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This tasty tofu stir fry recipe is our go-to for healthy plant based dinners! It’s got the best stir fry sauce, and you can use any veggies.

Tofu stir fry
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Did you know tofu is delicious? For years Alex and I veered away from tofu because we weren’t quite sure what to do with it. Of course, tofu right out of the container is a colorless, flavorless goo. But cook it up right and it’s one of the tastiest plant-based dinners you can have. This healthy vegan protein is great for incorporating into your meal prep repertoire. Want to fall in love with it? Come taste this tofu stir fry. It’s got the most flavor-packed stir fry sauce that works with any veggie, and the tofu is crisped on the outside and perfectly seasoned.

First off: is tofu healthy?

We get this question a lot, because there have been some tofu rumors out there in the rumor mill. Here’s our two-cents: Tofu is part of a healthy diet. According to the Harvard TH Chan School of Nutrition, soy is a nutrient-dense source of protein that can safely be consumed several times a week. It’s likely to provide health benefits, especially when you eat it as an alternative to red meat and processed meat. Learn more about tofu here: Straight Talk About Soy and Is Tofu Good for You?

How to make a tofu stir fry: the basic steps

Even better than being healthy: tofu can be completely delicious if you cook it correctly! Here’s what to know about the elements of making this basic tofu stir fry:

  • Make the stir fry sauce. This sauce is SO good! You’re going to love the flavor and the thick body of the sauce.
  • Chop the veggies. This is where much of the prep time will come in. We’ve used only a few veggies so you don’t have to spend hours chopping.
  • Cook the tofu. The main idea is to cut it into small squares, then pan fry for 5 minutes per side.
  • Stir fry the veggies. Add the veggies for 6 minutes. Then add the tofu and sauce and turn off the heat! The sauce will heat and thicken using the residual heat. If you have the heat too high, the sauce will evaporate.
Tofu stir fry

Guess what: you don’t have to press the tofu!

Did you notice something was missing? Pressing the tofu! If you’ve made other tofu recipes, they may have called for wrapping the tofu in a towel and placing a heavy object on top for 30 minutes. The theory is that this extracts more water, helping the tofu to get crispier. But really: who has the time for that?

This tofu stir fry works for weeknight dinners because you don’t have to spend the time pressing it before cooking. Just pat it dry with a towel and you’re ready to cook.

What’s in this delicious stir fry sauce

Did we talk up this stir fry sauce enough? Let’s just spend a little more time there. You can use this sauce for any stir fry that’s intended for 4 servings. You can also easily make the sauce in advance! Whip it up and store in a covered jar or container until you’re ready to cook. It saves a few minutes: which can be crucial on a weeknight. Here’s what’s in this sauce:

  • Soy sauce
  • Rice vinegar
  • Sugar
  • Miso paste
  • Cornstarch
  • Garlic powder
Tofu stir fry

Other veggies to use in a tofu stir fry

You can use lots of other vegetables in this tofu stir fry! We chose broccoli, red and orange bell pepper, and shiitake mushrooms because they have beautiful colors, lots of nutrients, and a similar cooking time. Here’s a cheat sheet for other vegetables you might want to add to show the timing for each one:

Vegetables that take 6 to 7 minutes to stir fry:

Vegetables that take 3 to 5 minutes to stir fry:

  • Cabbage, thinly sliced
  • Snap peas or snow peas
  • Bok choy, chopped
  • Zucchini or summer squash
  • Edamame, frozen and shelled

Vegetables that take 1 minute to stir fry:

  • Garlic, minced
  • Ginger, minced
  • Green onion, thinly sliced (or use as a garnish)
Tofu stir fry

What to serve with this tofu stir fry

Lastly, let’s talk about how to serve this tofu stir fry! This makes a fantastic healthy vegan dinner idea or easy vegetarian meal. You’ll want to serve with some sort of whole grain to make it more filling. Here are some options:

  • Rice: The easiest and most traditional option for a stir fry. Go to How to Cook Rice or Instant Pot Rice. Or try Coconut Rice!
  • Quinoa: When we want to mix things up, quinoa is a fun grain to serve with a stir fry. Go to How to Make Quinoa or Instant Pot Quinoa.
  • Cauliflower Rice: Don’t want to eat a whole grain? Try cauliflower rice! Take 1 head of cauliflower and chop it into large florets. Place half of the florets into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until fully chopped and the cauliflower resembles grains of rice. Remove the “rice” to a bowl and process the remainder of the cauliflower.

Another great stir fry? Try Baby Bok Choy Stir Fry.

Tofu stir fry

This tofu stir fry recipe is…

Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free and gluten-free.

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Tofu stir fry

Go-To Tofu Stir Fry


5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

4.4 from 5 reviews

  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 4 1x
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Description

This tasty tofu stir fry recipe is our go-to for healthy plant based dinners! It’s got the best stir fry sauce, and you can use any veggies.


Ingredients

Scale

For the stir fry sauce

  • ¼ cup soy sauce
  • 6 tablespoons water
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 tablespoon yellow or white miso paste
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder

For the tofu stir fry

  • 1 1/2 pounds fresh broccoli, stem on (about 3 large heads or 6 heaping cups florets)*
  • 1 red bell pepper (or half red and half orange)
  • 4 ounces shiitake mushrooms (optional)
  • 2 green onions
  • 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
  • 14-ounces firm or extra firm tofu
  • 3 tablespoons sesame oil, divided
  • Kosher salt
  • Sesame seeds

Instructions

  1. Start the rice: If serving with rice, start the rice.
  2. Make the sauce: Whisk together the stir fry sauce ingredients in a medium bowl, or make the sauce in advance and refrigerate until cooking.
  3. Chop the veggies: Chop the broccoli into florets. Thinly slice the pepper. Remove the shiitake stems and thinly slice them, if using. Thinly slice the green onion. Peel and grate the ginger.
  4. Cook the tofu: Cut the tofu into bite sized pieces (1-inch squares, 3/8-inch thick and pat it dry with a towel. Add 2 tablespoons sesame oil to a large non-stick pan and add the tofu cubes and a few pinches kosher salt. Turn on the heat to medium-high. Cook 5 to 6 minutes until lightly browned on the bottom.
  5. Flip the tofu: Briefly remove the pan from the heat to reduce spitting. Flip the tofu with chopsticks (the easiest method!) or tongs. Return the heat to medium-high and cook 5 to 6 minutes until browned. Remove the tofu to a bowl and set it aside.
  6. Stir fry the veggies: Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the skillet. Add the broccoli, pepper, and shiitake mushrooms and two pinches salt and cook 6 to 7 minutes until just starting to brown on edges, stirring occasionally. In the last minute, add 1 tablespoon water and allow the vegetables to steam.
  7. Turn down the heat to low. Add the green onion and ginger and cook 1 minute. Turn off the heat. Add the tofu and sauce and stir until the sauce thickens. Garnish with sesame seeds if desired. Serve immediately. Store leftovers up to 3 days refrigerated.
  • Category: Stir Fry
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Vegan
  • Diet: Vegan

More easy vegan dinner ideas

Love eating plant based? Here are a few more vegan dinner ideas to add to your repertoire:

About the authors

Sonja & Alex

Hi, we’re Alex and Sonja Overhiser, married cookbook authors, food bloggers, and recipe developers. We founded A Couple Cooks to share fresh, seasonal recipes and the joy of cooking! Our recipes are made by two real people and work every time.

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18 Comments

  1. Tejal J Pancholi-Miller says:

    Excited to meal prep this for lunch! Are the nutrition facts only for the stir fry or is the rice included in the break down? Thanks!

  2. Barbara says:

    Very tasty! I tripled the sauce quantities, but only doubled the (low sodium) soy sauce and sugar to restrict the sodium content and sweetness. Used fresh minced garlic rather than garlic powder. Could you please list the sodium content in the nutrition label?






  3. Megan C says:

    Can we omit the sugar in this recipe? Doing a fast that involves no sweeteners or animals products (so honey, maple syrup, and artificial sweeteners are out too). Hoping it won’t change the taste or texture but not sure.

  4. Sinead says:

    I have made this recipe as my meal prepped lunch for the week and it is absolutely delicious! I replaced the miso paste with peanut butter as I forgot to order it with my groceries but it turned out awesome! So happy I found this website!






    1. Alex Overhiser says:

      So glad you enjoyed!

  5. Anonymous says:

    look so good!






    1. Alex Overhiser says:

      Thank you!

  6. Emilie says:

    Hi, thanks for all your recipes, I’m a big fan! Your vegan shepherds pie is a particular fave.
    I don’t see the sauce thickening at the end if the heat is turned off.. What am I doing wrong? and how thick should it get?
    Thank you!






  7. Jill Vaughan says:

    When do you add the extra sesame oil and the sesame seeds? At the very end? I’m not seeing where it indicates on the recipe…






    1. Sonja Overhiser says:

      Thank you, that was a typo! We’ve updated the recipe to clarify where the oil is used — the sesame seeds are a garnish at the end!

  8. Erin Hamblin says:

    I have never bought miso before and there were many types when I went to the grocery store, so I wasn’t sure what to buy! I ended up buying something in liquid form, but I think I was supposed to buy the paste (they had white and red). Do you have a picture of the miso you use?

    1. Sonja Overhiser says:

      Thank you for letting us know and sorry about the confusion! I’ve changed this to specify “yellow or white miso paste” so there is no confusion! Hopefully that provides the necessary clarity. Sorry about that and thank you for letting us know!

  9. Sharon Dennie says:

    TOO MUCH SOYA SAUCE! Ruined this meal ☹️

    1. Sonja Overhiser says:

      We’re sorry to hear this! We like this amount of soy sauce but you can always reduce if you like or use low sodium.

  10. Molly says:

    Made this tonight with two kids in tow and it really did come together quickly and was great! Thanks!

    1. Alex Overhiser says:

      So glad you enjoyed it!