Braised Tofu with Vegetables and Soy-Ginger Sauce Recipe
This Braised Tofu recipe features firm tofu pan-fried to a golden crisp, then simmered in a flavorful sauce with bell peppers, mushrooms, and aromatics like garlic and ginger. The sauce, enriched with soy, vinegar, and a touch of sugar, is thickened with a cornstarch slurry to perfectly coat the tofu and vegetables. Garnished with scallions and sesame seeds, it makes a delicious vegetarian main dish best served with rice and steamed veggies.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 3-4 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Asian
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
Tofu
- 14 – 16 ounces firm or extra-firm tofu
- 2½ tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 twists black pepper
Vegetables
- 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced into strips
- 6 mushrooms (white or cremini), quartered
- 4 scallions, finely sliced and separated (white/light green parts and green tops)
- 3 cloves garlic, grated or finely minced
- 1 inch fresh ginger, grated
Sauce
- ⅓ cup reduced sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons vinegar (rice vinegar, white wine vinegar, or apple cider vinegar)
- 1½ tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ½ cup water (for cornstarch slurry)
Instructions
- Prep the Ingredients: Pat the tofu dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture. Slice the tofu into ¼-inch (0.6 cm) strips for even cooking.
- Cut Vegetables: Quarter the mushrooms, slice the yellow bell pepper into strips, and finely slice the scallions, separating the white and light green parts from the green tops.
- Make Sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with ½ cup of water to create a slurry. In a medium bowl, combine soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, sesame oil, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes; whisk until sugar dissolves.
- Sauté Tofu: Heat 1½ tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large non-stick pan over medium-low heat. Add tofu strips, season with ½ teaspoon salt and black pepper, and cook for about 8 minutes, flipping once, until tofu is golden brown on both sides. Remove from pan and set aside.
- Sauté Vegetables: In the same pan, add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and increase heat to medium-high. Add bell pepper strips and mushrooms; cook for 3 minutes. Add the white and light-green parts of scallions and cook for 1 additional minute. Reduce heat to medium; add grated ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes, frying for another minute until fragrant.
- Add Sauce and Simmer Tofu: Return tofu slices to the pan, pour the prepared sauce over them making sure the tofu is covered, and simmer on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Thicken Sauce: Whisk the cornstarch slurry again, then add it to the pan. Cook on low heat for about 1 minute until the sauce thickens slightly but remains smooth and not overly sticky.
- Serve: Transfer the tofu and sauce to a serving plate. Sprinkle with the green tops of the scallions and toasted sesame seeds if available. Serve warm alongside rice and steamed vegetables.
Notes
- Patting tofu dry is essential to achieve a crispy exterior when pan-frying.
- If you prefer a spicier dish, increase the amount of red pepper flakes to taste.
- Use reduced sodium soy sauce to control the saltiness of the dish.
- This dish pairs beautifully with steamed jasmine or basmati rice.
- For gluten-free version, use tamari or gluten-free soy sauce.
- You can substitute the mushrooms with other varieties like shiitake or oyster mushrooms.
Keywords: braised tofu, pan-fried tofu, vegetarian tofu recipe, Asian tofu dish, tofu with bell pepper and mushrooms, easy tofu recipe
