy!
📖 Recipe
Easy Vegan Tofu Pastrami Deli Slices for Sandwiches
Perk up your sandwiches with this lip-smackingly delicious vegan tofu pastrami. Easy homemade deli slices.
Ingredients
Instructions
Keep screen on
-
Add all the ingredients (not the tofu) to a large airtight container with a tight-fitting lid and mix well. That’s your marinade made.
-
Cut your tofu in half so you have two thinner pieces, then peel slices with a potato peeler or cut thin slices with a dharp knife.
-
Save any pieces of tofu that crumbles off or leftover bits (I call these nubbly bits) and set aside (you will cook these too).
-
Place the tofu slices in the marinade, add the lid and turn over a few times, allowing the tofu to be coated in the marinade, then leave to sit for 10-15 minutes.
-
Preheat your oven to 200c / 180c fan / 400f / gas mark 6 and line two baking trays (sheet pans) with non-stick baking paper.
-
Give the tofu in marinade another couple of turns, then open the tub and lift out the slices and place on the lined sheets, with a little space between the slices, don’t worry if some of them break, they will still be good.
-
Bake in the oven for 15 – 20 minutes until crisp at the edges. My oven cooks unevenly, so I like to turn the rotate the tray so it is bake more evening (tofu facing up of course, just turn the tray).
-
While the tofu pastrami slices are baking toss the nubbly bits (crumbled tofu) in the remaining marinade. Bake it spread out on a lined tray once the slices are out for the same time. It’s good to serve in a wrap.
-
Taste some (for quality control you understand), then add to a sandwich or grilled sandwich and serve.
-
Enjoy!
Notes
- Serve as a BLT sandwich with lettuce and tomato or on a deli sandwich with mustard, salad, sliced gherkins (dill pickle) and cheese.
- It’s good on a deli board with cheese, pickles, olives and crackers.
- If you’re adding it to pizza instead of pepperoni, undercook it as it will cook on the pizza too, so 5-7 minutes will be enough.
- Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Nutrition
Serving: 1servingCalories: 142kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 10gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gSodium: 2083mgPotassium: 260mgFiber: 1gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 73IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 62mgIron: 2mg