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–+ servings

Vegan Fried Stuffed Squash Blossoms

These light, crispy squash blossoms are filled with the most flavorful tofu blend and are equal parts filling and delicious. Plus, they are sneakily easy to make! You can serve these as an appetizer, but since they are packed with protein, you can also serve them as a compliment to any plant-based meal. They are one of my favorite things to make in the summer when squash blossoms are everywhere.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 16 blossoms

Equipment

Ingredients

For the tofu stuffed squash blossoms
  • 1 16-ounce pack of extra-firm tofu
  • 1/4 cup loosely packed mint leaves, 5 grams
  • 1/4 cup loosely packed basil leaves, 5 grams
  • 1/4 cup dried bread crumbs, 0.5 ounces / 15 grams
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
  • 16 medium squash blossoms
For the vegan frying batter
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour, 5 ounces / 140 grams
  • 1 cup seltzer water, 8.4 ounces / 240 grams
  • 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
  • 4 cups vegetable oil , 32 ounces

Instructions 

  1. Drain the tofu (no need to press out the moisture) and add it to a large bowl. Use a fork to mash up the tofu as well as possible.
  2. Finely chop the mint and basil and add it to the tofu. Add the 1/4 cup of bread crumbs, 1 teaspoon oregano, 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes and 1 teaspoon salt and mix to combine. The mixture may be crumbly, but don't mind it.
  3. Transfer the tofu mixture to a plastic bag that is suitable for piping. Any bag where you can cut off a corner edge will do. A piping bag is great if you are feeling fancy.
  4. Mash up the tofu in the bag with your hands, making it a paste-like texture.
  5. Cut a corner of the bag to make an opening that is around 3/4 of an inch wide.
  6. Gently open up the squash blossoms and pipe in the tofu until it fills the flower about 3/4 of the way up. Then twist the bottom petals of the blossom together, encasing the tofu in the flower. Try not to break the petals, but also know that once the tofu is encapsulated, it's a lot more sturdy than you think!
  7. Place all the stuffed blossoms on a cutting board and set them aside.
  8. In a large, shallow bowl, whisk together the 1 cup of all-purpose flour, 1 cup of seltzer water, and 1 teaspoon salt.
  9. Now it's time to begin the frying process. Add the 4 cups of oil to a small pot or Dutch oven and set it over medium-high heat. Prepare a cooling rack by placing it over a baking sheet and set that near the frying station. (If you don't have a cooling rack, just line a baking sheet with paper towels).
  10. When the vegetable oil has reached 350°F-375°F, you are ready to fry. Do two squash blossoms at a time. Dip them in the batter, gently shake off any excess, and carefully place them in the oil. Fry them for 1 minute to 90 seconds, or until they are golden brown. Flip them if needed, and use tongs to transfer them to the cooling rack to drain.
  11. Once all the squash blossoms are fried, they are ready to serve! See the Note below on how to properly handle the oil.

Notes

Note: When you are done with the frying oil, leave it on the stove top to completely cool to room temperature. Then strain it through a fine mesh sieve and transfer it to a jar. It can be reused for frying.