Tofu with Peanut Sauce

Crispy Tofu with Peanut Sauce! This vegan and gluten free meal is rich, creamy, and so good! Serve it with green veggies and rice for a delicious, hearty, and healthy weeknight dinner. Made in under 30 minutes for a family friendly recipe everyone will love!

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Servings: people

Calories: 557kcal

Author: Sarah McMinn

Ingredients

1 cup uncooked rice
14 ounces extra firm tofu, drained and pressed
2 tbsp oil, divided
½ tsp salt
1 small bunch broccolini, stems chopped 1-2"
1 batch Thai Peanut Sauce
1-2 green onions, sliced thin
¼ cup roasted peanuts
a few sprigs of cilantro

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Start by making rice according to package instructions. Note, cooking times will change depending on the type of rice. While rice cooks, prepare everything else.
In a small blender combine all the ingredients for the Peanut Ginger Sauce. Blend until smooth and set aside.
In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Cube tofu into ½" inch pieces. Once the oil is hot (it should sizzle when tofu hits the pan) add tofu and salt. Pan-fry for 5-7 minutes stirring frequently until tofu is golden brown on all sides.
Add ½ of the peanut sauce to the tofu and stir until tofu is completely coated. Some of the sauce may stick to the pan; that's okay. Once the tofu has caramelized on the edges, another 5 minutes, remove from heat and set aside.
Add the remaining oil to a separate pan. Sauté the broccolini (or vegetable of choice) for 5 minutes until the broccolini has wilted and is tender.
To serve, spoon rice in the bottoms of each bowl. Evenly divide the tofu and broccolini and top with extra sauce and topping of choice. Serve immediately.

Notes

Serving and Storing - Serve this meal shortly after it's made. Serve over rice, noodles, quinoa, cauliflower rice, or omit the grain all together for a low-carb vegan meal. 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.

Recipe Tips

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.
Heat the sauté pan so that it’s hot before adding the tofu. The tofu should sizzle when it hits the pan. This is to ensure the tofu does not stick to the pan.
Shake the tofu frequently when cooking to prevent the tofu from sticking to the bottom and allowing the tofu to cook evenly.
Save on time and use store bought peanut sauce. You will need about ½ cup total for this recipe.

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of tofu should I use? Use 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.

Is this recipe gluten-free? As it is written, the recipe is not gluten-free because the peanut sauce contains soy sauce. However, you can easily make this recipe gluten-free by using Tamari – a wheat-free alternative to soy sauce.

Nutrition