Liptauer-Style Paprika and Tofu Spread
Liptauer is the paprika-stained spread of the old Austro-Hungarian table, a bowl of soft cheese beaten with paprika, caraway, and onion and served with bread. This version keeps the seasoning and swaps the dairy: pressed tofu whipped with a little plant yogurt gives the same firm, tangy, spoonable base that farmer cheese did. Sweet paprika carries the color and caraway carries the perfume, while rinsed capers do the job salt once did. Fold the spices in cold to protect the paprika, then let the whole bowl rest so the flavors settle. It keeps for several days in the fridge and only gets better.
Ingredients
- 8 oz Firm tofu, pressed
- 1/4 cup Plain plant yogurt, unsweetened
- 1 tbsp Sweet paprika
- 1/2 tsp Smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp Caraway, toasted and ground
- 2 tbsp Red onions, finely grated
- 1 tbsp Capers, rinsed and minced
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp Lemon juice, fresh
- 2 tbsp Chives, chopped
- 1/4 tsp Black peppercorns, freshly ground
Method
- Press the tofu for 15 minutes under a weighted plate to squeeze out its water. Liptauer is built on drained farmer cheese, and pressing the tofu the same way gives you a firm, spreadable base instead of a wet one that weeps on the bread.
- Blend the pressed tofu with the yogurt and lemon juice until completely smooth, scraping down once or twice. Whipping it past the grainy stage is what turns two firm ingredients into the light, creamy texture that makes people reach for a second cracker.
- Work in the sweet and smoked paprika, ground caraway, mustard, and black pepper by hand. Folding the paprika in off the heat keeps its color bright red and its flavor fruity, since cooked paprika turns dull and bitter.
- Fold in the grated onion, minced capers, and chives last. The capers stand in for the salt this spread would traditionally carry, so a rinsed spoonful does the seasoning while adding far less sodium than a salted cheese would.
- Chill at least 1 hour before serving. The rest lets the caraway and paprika bloom into the tofu and the raw onion soften, so the spread tastes married rather than like a bowl of separate seasonings.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving: 80 calories, 7 g protein, 2 g fiber, 150 mg sodium. Computed from USDA FoodData Central reference values for the main ingredients. This is an approximation, not a laboratory measurement. How these are computed.
Cost per serving is estimated from US national-average retail prices for cheap staple forms, using BLS dried-bean prices and USDA produce prices. Prices vary by store and season, so treat it as a guide, not a receipt. How this is computed.
