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!
Katie
I have a vegan legume and vegetable protein broth. I am wondering if I could use that instead of pure vegetable broth?
Susan Voisin
Unless they are very strongly flavored, I don’t see why not.
Jenny O’Connell
We made this for dinner tonight! Love love love, thank you for an amazing recipe that is healthy and delicious!
Sam wester
Will just firm tofu work for this recipe? I can never find extra firm tofu.
Susan Voisin
It should work just fine.
Jay
Do I add the sauce (with cornstarch) to the tofu while it bakes? Or just as vegetable sauce?
Susan Voisin
Add the sauce to the vegetables at the end. You can then stir in the tofu, if you want. The tofu has a separate marinade it cooks in.
Robin Plett
This was great. I’ll definitely make it again, but it’s only two servings . . . .:)
Though with rice it might stretch to four. I was having a low carb day. Okay, so I was too lazy to cook rice? Thanks Susan!
Michelle
Can I use a jalapeño hot sauce in place of the sriracha sauce? Thank you! Making this for dinner tonight!
Susan Voisin
Yes, just add it to taste. It’s more vinegary and will taste different.
Jan
I’m always searching for spicy and flavorful sauces. This recipe was so satisfying!
The tofu came out wonderfully crisp. Since I’m a hit-or-miss tofu eater, I was really happy that I could eat and enjoy it.
Lastly, I didn’t have all the vegetables available, so had to substitute a few. Thankful that this recipe also is one of those that can be easily adapted to what’s in the frog at the moment.
Thank you for your talent to create such incredible flavor combinations!
Barbara Wroten
We’ve made this 4 times this month and it has rapidly become a top favorite. It’s so easy to make, and the vegetables you include are completely flexible. Tonight we used bok choy, asparagus, baby Bella mushrooms, onions and bell pepper. Used pre-ground black pepper, firm tofu and red Thai chili paste and the flavor was outstanding. We finally found a recipe as good or better than the restaurant version.
Roberto
This was a great recipe for dinner! Really delicious and the spicy touch really brought to life!
Ritu
Thanks so much for the recipe!! My kids and i loved it!!
Dr. J
I made this last night and my wife and I both really liked it. It’s a good, flexible recipe that could incorporate a variety of vegetables, and the technique is solid: bake your tofu to get that crispy texture you love, and stir-fry (I love that it’s no oil!) in stages. I *did* add Thai basil at the end, which I think really helped make the flavors come alive. I would also say that the kale brought nothing to the recipe — aside from nutritional value — and I wouldn’t add it next time. I’ll definitely be making this again, though.
Chloe
I didn’t like it after it was just cooked. However, the next day it was amazing. The flavours were much more intense. I drizzled with chilli oil flakes and it was great. I think leaving it in the fridge for one day helps it to marinate more.