Asian Tofu Stir Fry

Playing with tofu!  I was always told as a child to not play with my food.

Asian Tofu Stir Fry from Feed Your Soul Too

I never liked tofu but my wife loves it.  So, like most of my food blogging journey, I am willing to jump in and give it a try.  So I got online to see what the experts, fellow food bloggers, suggested on how to cook the tofu.  The biggest tip I can share is to make sure you drain and press your tofu to release as much liquid as you can.  Here is one example – PRESSED TOFU.  

Asian Tofu Stir Fry

The other learning I gained from this recipe was how to make a good Asian sauce.  This sauce had eight ingredients – that sounds like a lot but it did not feel like it.  The ingredients include, garlic, ginger, brown sugar, gluten free soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, red pepper flakes and cornstarch.  The cool part of these ingredients is the cornstarch.  I make a ROUX all the time and know how it tightens up a sauce.  I found the use of the cornstarch fascinating.  The sauce was combined and set aside.  The initial combining of the ingredients leaves the sauce as very thin.  However, when it is mixed into the final dish and cooked it thickens up.  Science is amazing.

The dish filled with green beans, bok choy and carrots has great texture and color.  The rice enables one to enjoy and sop up all the tasty sauce.  Lastly, the crispness of the tofu is so good and really makes one not miss a more traditional protein.

The cast of characters for the sauce.

Sauce Ingredients

The preparing and cooking of the tofu.

Preparing and Cooking of the Tofu

The assembling of the Asian stir fry dish.

Assembling of the Asian Stir Fry Dish

The Asian Tofu Stir Fry plated.

Asian Tofu Stir Fry Plated

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Asian Tofu Stir Fry

Creating a healthy, vegan, easy and very tasty dish that is hearty and very flavorful. This Asian Tofu Stir Fry is satisfying for all us meat eaters.

Course dinner

Cuisine Asian Food, stir fry, Tofu, vegan

Keyword Asian food, tofu, vegan, vegetarian,

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Servings 4 people

Author Feed Your Soul Too

Ingredients

Main Ingredients

• 28 Ounces Firm Tofu cubed
• 1 Tsp Salt
• 3 Bulbs Bok Choy rough chopped
• 3 Cups Green Beans
• 1 Whole Carrot rough chopped
• 1/2 Whole Red Pepper cut in half slices
• 3 Tbsp Olive Oil divided

Sauce Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp Hot Sesame Oil
• 3 Inches Fresh ginger grated
• 3 Tbsp Fresh Garlic minced
• 2 Tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar
• 1/2 Tsp Red Pepper Flakes
• 5 Tbsp Brown Sugar
• 1 Tbsp Cornstarch
• 2 Tbsp Water

Instructions

Creating Dish

1. Drain the tofu from the package and place the tofu on the prepared plate.  Wrap the tofu in paper towels.  Place a tea towel around the tofu wrapped in paper towels. Place a plate on top of the tofu and add a heavy object.  Let the tofu dry for at least 15-20 minutes and ideally.  Once dry, cut the tofu up into 1-inch cubes.

   In a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoons of oil and swirl to coat pan. Add the cubed tofu to the pan and let fry for 3 minutes. Flip the tofu to brown all sides. Remove to a plate and set aside.
   

   Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan.  Begin by adding the bok choy and cook for 3 minutes to soften.  Next, add the carrots and red peppers and cook for 2 minutes.  Add the tofu back in with the green beans and cook for 2 minutes.  Finish by adding the sauce and mix well so all the ingredients are coated.  Let the sauce thicken.  

   Serve over brown rice. Enjoy!

Sauce

1. While the tofu is drying, prepare the sauce. Combine all the ingredients for the sauce in a blender or food processor and blend until completely smooth. Set side.
   

Recipe Notes

Recipe adapted from Little Spice Jar - http://littlespicejar.com/sesame-ginger-tofu-and-veggie-stir-fry/