How can I make this soy-free?

Instead of the yuba, make these “tofu” deli slices, but use Big Mountain Foods Soy-Free Tofu . You will also need to replace the sauce used in this recipe with your favorite soy-free sweet and savory barbecue sauce.

What gluten-free ways can I enjoy the filling with?

First, ensure you use gluten-free hoisin sauce and a gluten-free tamari to make the filling gluten-free. Once the skewers are prepared, you can enjoy them straight off the skewer with your favorite veggie and grain sides. I love having the skewers with rice, but you can also have them with your favorite added sauces and greens all stuffed in a gluten-free wrap.

Can the skewers be made ahead?

Yes! I meal prepped a few batches of this recipe after cooking the skewers. Just allow to cool and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can eat them cold or reheat the skewers in a skillet or cooked in a toaster oven/air fryer for a few minutes to warm through.

Hoisin Glazed Yuba and Eggplant Sandwiches

Description

These Hoisin Glazed Yuba and Eggplant Sandwiches provide the perfect chewy bite while packing in your protein and veggies all summer long.

Ingredients

Scale

Pink Slaw

3 cups shredded red cabbage
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 tbsp rice vinegar
Juice of 1 lime
1-2 tbsp vegan mayo
2 tsp maple syrup
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
1/4 tsp white pepper (optional)
Kosher salt

Tofu and Eggplant Strips

1, 120g package of dried yuba strips or bean curd slices (see notes for alternatives)
1 vegetable bouillon cube
2 Chinese eggplants
Avocado oil for cooking
Lime wedges for serving

Hoisin BBQ Sauce

1/3 cup hoisin sauce (gluten-free if needed)
1/3 cup ketchup
1 tbsp tamari (gluten-free if needed)
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1/2 tsp five spice (optional)

Sandwich Assembly

4 hamburger buns
Dill pickles
Vegan mayo

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Instructions

To make the slaw, add the cabbage and onion to a large mixing bowl. Add the vinegar, lime juice, mayo, maple syrup, sesame oil, sesame seeds, white pepper, and a generous pinch of salt. With clean hands, massage the ingredients into the cabbage and onions until they start to soften. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
If using dried yuba, boil at least 2 cups of water in a tea kettle. Transfer the dried strips to a large heat safe bowl and crush the bouillon cube over top. Pour the water on top of the strips and allow the strips to soften, about 10-15 minutes. Drain the yuba, and gently squeeze excess moisture out of it. Return to the cleared bowl and set aside.
While you wait for the yuba to soak, prep the sauce. Add the hoisin sauce, ketchup, tamari, maple syrup, rice vinegar, and five spice to a small bowl and whisk together well to combine.
Thinly slice the eggplant into bendable strips. You can do this carefully with a mandoline for the most efficiency, a y-vegetable peeler, or with a sharp knife. Pour about 2-3 tbsp of the sauce into a large bowl, then add the sliced eggplant. Cover the top of the eggplant with 2-3 more tbsp of the sauce and gently toss or brush the slices of the eggplant to coat. As needed, add additional sauce to make sure the eggplant is properly coated.
Pour 3-4 tbsp of the over the yuba strips and toss to coat.
Alternating between the yuba strips and eggplant strips, fold each strip up on itself then thread each piece onto a skewer until completely covered. For reference, I used 6-inch stainless steel skewers which made 8-10 full skewers. The number of skewers made will depend on the thickness of your eggplant slices.
Heat up a large skillet or griddle over medium heat, brushing the surface with some oil. Place the skewers on the surface and leave them to cook undisturbed for 3-4 minutes on each side or until they start to lightly char.
Brush the tops of the cooked skewers well with the remaining hoisin bbq sauce then flip and allow to cook for 2-3 minutes. Repeat with the other side if desired then transfer the skewers to a serving plate. Feel free to add a squeeze of lime overtop.
To assemble a sandwich, spread your buns with a smear of mayo if desired. Remove the strips and eggplant from the skewers and arrange them onto the bottom bun. Layer with a handful of the pink slaw, pickles, then top with the remaining bun and enjoy!

Notes

Adjust recipe for desired servings. I often scale down this recipe when I just want 1-2 servings. I’ll just make the sauce in advance for the week and use as much as I like to coat a smaller portion of yuba and eggplant strips. I can then skewer and cook 2-4 skewers, which significantly cuts the time down for this recipe.

Finding yuba. Yuba also can be found as “tofu skin” or “bean curb skin”. You can find them in strips or slices. The one’s used in this recipe were dried and in slice form which looks like strips when rehydrated. You can find them online or at your local Asian market. I specifically found my strips in the aisles at a local HMart.

Fresh yuba. If you’re lucky enough to find fresh yuba, feel free to cut it and use it as desired. You don’t need to rehydrate it, so feel free to skip straight to coating it in the hoisin sauce.

Use tofu. If you are not interested in intruding a new ingredient into your pantry, make eggplant skewers and make this tofu deli meat instead. See FAQ for allergen suggestions.

If you’re feeling lazy, skip these steps. Instead of skewering, stir-fry the eggplant and yuba up in a wok. You can also replace making your own sauce with your favorite brand of sweet and savory barbecue sauce.