This Vegetable Stir Fry is made with sautéed broccoli and peppers and mixed with a Ginger Peanut Sauce for a delicious, hearty, and healthy tofu dinner recipe.
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This Tofu Stir Fry was originally published for Vegan Mofo in 2014. For the entire month of September, I went through the alphabet creating recipes that highlighted an ingredient for each letter. It was 26 recipes in 30 days. I have no idea how I managed that.
This particular recipe was the second one I posted that month - B for Broccoli. Six years later it continues to be a go-to vegetable stir fry recipe.
And I think you'll see why. This vegetable stir fry is awesome. It's made with Ginger Peanut Baked Tofu and sautéed broccoli and peppers, all covered in my Thai Peanut Sauce for a wholesome and delicious vegan and gluten-free meal. Better yet, it's made with just 10 ingredients.
Let's take a closer look at my go-to tofu stir fry.
Recommended Ingredients & Equipment
I love a good tofu stir fry. They are easy to make, they are wildly versatile, and they are good for you. Stir fries are typically packed with veggies, protein, and healthy fats and are easily made vegan and gluten-free. It is a meal even the most novice of cooks can master and make 100% delicious!
Here is everything you need.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Rice - You can use brown or white rice. Just note that brown rice takes about twice as long to cook. You can also serve this meal over cauliflower rice for a keto-friendly stir fry.
- Oil - Use a high heat oil such as coconut, peanut, or sesame.
- Red Onion
- Bell Pepper - I prefer red bell pepper as they are slightly sweeter and less bitter than green but any color will work.
- Broccoli - You could also use broccolini, bok choy, or snap peas.
- Extra Firm Tofu - Look for high-protein extra-firm tofu. This particular tofu does not need to be pressed. If you can only find water-packed tofu, make sure to thoroughly press out the water with a tofu press. Softer tofu will crumble and not give you the same chewy texture. If you don’t like tofu, try this recipe with tempeh or soy curls instead.
- Thai Peanut Sauce - You can use homemade or store bought peanut sauce. I highly recommend my homemade recipe which calls for peanut butter, sesame oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, fresh ginger, maple syrup, lime, cayenne pepper, and water.
- Toppings - I like to top my stir fries with green onions, cilantro, and toasted peanuts.
Recommended Equipment
For this recipe, you will need basic cooking equipment including a saucepot, a sauté pan or wok, and basic kitchen utensils, including chef’s knife.(<<affiliate links)
Check out the full list of my recommended kitchen tools and gadgets.
How to make Tofu Stir Fry
As I said, making a vegetable stir fry recipe is very straight forward. It's a matter of cooking your rice, sautéing your vegetables, and slathering it all in a rich and creamy sauce.
Let's break this down.
Step One – Cook the Rice
I recommend brown rice because it has more protein and is much lower on the glycemic index than white rice. Brown rice also has great benefits such as being anti-inflammatory and high in important minerals such as magnesium and manganese. For these reasons (and more), I almost always choose brown rice.
Step Two - Bake the Tofu
To start, make a 2x batch of the Thai Peanut Sauce. If you would rather use store bought sauce, that's no problem. You want about 1 cup of peanut sauce total for this vegan stir fry recipe.
Now, we can cut the tofu into ½" cubes. Place the cubed tofu in a bowl and toss with about ¼ cup of the peanut sauce. Once the tofu is fully coated, place it in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes, flipping once, until the tofu has a nice and crispy outside.
Step Three - Sauté the Vegetables
With the tofu in the oven, it's time to take sauté the vegetables.
Add peanut oil or sesame oil to a large skillet and place over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the onions and sauté them until they are translucent and fragrant. This takes about 5 minutes. Once they have filled your house with the sweet aroma of onions, add the broccoli and bell peppers and sauté for another 5 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
Pour the remaining peanut sauce over the vegetables and remove from heat.
Step Four - Assemble and Serve
Now it's time to put our vegetable stir fry together. Evenly divide the rice between four plates. Add sautéed veggies and baked peanut tofu. Top with peanuts, green onions, and fresh cilantro and serve!
Serving and Storing Tofu Stir Fry
Serving - For best results, eat this stir fry shortly after it's made. Serve this tofu stir fry over rice, noodles, quinoa, cauliflower rice, or omit the grain all together for a low-carb vegan meal.
Storing - Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To eat leftovers, gently reheat the stir fry over the stove or in the microwave.
Frequently Asked Questions
The recipe is not gluten-free because it contains soy sauce. However, you can easily make this recipe gluten-free by using Tamari - a wheat-free alternative to soy sauce. For a grain-free option, consider swapping out the rice with cauliflower rice.
More Vegan Stir Fry Recipes
- Udon Noodle Stir Fry with Sweet Ginger Sauce
- 20-Minute Kung Pao Tofu
- Korean BBQ Bowls
- Vegan Peanut Noodles
- Crispy Tofu with Peanut Sauce
Tofu Stir Fry with Broccoli and Bell Peppers
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked rice
- 1 tbsp. peanut or sesame oil
- ½ red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- 1 medium head of broccoli, chopped
- 8 ounces extra-firm tofu, pressed
- 2 batches Thai Peanut Sauce
- 2 green onions
- a few sprigs of cilantro
- ¼ cup dry-roasted peanuts
Instructions
- Cook the rice according to package instructions. While the rice is cooking, prepare the rest of the stir-fry.
- Preheat the oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Make the Thai Peanut Sauce and set aside. Cut the tofu into ½" cubes and place in a shallow dish. Pour ¼ cup of the Thai Peanut Sauce over tofu, stirring to coat.
- Transfer the tofu to the prepared baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, flipping after 10 minutes.
- Heat peanut oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add onions and saute for 5 minutes, until translucent. Add bell peppers and broccoli and continue cooking for an additional 5 minutes, until vegetables are tender. Stir in the remaining peanut sauce and remove from heat
- To serve, evenly divide the rice onto 4 plates. Add stir-fried broccoli and peppers and baked tofu. Top with green onions, cilantro, and peanuts. Serve immediately.
Hi, I’m Sarah. I’m a 14-year (and counting) vegan, professionally trained photographer, former pastry chef, founder of My Darling Vegan, and author of the
Rob Beere says
Great recipe. Very tasty. Try with noodles too?
Cece says
You mentioned that soy curls could be used in place of extra firm tofu. How would I go about preparing the soy curls?
Deb Z says
Can we make the tofu with an instant pot or air fryer?
karen flagg says
This recipe is most delicious as well as easy to prepare. I baked the tofu @ 325º for 20min, then for 15 minutes, as the sesame oil has a smoking point of 325º. Turned out nice and crisp and very yummy! Thank you ~ Karen
Isabelle Pham says
I make this on a weekly basis. The sauce is so tasty! It’s simple enough to make on a weekday! Delicious and healthy!
Isabelle says
I make this once a week ! Easy and tasty!
Lilly says
So delicious!! I absolutely loved it! Thank you so much for this recipe! I am looking forward to try more of your recipes.
Kamielle says
OH MY GOSH! I am devouring this meal right now. It was so easy to make and I can hardly believe how delicious it is! I followed the recipe exactly and it turned out perfectly on the first try. I just downloaded your Clean Eating Vegan eBook and I'm so excited to try some of the recipes this week. Thank you!!
Mary Abercrombie says
Just found this recipe--and this wonderful food blog--tonight. We've tried a LOT of tofu-veggie stir-fry recipes from here and there. This one is the BEST!
katie says
This was sooo good. All 5 in our family finished it off.
Cadry says
This sounds so good! I can definitely see how it would persuade any tofu skeptics. Peanut sauce is magic!
Sarah says
Truly magical, I agree!
Lindsay @ KitchenOperas says
YUMMMMM this bowl looks SO good -- I can't wait to try this sauce!!!!
Sarah says
Thanks, Lindsay! I hope you enjoy it.
kendy says
i love stir fry! usually i make a stir fry on tuesday post gym and try to use up any lingering csa veggies! yours sounds/looks good! i love anything that uses peanut butter!
Sarah says
Stir fries are the best for using up CSA veggies! That's what I always do when we have a CSA also.
laura says
This looks amazing AND I have all the ingredients at home. #winning
Totally considering an ode to broccoli post during Vegan Mofo. It's my default veggie when we need something green on the plate. And the dog's favorite snack is broccoli stems, so no waste!
Sarah says
I should try giving broccoli stems to my dog - I always feel like I'm throwing too much away when I cook with it.
mdg says
To use the stems, cut off the tough outer parts and dice or slice the inside just like a carrot or potato and add to the veggie stir fry. Delicious, and no waste. I still give some to my dog though!
Stephanie says
Love anything with peanut sauce. Sounds like a winning combo!
Sarah says
I agree. Everything is better with a little peanut sauce.
Caitlin says
considering that broccoli and peanuts are two of my favorite things, i'm all over this meal.
Sarah says
And it's the best combination, right?!