Tofu Stir Fry

Tofu stir fry, a quick and easy dinner recipe, made in about 20 minutes. It’s so flavorful, high-protein and much healthier than Chinese takeout.

tofu stir fry

I ate at a Chinese restaurant for the first time when I was 5 years old and I fell in love. However, Chinese takeout food is so greasy, not that healthy (at least here in Spain) and sometimes contains MSG (monosodium glutamate).

Traditional Chinese food is super healthy though. I tried it when I went to Singapore and Taiwan last year, and it’s AMAZING, but very different than what western Chinese restaurants serve in America or Europe.

Cooking at home is great because you can add less oil (or even not oil at all), use healthy ingredients or what you have in your kitchen, and making Chinese takeout recipes is super easy.

I think this tofu stir fry is the simplest recipe you can make, and is incredible flavorful. Besides, you can use different veggies, depending on what’s in season, your taste of what you have on hand.

I usually serve it with some white or brown rice, but noodles are also a great choice. If you’re looking for a low-carb recipe, cauliflower rice is the way to go.

what ingredients do you need to make tofu stir fry?

• Tofu – Firm tofu is the best choice to make this stir fry, but it’s up to you. I don’t press my tofu because I save some time and effort, and it’s still delicious. If you don’t eat soy, feel free to use seitan or any other legume instead.
• Broccoli.
• Carrot.
• Red bell pepper.
• Red onion – Any type of onion will do.
• Garlic, minced – Garlic or even onion powder are also okay.
• Ginger root – Ginger powder is a good alternative if you want to save some time.
• Vegetable stock or water – I prefer to use vegetable stock because it enhances the flavor of the sauce. However, water is okay too. Making your own vegetable stock at home is a good idea, but feel free to use store-bought if you want.
• Tamari or soy sauce – If you don’t eat soy, use coconut aminos or add water and salt to taste.
• Cane, brown or coconut sugar – Any type of sweetener will do.
• Cornstarch – Feel free to use any starch you have on hand.
• Cayenne flakes – If you don’t like spicy food, just omit this ingredient.

tips for making tofu stir fry

• Feel free to add your favorite veggies.
• If you want to reduce the amount of sodium in the recipe, add less tamari or soy sauce and use water instead of vegetable stock. You could also make your own vegetable stock with no salt or buy a low-sodium one.
• Use a wok frying pan if you have one, it’s the best tool to make a stir fry. I don’t have one, so I use a cast iron skillet instead (any type of skillet or frying pan will do though).
• I used extra virgin olive oil to make my tofu stir fry, but you don’t need to. Cook the tofu with no oil and add some vegetable stock or water to cook the veggies if needed. Feel free to use any type of oil.
• Add more veggies and less tofu if you want.

looking for more tofu recipes?

• General Tso’s Tofu
• Easy Marinated Tofu
• Sweet and Sour Tofu
• Simple Tofu Scramble
• Vegan Tofu Chorizo

did you make this tofu stir fry 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!

Tofu Stir Fry

★★★★★ 5 from 2 reviews

• Author: Simple Vegan Blog
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Total Time: 20 minutes
• Yield: 2–4 1x
• Category: Main dish
• Cuisine: Vegan, Asian

Tofu stir fry, a quick and easy dinner recipe, made in about 20 minutes. It’s so flavorful, high-protein and much healthier than Chinese takeout.

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Ingredients

for the tofu stir fry:

• 14 oz firm tofu (400 g), drained and cubed
• 1 cup of broccoli (100 g), chopped
• 1 medium carrot, julienned
• 1/2 red bell pepper, julienned
• 1/2 red onion, julienned
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1-inch piece of ginger root (about 2.5 cm)

for the sauce:

• 3/4 cup vegetable stock or water (190 ml)
• 1/4 cup tamari or soy sauce (4 tbsp)
• 2 tbsp cane, brown or coconut sugar
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 1/8 tsp cayenne flakes (optional)

Instructions

1. Cook the tofu cubes in a skillet with a little bit of oil (optional), over medium-high heat until all the sides are golden brown. Remove the tofu from the skillet and set aside.
2. Add the veggies and sautée them over high heat with a little bit of oil (optional) for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently. If you don’t eat oil, just use a little bit of vegetable stock or water.
3. Mix all the sauce ingredients in a bowl until well combined, and set aside.
4. Add the tofu and the sauce to the skillet, stir and cook for 1-2 minutes or until the sauce thickens.
5. Try the stir fry and add some salt if needed. Serve immediately (I added some sesame seeds on top) or keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 5-7 days.

Notes

• Nutritional info has been calculated by using 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1/4 of the recipe
• Calories: 133
• Sugar: 8.2 g
• Sodium: 1144 mg
• Fat: 4.3 g
• Saturated Fat: 0.9 g
• Carbohydrates: 15 g
• Fiber: 2.8 g
• Protein: 11.3 g