This crispy tofu stir fry options golden-edged tofu, a savory-sweet sauce, and versatile veggies. It’s excellent for busy weeknights or tasty leftovers.
For years I averted tofu, till I discovered that cooked up proper, it may be one of many tastiest plant-based dinners round! Certainly one of my favourite methods to eat it’s this tofu stir fry with colourful veggies.
A stir fry appears easy at first, however you want excessive warmth to get completely seared veggies and tofu: the veggies must be crisp-tender, and the tofu crisp-edged and golden. The sauce must be tremendous flavorful and coat every thing evenly with a shiny texture. Fortunately I’ve labored this all out for you! Utilizing my recipe, you can also make this scrumptious, protein-packed recipe in simply half-hour, making it the perfect straightforward weeknight dinner concept.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Scrumptious taste: My favourite stir fry sauce is tangy and savory with soy sauce, rice vinegar and miso, and sesame oil and recent ginger carry an fragrant depth
- Tremendous versatile: You should use no matter veggies you’ve available: bell pepper, broccoli florets, snap peas, or mushrooms
- Straightforward plant primarily based dinner: It’s a nutritious recipe that packs in greens and plant-based protein whereas tasting satisfying and comforting
Is Tofu Wholesome?
Sure, tofu is a part of a nutritious diet. Per the Harvard TH Chan Faculty of Vitamin, soy is a nutrient-dense supply of protein that may safely be consumed a number of instances every week.
It’s possible to offer well being advantages, particularly while you eat it as a substitute for crimson meat and processed meat. It’s naturally low in saturated fats and stuffed with vitamins like calcium and iron.
5-Star Reader Opinions
“I’ve made this recipe as my meal-prepped lunch for the week, and it’s completely scrumptious! I changed the miso paste with peanut butter as I forgot to order it with my groceries, however it turned out superior! So completely satisfied I discovered this web site!” – Sinead
“Made this tonight with two children in tow, and it actually did come collectively rapidly and was nice! Thanks!” – Molly
Components You’ll Want
- Greens: Purple bell pepper, broccoli florets, inexperienced onions, shiitake mushrooms are my go-to, however you may also use snow peas, carrots, mushrooms, bok choy, or inexperienced beans: simply reduce every thing into similar-sized items so that they prepare dinner evenly. See my Stir Fry Greens put up for a prepare dinner agenda.
- Additional agency tofu: Additional agency is important for the best texture: softer varieties will crumble while you pan-fry them.
- Cornstarch (or arrowroot powder): This creates the golden exterior on the tofu.
- Sesame oil: I like utilizing sesame oil (not toasted) for top warmth cooking.
- Soy sauce (or tamari): This offers the salty umami base for the stir fry sauce. Swap in tamari for gluten-free, or coconut aminos for soy free.
- Rice vinegar, miso and sugar: Rice vinegar provides brightness, miso brings much more savory umami, and sugar balances every thing out. You may as well use honey or maple syrup.
- Contemporary ginger and garlic cloves: These aromatics add punchy, genuine stir fry taste.
- Inexperienced onions and sesame seeds: For garnish and that ultimate contact of taste and texture.
The way to Make a Tofu Stir Fry
This tofu stir fry works for weeknight dinners since you don’t need to spend the time urgent the water out of it earlier than cooking, which is a step that many tofu recipes have. I’ve created this recipe so that you simply simply pat it dry with a towel and also you’re able to prepare dinner! Listed here are the fundamental steps:
- Make the stir fry sauce. Earlier than you begin cooking, whisk collectively the stir fry sauce elements in a small bowl and set it apart. When you begin cooking tofu and veggies over medium-high warmth, every thing strikes rapidly, so that you need your sauce able to go.
- Chop the veggies. That is the place a lot of the prep time will are available. I’ve specified just a few veggies so that you don’t need to spend hours chopping.
- Cook dinner the tofu. Add cornstarch-coated cubes of tofu in a single layer with house between every bit. Let the tofu sit undisturbed for 3-4 minutes. You’ll comprehend it’s able to flip when it releases simply from the pan and the underside is golden brown.
- Stir fry the veggies. Add the veggies for six minutes. Then add the tofu and sauce and switch off the warmth! The sauce will warmth and thicken utilizing the residual warmth. In case you have the warmth too excessive, the sauce will evaporate.
Variations & Straightforward Swaps
Sweetener choices: Maple syrup, honey, or perhaps a little bit of orange juice focus work fantastically to steadiness the salty soy sauce.
Warmth ranges: In the event you like spice, add crimson pepper flakes to the sauce, or drizzle with sriracha on the finish.
Protein variations: Whereas this tofu dish is my favourite, you possibly can apply the identical approach to different proteins. Attempt tofu crumbles for a unique texture, or you possibly can even make air fryer tofu or pan fried tofu after which add it to the veggies.
Vegetable flexibility: The veggies on this stir fry recipe are very customizable. Child corn, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, bean sprouts, or shredded cabbage work effectively. For a simplified model with just one veggie, strive my tofu broccoli stir fry.
What to Serve With It
This tofu stir fry makes a scrumptious wholesome vegan dinner concept or straightforward vegetarian meal. You’ll need to serve with some type of entire grain to make it extra filling. Listed here are some choices:
- Rice: The simplest and most conventional choice for a stir fry. Go to The way to Cook dinner Rice, or strive my Prompt Pot Rice or Coconut Rice.
- Quinoa: Once I need to combine issues up, quinoa is a enjoyable grain to serve with a stir fry. Attempt my Quinoa Recipe or Prompt Pot Quinoa.
- Cauliflower Rice: Attempt cauliflower rice as a grain-free choice. Take one head of cauliflower and chop it into giant florets. Place half of the florets into the bowl of a meals processor and pulse till totally chopped and the cauliflower resembles grains of rice. Take away the “rice” to a bowl and course of the rest of the cauliflower.
Storage & Reheating Suggestions
Switch cooled leftover tofu stir fry to an hermetic container and refrigerate for as much as 4 days. The tofu gained’t be fairly as crispy after storage, however it’s nonetheless scrumptious.
Finest reheating technique: Reheat in a skillet for a couple of minutes over medium warmth, including a splash of water or a drizzle of additional soy sauce if issues look dry.
Meal prep suggestions: In the event you’re making a double recipe, prepare dinner in batches to ensure that the veggies and tofu sear, not steam. For storage, be sure to retailer rice or noodles individually.
Dietary Notes
This tofu stir fry recipe is vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free and gluten-free.
Incessantly Requested Questions
Sure, basically tofu must be cooked earlier than consuming (although it’s fit for human consumption with out cooking, like this marinated tofu). For a stir fry, you need to prepare dinner the tofu individually first to develop that crispy exterior, then add it again on the finish to keep up the feel. In the event you add uncooked tofu on to a stir fry with greens, it tends to launch moisture and develop into soggy fairly than crispy.
Each cornstarch and arrowroot powder work effectively for crispy tofu. I choose cornstarch as a result of it creates an particularly crispy, golden exterior and is extra extensively out there in most kitchens. Arrowroot is a good various that produces comparable outcomes. Each are gluten-free. Keep away from utilizing common all-purpose flour, because it doesn’t create the identical stage of crispiness.
The commonest mistake isn’t drying the tofu earlier than cooking. One other main error is overcrowding the pan, which causes the tofu to steam as an alternative of sear, leading to soggy cubes. Including the sauce too early can also be problematic; wait till the greens are virtually achieved earlier than pouring within the stir fry sauce. Lastly, utilizing the flawed kinds of tofu (like delicate or silken as an alternative of additional agency) will end in mushy tofu.
Straightforward Tofu Stir Fry
This crispy tofu stir fry options golden-edged tofu, a savory-sweet sauce, and versatile veggies. It’s excellent for busy weeknights or tasty leftovers.
Components
For the stir fry sauce
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 6 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons sugar (or honey or maple syrup)
- 1 tablespoon yellow or white miso paste
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
For the tofu stir fry
- 1 1/2 kilos recent broccoli, stem on (about 3 giant heads or 6 heaping cups florets)*
- 1 crimson bell pepper (or half crimson and half orange)
- 4 ounces shiitake mushrooms (non-compulsory)
- 2 inexperienced onions
- 1 tablespoon grated recent ginger
- 14-ounces agency or additional agency tofu
- 3 tablespoons sesame oil, divided
- Kosher salt
- Sesame seeds
Directions
- Begin the rice: If serving with rice, begin the rice.
- Make the sauce: Whisk collectively the stir fry sauce elements in a medium bowl, or make the sauce upfront and refrigerate till cooking.
- Chop the veggies: Chop the broccoli into florets. Thinly slice the pepper. Take away the shiitake stems and thinly slice them, if utilizing. Thinly slice the inexperienced onion. Peel and grate the ginger.
- Cook dinner the tofu: Reduce the tofu into chew sized items (1-inch squares, 3/8-inch thick and pat it dry with a towel. Add 2 tablespoons sesame oil to a big non-stick pan and add the tofu cubes and some pinches kosher salt. Activate the warmth to medium-high. Cook dinner 5 to six minutes till flippantly browned on the underside.
- Flip the tofu: Briefly take away the pan from the warmth to cut back spitting. Flip the tofu with chopsticks (the simplest technique!) or tongs. Return the warmth to medium-high and prepare dinner 5 to six minutes till browned. Take away the tofu to a bowl and set it apart.
- Stir fry the veggies: Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the skillet. Add the broccoli, pepper, and shiitake mushrooms and two pinches salt and prepare dinner 6 to 7 minutes till simply beginning to brown on edges, stirring often. Within the final minute, add 1 tablespoon water and permit the greens to steam.
- Flip down the warmth to low. Add the inexperienced onion and ginger and prepare dinner 1 minute. Flip off the warmth. Add the tofu and sauce and stir till the sauce thickens. Garnish with sesame seeds if desired. Serve instantly. Retailer leftovers as much as 3 days refrigerated.
Notes
Forms of tofu: Solely additional agency tofu will work for this recipe. Comfortable, medium, or silken tofu will crumble throughout pan-frying. Search for tofu labeled “additional agency.”
Oil selections: Use a impartial oil with a excessive smoke level like avocado oil, vegetable oil, or sesame oil. Olive oil can work however has a decrease smoke level, so watch the warmth fastidiously.
Cornstarch substitute: Arrowroot powder works as a 1:1 substitute for cornstarch and can also be gluten-free.
Make it gluten-free: Use tamari as an alternative of normal soy sauce. All different elements are naturally gluten-free.
Storage notes: This recipe doubles simply, however you’ll need to prepare dinner every thing in batches: don’t strive a double recipe ! Retailer in hermetic containers for as much as 4 days and reheat in a skillet for finest outcomes.
