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Simple Vegan Blog

A food blog with simple, healthy, vegan recipes

Sweet and Sour Tofu

Sweet and sour tofu, made in just 30 minutes. A plant-based version of this classic Chinese food that is much better and healthier than take out!

Sweet and Sour Tofu. - Sweet and sour tofu, made in just 30 minutes. A plant-based version of this classic Chinese food that is much better and healthier than take out! #vegan #glutenfree #simpleveganblog

Tofu is a staple in our kitchen, we use it a lot and also to make recipes for you guys. It’s a great meat alternative, especially when you’re trying to recreate meat-based dishes because if you cook it properly, you can get a similar texture.

Sweet and Sour Tofu. - Sweet and sour tofu, made in just 30 minutes. A plant-based version of this classic Chinese food that is much better and healthier than take out! #vegan #glutenfree #simpleveganblog

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General Tso’s tofu used to be my favorite tofu recipe, until I tried this, I couldn’t choose between them, both are out of this world!

Tofu can be so bland and boring if you don’t know how to cook it. I didn’t like it at the beginning, but when you find some recipes you enjoy, you’re going to fall in love with this versatile ingredient.

This recipe is perfect for carnivores, people transitioning to a plant-based diet or anyone that is looking for a vegan version of sweet and sour pork.

Sweet and Sour Tofu. - Sweet and sour tofu, made in just 30 minutes. A plant-based version of this classic Chinese food that is much better and healthier than take out! #vegan #glutenfree #simpleveganblog

looking for more tofu recipes?

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a comment below, share it, rate it or tag a picture @simpleveganblog on Instagram and hashtag it #simpleveganblog. We’d love to see what you cook!

Sweet and Sour Tofu. - Sweet and sour tofu, made in just 30 minutes. A plant-based version of this classic Chinese food that is much better and healthier than take out! #vegan #glutenfree #simpleveganblog

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Sweet and Sour Tofu

★★★★★ 4.8 from 19 reviews
  • Author: Simple Vegan Blog
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 2-4

Sweet and sour tofu, made in just 30 minutes. A plant-based version of this classic Chinese food that is much better and healthier than take out!

Sweet and Sour Tofu. - Sweet and sour tofu, made in just 30 minutes. A plant-based version of this classic Chinese food that is much better and healthier than take out! #vegan #glutenfree #simpleveganblog
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Ingredients

For the sweet and sour tofu:

  • 2 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 10 ounces firm tofu (275 g), cubed
  • 6 tbsp cornstarch
  • Extra virgin olive oil to taste
  • 1 carrot, chopped
  • 1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
  • 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
  • 1/2 onion, chopped

For the sweet and sour sauce:

  • 4 tbsp cane, coconut or brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp tamari or soy sauce
  • 6 tbsp water (100 ml)
  • 2 tsp cornstarch

Instructions

  1. Mix tamari or soy sauce and apple cider vinegar in a bowl until well combined.
  2. Add the tofu cubes and let rest for at least 5 minutes.
  3. Drain the tofu and transfer 1/3 of the tofu cubes to a freezer bag with 2 tbsp of cornstarch and toss to coat. Repeat this step with the rest of the tofu and cornstarch. Add more cornstarch if needed.
  4. Cook the tofu cubes in a skillet with a little bit of extra virgin olive oil over medium-high heat until all sides are golden brown. Remove tofu from pan and set aside.
  5. Cook the veggies in the skillet with some water or oil over medium-high heat until golden brown. Set aside.
  6. To make the sauce just mix all the ingredients until well combined.
  7. Add the sauce to a saucepan and cook until it thickens, stirring frequently.
  8. Mix the tofu, veggies and sauce in the skillet, stir and cook for about 5 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Serve with some sesame seeds on top (optional).
  9. Keep leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for 4 to 5 days.

Notes

  • Some people add pineapple to this recipe, but I don’t because when I ate sweet and sour pork at restaurants here in Spain (before going vegan), they didn’t add it. If you want your sweet and sour tofu with pineapple, just sautée it with the veggies.
  • Use any veggies, starch, vinegar or sweetener you have on hand.
  • Tomato paste can be replaced by tomato puree, ketchup or tomato sauce.
  • The real amount of sodium of this recipe is not 1248 mg because you’d need to marinade the tofu for hours until it absorbs all the tamari or soy sauce.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1/2 of the recipe using 2 tsp oil
  • Calories: 380
  • Sugar: 25.8 g
  • Sodium: 1248 mg
  • Fat: 10.8 g
  • Saturated Fat: 1.9 g
  • Carbohydrates: 58.6 g
  • Fiber: 5.2 g
  • Protein: 15.9 g
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Reader Reviews

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  1. Wow!! I am impressed. this is the best I have ever prepared tofu. I am involve.
    Having a proper non-stick skillet is crucial. I had to throw my tofu cubes into the oven for the crisp as they were sticking in my skillet. I marinated my tofu for two hours. I also used up the marinate that was left after draining the tofu
    I know this is a recipe i will be saving and reusing. I also will be using the sweet and sour sauce recipe for other dishes. 🙂 🙂

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  2. This is by far my new favorite tofu recipe!! Tried it last night and absolutely loved it. Props!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  3. This looks absolutely amazing and I can’t wait to try it! I have one question though: does the liquid in the tofu need to be drained before being cubed and added to the recipe?

    Reply

  4. I have eaten a lot of tofu in my life, and this has got to be my new favorite recipe! Simple Vegan Blog is an amazing resource for anyone who wants delicious, straightforward vegan recipes.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  5. This is one of the best tofu dishes I’ve ever had! My whole family loved it, including my 2 and 3.5 year old daughters. The tofu packages around here are 14 oz so I ended up using a whole red pepper, adding another carrot, and some pineapple with double the sauce. Spectacular. My husband has requested this to become part of our regular fare!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  6. Super easy and very tasty, wasn’t sure how long to leave the cubes in the freezer so I guessed (5-10 minutes)!
    Definitely will be making this again in the future.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

    • Hi Ali! So glad you liked it 🙂 We didn’t leave the cubes in the freezer, we used a freezer bag. Have a nice day!

      Reply

  7. I believe The amount of cornstarch in the recipe was too much and made the sauce a little grainy, next time i will use less. I also added broccoli and pineapple (from a can).

    ★★★★★

    Reply

    • Hi Veronica! Our sauce wasn’t grainy as you can see in the pictures and this recipe is so popular on the blog and people love it. Maybe it was because of the brand you were using… Have a nice day!

      Reply

  9. Tofu was great, but the sauce was not. The tomato paste overpowered other flavors and the sauce just wasn’t anything like a sweet & sour sauce. Tasted like sweet tomato sauce 🙁

    Reply

    • Hi Amanda! I’m so sorry the recipe didn’t work for you. You should use tomato paste or another brand of tomato sauce because this sauce is really delicious and our readers love it. Hope it helps!

      Reply

  11. Just tried this and it was delicious! Every time I’ve made tofu its turned out bland and soggy up until now! Really enjoy your blog : )

    Reply

  12. Do you reuse freezer bags? Seems like an odd choice when a bowl would have sufficed without having to use plastic…

    For pineapple lovers, would recommend using juice from the tin instead of plain water. You’d reduce the need for extra sugar plus it’ll bring out the flavour.

    Finally, for those feeling a bit more adventurous, try adding a bit of chili in.

    Reply

  13. Hi Amanda, This recipe is totally awesome ! My husband has asked me to bookmark and make it a regular item 🙂 I didn’t have tomato paste, so used ketchup and came out fine. Next time I will add pineapple as I think it will complement beautifully.

    Thanks for helping us former omnivores embrace vegan cooking and all its delights !

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  15. Just found this recipe! It’s a keeper. My whole family loved it. I used a standard 14 ounce container of firm tofu and doubled the marinade and sauce to ensure there was enough. Adding pineapple was terrific!
    We can’t wait to make/eat this again. Thanks!

    Reply

  16. I followed the recipe exactly, and found the flavor lacking, the tomato paste was taking over, thankfully I had pineapple on hand, I added approx 3/4 cup crushed pineapple with juice. I served it with basmati rice. I liked the idea of coating the tofu in the cornstarch, it looked vey appetizing when cooked but overall I don’t think I’ll do that again, odd texture in the mouth.

    ★★

    Reply

    • Hi Linda! I’m so sorry the recipe didn’t work for you, but it’s a favorite on the blog and our reader love it, as you can read in the comments. Have you used the same ingredients? Maybe you should try another brand of tomato paste. Hope it helps!

      Reply

  19. I’m not confident working with tofu, but this came out really exceptional – the corn starch dredging really coves it a simple mouthfeel and taste to orange chicken.

    Really tasty and straightforward!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  21. What a cool recipe. I just made it. Delicious. I’m learning to eliminate meat from my diet so thank you for this.

    I added a couple of things just because I had them on hand. A bit of fresh ginger, fresh garlic, a few tbsp of 3-pepper relish (instead of tomato paste). I didn’t have sesame seeds as a topping, so I used chopped walnuts which worked great.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  22. Awesome recipe, I used about half the amount of corn starch and tomato sauce instead of tomato paste and it turned out very yummy

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  23. Yummy! Thank you for such clear, simple instructions and the clear separation of ingredients! We loved this recipe!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  24. This is the first time i am having tofu, wow, i love this recipe it taste good.
    would do this again.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

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