Tofu is a fantastic plant-based food that is simple to bake, fry, or braise. This protein-packed ingredient can be used in a variety of delicious meals, as it is a chameleon to the flavors you choose to season it with. Tofu originated in China but is now used in cuisines worldwide—the possibilities are endless with this soy-based protein. Ahead, we share our favorite recipes with tofu, ranging from classic, cozy miso soup to chocolate-soy panna cotta for an indulgent dairy-free dessert.
Smoky Tofu Chili
One thing that makes tofu so delicious is its chameleon-like qualities for taking on any flavor you choose to add. For this dish, the tofu takes on the big aromatic flavors of garlic, tomato paste, chipotle, and cumin to create a vegan-style chili.
Sesame Marinated Tofu
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Rachel Marek
Sesame, soy sauce, and freshly minced garlic are simple yet delicious ways to potently season tofu. You'll find yourself coming back for more every time you make it, and it's the perfect recipe to prep ahead and have on hand throughout the week.
Crispy Fried Tofu
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Jacob Fox
The secret to our perfectly crispy and crunchy fried tofu is two-fold: throughly drain the tofu (leave out for 30 minutes), and coat the strips in cornstarch. We pair these crispy strips with a spicy mayonnaise sauce for dipping.
Roasted Cherries With Tofu 'Panna Cotta'
Enjoy this easy, vegan tofu panna cotta with oven-roasted caramelized cherries. It comes together in 30 minutes and requires just five ingredients.
Crumbled Tofu and Shiitake Lettuce Cups
Lettuce cups are a simple weeknight meal that you can customize with whatever you have on hand. We fill this plant-based mixture of tofu and shiitake mushrooms with rich umami flavor and top it with peanuts for added crunch with each bite.
Miso Soup With Tofu and Kale
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Miso soup is one of our favorite simple, cozy meals. It's a delicate soup that loads you with nutrition and is great to make during those colder months. Our miso soup recipe combines kale, ginger, garlic, miso, and tofu.
Ginger Lemongrass Broth With Noodles, Silken Tofu, and Broccoli
Our Southeast Asian-inspired soup packs cozy flavors, such as lemongrass-scented broth, silken tofu, and tender noodles. To enhance this dish, we stir in broccolini before serving.
Tofu Celery Stir Fry
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This plant-based stir-fry features tofu as the protein, and invites the fragrant flavors of ginger, scallions, chili-garlic sauce, and cilantro to complete this dish. Celery cut into matchsticks adds the surprising crunch and flavor that makes this recipe really stand out.
Soba-Noodle Bowl With Tofu
Soba noodles are popular for a reason, and this vegan dish featuring them comes together quickly and is full of complex flavors. Our sauce combines sweet and savory components, including soy sauce, lime juice, chili sauce, sugar, and oil. We place the tofu on top of the noodles with cilantro, sesame seeds, and more of the dressing to optimize the flavor.
Hot and Sour Soup With Tofu
Looking for a delicious soup you will want to make time and time again—especially during the winter months? We've got you. This is a super simple recipe and you probably have most of the ingredients already on hand. Before adding the tofu, we add an egg through a slotted spoon to form the ribbons floating in the soup, giving it an extra punch of flavor and protein.
Gingery Tofu Ramen Bowls
There is nothing better than a big bowl of ramen noodles after a long, cold day. Our gingery tofu ramen bowl features crispy tofu coated in a tamari-maple sauce. We blend together a nut butter to coat the noodles and pour the rest onto the tofu for extra flavor. For serving, we add sliced cucumbers, scallion, chili oil, and nuts to complete the dish.
Lumpia
We love to dip these crispy, shrimp and tofu-filled spring rolls into the delicious vinegar-garlic sauce. This recipe is perfect for feeding a crowd because it yields 35 rolls, and everyone can dive back in for seconds.
Chocolate-Soy 'Panna Cotta'
A vegan-friendly option for indulging in a rich, chocolate panna cotta. This custard relies on soy milk and tofu for its extra-creaminess. You need to prepare this dessert in advance because it calls for overnight fridge time. This dessert can be prepared up to two days before serving.
Winter Cobb Salad
For this vegetarian rendition of the classic Cobb salad, we replace the chicken and bacon with tamari-laced tofu and crispy shiitake mushrooms. The base of the salad is kale and is topped off with all the classic fixings like avocado, cherry tomatoes, hard-boiled eggs, and blue cheese.
Lemon Cream With Blackberries
This refreshing, lemon-flavored dessert is our go-to when we need a vegan dessert that can be prepared beforehand. You can make this recipe up to three days in advance or serve it immediately with fresh blackberries on top.
Vegan Banana French Toast
The silken tofu and almond milk create a thick, creamy custard for the bread to soak up for ultimate flavor. We double the dose of bananas on this French toast for a sweet beginning to the day.
All-Purpose Baked Tofu
Our all-purpose baked tofu is ideal if you like to prepare protein for the week to have on hand. You can easily toss this tofu into salads, bowls, or sandwiches. Simply coat the tofu in cornstarch, paprika, extra-virgin olive oil, and soy sauce or tamari before baking.
Vibrant-Green Broccoli Curry
Here is a plant-based power bowl that is excellent for lunch or dinner and comes together in just 25 minutes. We make a creamy, coconut-based broth and toss in chopped cilantro, lime-pickles, chile peppers, tofu, and broccoli. You can serve this dish with brown or white rice.
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