Vegan Tofu Stir-Fry
With Sweet and Spicy Peanut Sauce
I have to admit… I have never been a big fan of tofu. There’s something about the texture that can get weird for me. But I will say this… I have also had tofu before that was delicious. So you can rest assured that if I’m sharing a tofu recipe with you, it is going to be delicious! And this vegan tofu stir-fry is everything: sweet, salty, spicy, and savory.
The secret to this dish, IMO, is the preparation of the tofu – which is obviously the star. There are three steps in the process, but it’s SO worth it once you take your first bite! There’s actual texture, not just a soft, mushy piece of soy. And the caramelized glaze can be eaten alone by the spoonful! Just make sure you use a good nonstick pan because it might stick while cooking.
More Vegan Recipes
The Process
Place tofu on several paper towels.
Wrap tofu and set a plate on top to press out excess liquid.
Once dry, unwrap tofu and cut into very small cubes (about 100 pieces).
Spread out evenly on the lined baking sheet…
…and bake for 25 minutes, until puffy and slightly crispy on the edges.
Meanwhile – add sesame oil, soy sauce, molasses, peanut butter, lime juice, and Sriracha to a small bowl and whisk until incorporated. Set aside.
Add baked tofu to the sauce and let marinate for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Heat a large, nonstick skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the tofu and about 3 tablespoons of marinade. Cook for about 5 minutes until browned and caramelized, stirring frequently. Remove from pan and set aside.
Add remaining marinade, broccoli, and carrots to the skillet. Cover and cook for about 4-5 minutes (until carrots are slightly tender), stirring occasionally.
Then remove lid, increase heat to medium-high, and add red bell peppers. Cook for 1-2 minutes more, stirring frequently, then remove from heat.
And this Vegan Tofu Stir Fry is the AMAZING result…
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Tofu Stir-Fry with Spicy Peanut Sauce
Ingredients
- 14 oz. extra firm tofu
- 1 Tbsp. sesame oil
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 3 Tbsp. molasses
- 2 Tbsp. peanut butter
- 2 Tbsp. lime juice
- 1 Tbsp. Sriracha
- 1 lb. fresh broccoli florets only
- 2 red bell peppers thinly sliced
- 3 medium carrots peeled, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup chopped peanuts for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Wrap tofu in a several paper towels and set a plate on top to press out excess liquid. Once dry, unwrap tofu and cut into very small cubes (about 100 pieces). Spread out evenly on the lined baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes, until puffy and slightly crispy on the edges.
- Meanwhile, add sesame oil, soy sauce, molasses, peanut butter, lime juice, and Sriracha to a small bowl and whisk until incorporated. Set aside.
- Add baked tofu to the sauce and let marinate for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Heat a large, nonstick skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the tofu and about 3 tablespoons of marinade.
- Cook for about 5 minutes until browned and caramelized, stirring frequently. Remove from pan and set aside.
- Add remaining marinade, broccoli, and carrots to the skillet. Cover and cook for about 4-5 minutes (until carrots are slightly tender), stirring occasionally. Then remove lid, increase heat to medium-high, and add red bell peppers. Cook for 1-2 minutes more, stirring frequently, then remove from heat.
- Serve veggies in a bowl on top of white rice. Top with the caramelized tofu and crushed peanuts. Enjoy!
Great recipe! Love the peanut sauce!
Made this by using 1/3rd C soy sauce in the sauce recipe and dropping baby corn, two red peppers, sliced Julianne, an onion, sliced carrots, and the sauce in an instant pot for 5 minutes, then adding the baked tofu after the timer went off and a rapid depressurization, and it came out great. Quite a treat!
I could not find the second place to add the sesame oil so I omitted it. However, this recipe is sooo delicious. I just got my instant pot, so I made a couple of things, & I didn’t think about this dish. When I got it out of the fridge and ate it I was wowed. My eldest really liked if, & he’s not usually into my food. Thank you.
Seriously yummy!!
Loved it! Added to our repertoire .