Vegetable Tofu Stir-Fry
on Feb 08, 2021, Updated Sep 03, 2024
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This easy vegetable tofu stir-fry is packed with veggies including bell peppers, broccoli and snow peas, and it’s fragrant with fresh ginger and garlic. It is perfect for a weeknight vegan dinner when you want something that’s satisfying with a good mix of brown rice and vegetables in each bite. The stir-fry sauce is a balance of savory and a hint of sweet flavor from a little maple syrup instead of sugar.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Stir-fries are a solid choice for weeknight dinners. You can make a meal with lots of vegetables in very little time. That’s why I make one every week no matter the season.
If you want to make a recipe that’s gives you tasty leftovers, you can’t beat stir fry. Whenever I make one I always have a weekday lunch or another dinner in mind. Because they are packed with flavor and ingredients, the repetition doesn’t bother me.
The sauce is light and doesn’t weigh down the vegetables and rice. Also, all you have to do is whisk fresh ginger, garlic, soy sauce and the rest of the ingredients in a bowl to prep it.
Ingredients & Substitutions
This is what you need:
For the sauce
- Soy sauce is the base of the sauce. Make sure to use low-sodium, so it isn’t too salty.
- Rice vinegar has a nice mild acidity. It’s made from fermented rice.
- Maple syrup adds a touch of sweetness to balance out the strong savory flavors. If you don’t need the recipe to be vegan, you can substitute with honey.
- Sesame oil gives the sauce something subtle and nutty.
- Ginger: Nothing is better than the smell and taste of fresh ginger. Do not substitute with dried ground ginger. They are very different.
- Garlic: I mince a couple garlic cloves. That along with the ginger are very aromatic and add so much flavor.
- Red pepper flakes give the sauce a hint of heat. You can add more if you’re a fan of spicy food.
- Kosher salt & black pepper: Even though there is a lot going on, basic seasonings are essential.
For the stir-fry
- Tofu: Since you’re going to cut the tofu into cubes and you want it to hold its shape, extra-firm tofu is best.
- Peppers: A red bell pepper and an orange one are always my top picks for this stir-fry. You can use yellow bell peppers, but avoid green because they can be bitter.
- Broccoli goes so well with the ingredients in the sauce and other vegetables. You can substitute with cauliflower or use a mix of both.
- Snow peas are flat and have tiny peas inside. You can eat the entire pod. If you have sugar snap peas or green beans, they would be good too. Think green and crisp! A great stir-fry is a mix of textures.
- Scallions: I slice these green onions and separate them by color. I sauté the white parts and save the greens for a garnish at the end.
- Rice: I prefer brown rice. You can also try cauliflower rice if you want. Either way, this dish is gluten-free as long as you use tamari instead of soy sauce.
- Oil: Use neutral vegetable oil or canola oil. Make sure it is non-GMO, if possible. Skip olive oil for the recipe.
How To Make This Veggie Tofu Stir-Fry
1. Press the tofu. Pat the block with paper towels. Then wrap it in a fresh towel and stack something heavy on top like a pot. Let it drain for 15 minutes before cutting it into cubes. If you have a tofu press, you can do this ahead of time and keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to use it.
2. Make the sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, water, rice wine vinegar, maple syrup, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.
3. Sauté the tofu. Heat the oil in a skillet or wok over high heat. I prefer using a non-stick pan. Swirl the hot oil around, so it coats the bottom evenly. Then sauté it until it is light golden brown, about 1-2 minutes per side.
4. Pour in a quarter cup of the sauce to coat the tofu cubes. It will bubble. Then spoon the tofu out of the skillet and transfer it to a plate.
5. Sauté the white parts of the scallions. They will quickly become fragrant.
6. Sauté the vegetables. Add the peppers followed by the broccoli and snow peas. Sauté the veggies. They should turn out crisp-tender.
7. Pour in the rest of the sauce. Stir around the vegetables.
8. Fold in the brown rice, tofu and green scallions.
Make-Ahead Tips for Stir-Fries
Cook the rice in advance. It is essential that you cook the rice at least the night before you’re going to use it in a stir-fry. Day-old rice is best for fried rice because it gives it has time to dry out a bit, and it has less starch. Then the rice grains won’t be mushy and stick together. You can make a double batch of rice and freeze part of it, so you are prepared when the craving hits. You can throw frozen rice grains right into the pan, and they will thaw on contact.
Press the tofu: You can’t just take tofu out of the package and use it. The block comes in liquid that needs to be pressed out. You can do this by wrapping it in towels and putting a heavy object on top of it like a cast iron skillet or a cutting board for 15 minutes, or you can use a tofu press. What I like about this gadget is that I can put the tofu inside it in the morning, let it sit in the fridge, and then I’m all set to cook dinner.
Have your ingredients prepped, cut and ready to go. Cooking will go very fast, so you don’t have time to multi-task. Set yourself up for success and get all the prep work out of the way before you start. No exceptions.
Serving
Pair the stir-fry with a salad for a side dish. You can try a cucumber carrot salad, an Asian cabbage salad with almond ginger vinaigrette, edamame salad with tahini dressing or a napa cabbage salad.
Storage & Leftovers
As mentioned, stir-fries make great leftovers. Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 4 days. You can reheat them in the microwave or eat them cold right from the fridge. I don’t recommend freezing leftovers.
Recipe FAQs
For this recipe, I recommend using fresh vegetables, so they stay crisp and tender with this sauce. I do have a recipe specifically for a frozen vegetable stir-fry.
Yes. If you want to add chicken or shrimp, sauté it first. Then move it to a plate, wipe out the skillet, add 1 tablespoon of oil and cook the recipe as written. Stir the protein into the sautéed vegetables with the rice and green scallions.
More Stir-Fry Recipes
Frozen Vegetable Stir-Fry
Tofu-Peanut Vegetable Stir-Fry
Rainbow Vegetable Peanut Stir-Fry
Broccoli Edamame Pea Fried-Rice
Soba Noodles with Mushrooms and Bok Choy
Cashew Veggie Stir-Fry
Vegetable Tofu Stir-Fry
Ingredients
For tofu
- 14 ounce package extra firm tofu
For sauce
- 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
For stir-fry
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3 scallions, thinly sliced, green and white parts separated
- 2 bell peppers, diced into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 pound broccoli, trimmed and cut into small florets
- 4 ounces snow peas (about 1 heaping cup)
- 1-1/2 cups cooked brown rice
Instructions
- Pat the tofu with a paper towel. Wrap with a dry paper towel and place a heavy pan or cutting board on top to remove more liquid. Let stand for 15 minutes. Cut the tofu into 1/2-inch cubes.
- For the sauce, in a small bowl, stir together the soy sauce, water, rice vinegar, maple syrup, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.
- Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add the tofu and cook until lightly browned, about 1-2 minutes per side. Pour in 1/4 cup sauce and stir around the tofu letting the sauce bubble. Remove the tofu and set aside on a plate. Wipe out the skillet.
- Pour 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in the hot skillet, swirling it around. Sauté the white parts of the scallions for a minute to let them soften.
- Add the peppers, sautéing for 2 minutes. Next add the broccoli and continue cooking for 2 minutes before adding the snow peas. Sauté 1-2 minutes longer until the vegetables are cooked but still bright and crisp.
- Pour in the remaining sauce. Let it simmer for a minute before stirring in the rice and tofu and continue cooking until the rice is warmed and most of the sauce has been absorbed.
- Fold in the sliced green scallions before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Omg, the ginger garlic tofu stir fry was absolutely delish! I will definitely make it again and try other tofu stir fry meals!
Thanks for sharing 👍
I must admit, I was a tofu sceptic… but now I love it, and this recipe is fantastic! Love it!
This was an exceptional tofu stir-fry!! I made it as suggested, minus the added salt.