Peppery cubes of tofu top steam-fried vegetables that have the lightest of garlic sauces in this low-fat, vegan Thai tofu dish.
There’s a new Thai restaurant in town, and the first couple of times I ate there I had mixed feelings. While it was so much better than the other local Thai restaurant, I wasn’t quite satisfied with its take on dishes that I’ve liked in Thai places in other parts of the country. (This is just my opinion–D absolutely loves the place and often eats lunch there without me.)
Then one night I was studying the menu with such a worried expression, determined to try something new, that the waitress took pity on me and told me what to order: Black Pepper and Garlic Tofu. After a couple of questions to make sure that there was no fish sauce in it and that it contained vegetables in addition to the tofu, I ordered it and fell in love.
I’m not sure why I love this simple dish–peppery cubes of tofu atop vegetables that have the lightest of sauces–but I do, so much so that I became determined to make it myself at home, with a good bit less fat than the restaurant’s version.
Instead of frying the tofu, I bake it; instead of stir-frying the vegetables in oil, I steam-fry them. Steam-frying is a little trickier than frying because it requires frequently covering and uncovering the wok and adding liquid as needed, and if you’re not careful, you can burn, overcook, or under-cook the vegetables. But if you time it just right, you can get the same tender-crisp vegetables as a traditional stir-fry, with a whole lot less fat and fewer calories.
Thai Black Pepper and Garlic Tofu
Ingredients
Tofu and Seasoning
- 1 14-ounce package extra-firm tofu
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce or gluten-free tamari
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 large cloves garlic pressed
- 1 teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
Vegetables
- 1 small onion halved and sliced into thin wedges
- 1 large bell pepper sliced
- 6 cloves garlic minced or pressed
- 3 ounces shiitake mushrooms sliced
- 8 ounces kale (about 1 bunch) stems removed and leaves thinly sliced
- 1 bunch asparagus trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
- additional broth or water as needed
Sauce
- 1 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce or gluten-free tamari
- 1/2 cup vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon sriracha or other chile sauce or to taste
- 1/2-1 teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
Instructions
- Cut the tofu into 1/2-inch slices. Gently press each slice between paper towels to remove some of the moisture. Then cut each slice into rectangles. Place into a ziplock bag. Combine tofu seasoning in a small bowl and pour over tofu. Seal bag and gently turn it over until tofu is completely covered in seasoning. (You can do this ahead of time and allow the tofu to marinate for a stronger flavor, but it’s not mandatory.)
- Preheat oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet or dish with parchment paper. (A silicon mat will also work, but parchment on a rimmed metal baking sheet yields the crispiest tofu with no sticking.) Place the tofu on the parchment in a single layer along with the marinade. Bake for 15 minutes. Turn gently and bake for another 15 minutes. Remove from oven.
- While the tofu is cooking, chop all the vegetables and combine the sauce ingredients in a small bowl. About 10 minutes before tofu is done, preheat a large, deep non-stick skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Spray or rub it with oil if you wish, but this is optional. Have about a half cup of water or broth standing by. Add the onion and cook for a couple of minutes until it begins to become translucent. Add a tablespoon of water or broth if it starts to stick. Add the bell pepper and stir-fry for another minute. Then add the garlic and mushrooms and cook another two minutes, adding liquid by the tablespoon if needed.
- Stir in the kale, add about 2 tablespoons of liquid, and cover quickly. After a minute, stir and add liquid if necessary. Cook covered for another minute and then add the asparagus and a little more liquid. Cover and cook until asparagus is tender-crisp, about 2 minutes. Add the sauce and cook until it is heated through. Serve the vegetables with tofu on top, or stir the tofu into the vegetables and serve over rice or pasta.
Notes
Nutritional info is approximate.
Please pin!
Somer
You had me at Thai! Susan that dish is going on my dinner table very soon. Looks amazing!
Yadsia @ShopCookMake
I will definitely try it. I’ve had tofu many times in the past but recently fell in love with it again when I tried BBQ Tofu at Whole Foods. I never drained the tofu before, it definitely makes a huge difference.
Aintzane
I’m reading you from the Basque country. I admire you and I love you. Thank you for your wonderful recipes. Sorry, but my English is very very bad.
A kiss for you from Europe. 🙂
Lisa
This sounds amazing. I am definitely going to try it. I am always looking for new ways to prepare tofu.
Lisa
Emily
Susan, this looks so wonderful! I don’t think I’ve ever commented before, but I’m a long time reader. I’ve been reading since I was 14, when
I first went vegan for ethical reasons. Your blog has always made healthy vegan eating totally approachable. I’ve been cooking tons of recipes from your blog over the past four years and I’ve loved them all. It also makes Eat-to-live totally approachable. I’m currently following a kind of eat-to-live program to shed the few extra pounds I gained during the past few stressful months of my senior year and I know I’m going to be relying on your blog heavily for the next few weeks. Hopefully I can continue to cook from your site when I go off to college in the fall!
I cannot wait to try this recipe. Thai food and tofu? The best!
Healthy Living Val
Great tip on the steam-frying method. I actually do this with eggs!
Shelley
Yum…I made this for dinner tonight and it was delish! I’ve never baked tofu in the oven and it was chewy and toothsome. I loved the pepper! I didn’t have kale and asparagus so I used shanghai choy and spinach…it wasn’t as beautiful as yours but it tasted good!
radioactivegan
Just reading your description made my mouth water! This one is bookmarked for a day very soon – I’ve never thought of steam-frying, but it sounds so much better than either stir frying or steaming. Thanks!
Kalyn
Sounds like a wonderful recipe and what a gorgeous photo!
nicole
Hi Susan, Would it be ok to substitute another hot sauce in place of the sriracha or chili paste? Those both just have preservatives in them which I avoid.
Susan Voisin
Sure, Nicole, use any hot sauce you like.
Lisa
OMG! I made this tonight, and it was amazing. Check out my blog post about your awesome recipe.
http://newrecipeproject.blogspot.com/2012/05/best-tofu-ever.html
Thanks,
Lisa
Ali @ Project Kale
This looks amazing! I have never really like tofu, but I do enjoy it with a crisp outer crust. Unfortunately, that’s usually attained by deep frying it – which I would never do. Baking it is a great idea – I can’t wait to try it! Thanks Susan!
ewlake
I made this last night, and it was FANTASTIC. I substituted a tsp of red curry paste for the sirracha, so it wouldn’t be too spicy for my kids. Served the sirracha on the side. Used vegetables I had on hand: broccoli, green beans, red and yellow pepper, carrots, and celery. Served over brown rice, topped with bean sprouts. AWESOME. And I loved that it was oil free!! Thanks so much!
Heather
I made this last night and it was fantastic! The only thing I did a little differently was I did brown the marinated tofu in a frying pan with some sesame oil… but other than that I followed the recipe. I will make this again! Thanks for posting!
Sharon Herbitter
Made this for dinner tonight — hub’s on his second bowl. I made it exactly as you directed except I started the veggies a little bit early and as a result I cooked them just a tad too much — the flavor was still excellent, but I’ll hold off longer next time. Thanks for another wonderful, healthy, vegan recipe!!!
urbanvegan
This looks phenomenal, Susan!
Jan
Susan
Have you tried making your own chili sauce for this? The green Thai was so good, I’m thinking a red sauce out of your kitchen would be equally great!
Susan
So delicious! I ate too much, though!
Mina
This looks GORGEOUS! Why oh why can my wife not eat tofu?! 🙁
Katherine
Will be trying this tonight!!
Gena
After years of never really liking tofu, I am finding new ways to make it more enjoyable and palatable to me. This is being added to that list! Great recipe.
Elizabeth
If I only have seasoned rice vinegar, would that be an okay substitution?
Susan Voisin
Yes, that will work fine.
Julia
I made this dish yesterday and, oh my God, this tasted fantastic!!! I’m usually not much of a black-pepper-person, but I have to admit that this was just perfect! Thanks so much for the recipe, I’m sure the rest of my family will love it, too!
Jan
This is a keeper for sure! I didn’t have the chili sauce so I just used the remaining marinade for the tofu, added some more pepper and several dashes of tabasco sauce. I also didn’t have kale but I did have spinach and zucchini! So, it was a slight deviation but incredible all the same. Thank you for the recipe!
Christina
mmmm this looks amazing! I love tofu when it’s cooked with an asian spin!
Andrea Rouda
Susan: I love your blog. You and your readers might also enjoy seeing my son’s rap video about vegan eating, putting a hip musical spin on making healthy choices!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMTedBcBZeE
Cat
Andrea, your son’s song and video is awesome. I just watched it (twice) because of your mention of it here, and I recommend it to everyone. I’ll be sharing it with my friends.
Jessica
Thanks for the recipe! I tried this shortly after my mom made it…she introduced me to your website a few months ago when I decided to switch my diet. It was delicious! Even my 2 year old son ate it lol my other 3 kids wouldnt try it. Definetly going to be a recipe I regularly use 🙂
Stacey
Made this tonight it turned out great except I cant get used to the tofu…next time I plan to substitute beans of some sort and omit the tofu. It looked very appealing so I had to try it and all the veggies were delicious…oh…except I also omitted mushrooms as I am not a fan of these…yes I am very picky!
veganlinda
This looks so good! I can’t wait to try it!
Minerva
Hi Susan,
Love your blog! I recently learned of Dr. Joel Fuhrman’s program, 3 Steps to Incredible Health, so am thrilled to find your website with such wonderful looking recipes!
Would you mind doing a post about your vegan pantry staples? I know I would find the information extremely helpful! Thanks and Happy Blogging!
lea
I made this last night and it was delicious! Baking the tofu yielded a really nice firm texture and crisp edges that I find hard to achieve from a skillet. The sauce is light and perfectly balanced. I have found that, for me, the most important aspect of any stir fry is not to overcook the vegetables. I basically added the asparagus and sauce together, then turned off the heat almost immediately to keep everything nice and crisp. Thank you Susan for a yummy and so healthly recipe!
Karen
This recipe looks amazing and I think I have everything in the house I need to make it!!
Vegan
Absolutely yummy! I’m going to prepare this one on Saturday. Hope my husband likes it.
Martha
Made this last night and loved it!! The sauce is delicious and I loved making tofu in this way. Will definitely be making this again, thanks!
Camber Hill
This is one great idea which I must give way to. Thanks for making the instructions so cook friendly. I’ll let you know how my dish wok’s out…sometimes I just can’t help myself.
Here to good eating.
CH
Susan
Susan – another winner! Love the chewyness of the tofu! Will definitely keep in my rotation of recipes. Really enjoy your work – thank you!!!
Julie
The tofu in this was really amazing. I try to make one of your recipes once a week. The pepper in this one was a bit much for me, but my hubby loved it!
Cicada
This is phenomenal. The sauce has such a deep, interesting flavor. I used a ton of vegetables, so I doubled the sauce, and I’m so glad I did! It’s absolutely delicious. Thank you so much for the recipe!