Sweet Chili Tofu Wonton Cups with Olives

Thank you to California Ripe Olives for sponsoring this post!

These sweet chili tofu wonton cups are a healthy vegetarian appetizer that’s perfect for a party. The crispy wonton cups are baked and not fried.

I get excited for the big game not because of the game but the snacks. It’s essentially 4 hours of uninhibited eating, and I love it. For those of you who are still wondering what to bring to your game day parties, these chili tofu wonton cups are for you!

The wonton cups are made from square dumpling skins that are baked into a crunchy, chip-like cup. Then, I fill each cup with a light carrot and cabbage salad, as well as sweet chili tofu and chopped California Black Ripe Olives.

I know it’s a bit unexpected to add olives to sweet chili flavors. However, the California Black Ripe Olives contain just the right amount of salt to balance the sweetness of the sweet chili tofu and the salad. California Ripe Olives go through a consistent curing process that ensures their quality in taste. In fact, I keep cans of them around the house for snacking when I crave something savory.

These wonton cups are easy to assemble, and they’re a healthy vegetarian appetizer to bring to your next party!

COOKING NOTES FOR THE SWEET CHILI TOFU WONTON CUPS

The baking time depends on the thickness of the wonton skins and whether you are using a dark or light muffin pan. Wonton cups that were made with my dark muffin pan were ready quicker than the ones made with my light pan. Just be sure to check the wonton cups at around the 8-minute mark to see if they are golden on top. If not, let them bake for another minute or so.

If you are doubling this recipe, note that the second batch of wonton cups may bake faster than the first. I would start checking the wonton cups at around the 7-minute mark.

Sweet Chili Tofu Wonton Cups with Olives

I love eating these wonton cups with a drizzle of chili oil on top for extra heat. Double the recipe if you are making appetizers for a large group of people. You can also make the wonton cups with circular dumpling wrappers, but they’ll look more like a shallow bowl.

If you are pressed for time, you can replace the carrots and shredded cabbage with 3 1/2 cups of packaged coleslaw mix.

• Author: Lisa Lin

Ingredients

Wonton Cups

• 24 thin square wonton skins
• cooking spray

Chili Tofu and Olive Topping

• 14-ounce package of extra-firm tofu
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1/2 cup California Black Ripe Olives, chopped*
• 2 stalks of scallions, thinly sliced
• 3 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
• pinch of sea salt
• chili oil for drizzling (optional)

Salad

• 1 large carrot, peeled and julienned**
• 1 1/4 cups shredded cabbage
• 1 1/4 cups shredded red cabbage
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 3 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Position the oven racks to the top third and lower third positions.
2. Spray two 12-cup muffin pans with cooking spray. Line each of the cups with a wonton skin. Make sure to press the skin against the bottom and edges of the pan to ensure that you get a nice, open wonton cup. Lightly spray the wonton skins with cooking spray.
3. Place the muffin pans in the oven and bake for about 8 to 9 minutes, until the tops are golden brown. Take the wonton cups out the oven, and let them cool on a rack.
4. Drain the package of tofu and wrap it around a muslin cloth or paper towels. Place the wrapped tofu onto a plate. Add a stack of plates on top of the tofu, and let the tofu sit for about 20 to 30 minutes. Unwrap the tofu, and cut it into 1/2 to 3/4-inch slices.
5. Drizzle the soy sauce over a non-stick skillet. Take each slice of tofu and cover it with the soy sauce. Drizzle the canola oil into the pan, and turn the heat to medium-high. Pan fry the tofu for about 3 to 4 minutes and then flip them over to the other side. Let it cook for another 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and transfer the tofu to a plate. Once cooled, chop each slice of tofu into 1/2-inch cubes.
6. In a bowl, toss together the tofu cubes, chopped California Black Ripe Olives, sliced scallions, sweet chili sauce, toasted sesame seeds, and salt. Set it aside.
7. In another bowl, toss together the julienned carrots, shredded cabbage and red cabbage, rice vinegar, sweet chili sauce, sesame oil, and salt.
8. Assemble the wonton cups. Add a bit of the salad to the bottom of each cup. Spoon the tofu and olive topping over the salad. Drizzle each wonton cup with chili oil, if desired. Serve the wonton cups immediately.

Notes

You can make the wonton cups up to 2 days ahead. Store the baked wonton cups in an airtight container.

*I quartered each olive and then sliced each quarter in half or into thirds, depending on the size of the olive.

**I sliced the carrot into 1 1/2-inch chunks before I julienned the carrot.

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by California Ripe Olives. You can visit their website for more information or follow them on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, or Twitter.