Vegan Tofu Stir Fry

Although a simple dish, the humble stir fry is one of my all-time favourites for its versatility and ease of cooking. It’s crazy that something so low-effort can taste so good! I love how easy it is to make a completely different-tasting dish out of the same ingredients, and it’s a meal that our household never get bored of.

If you’re vegan then a stir fry is a great choice for a meal as the majority of the ingredients are vegan anyway – instead of meat, this recipe uses tofu. Don’t be scared if you’ve never cooked tofu before (even though I was), as it’s actually really easy. The trick to cooking it successfully is to avoid overcooking it, and there’s no shame in setting a timer to make sure it’s not on the heat for too long. Once you’ve made this you’ll wonder why you never cooked tofu before, as its flavour lends perfectly to both the umami and fresh flavours of the dish.

RECIPE METHOD:

1. Add the sauce ingredients to a small mixing bowl and stir to combine. Set aside.
2. Cut the tofu into small cubes (if you are using a brand that doesn’t pre-drain then remember to drain your tofu first!). Heat a small amount of oil in a large wok and fry the tofu on a medium heat for exactly five minutes, stirring every so often to ensure all sides become golden brown. Once cooked set aside on a plate.
3. Cut the vegetables into strips and fry for another five or six minutes on a medium heat until soft.
4. Add the noodles and the sauce, stir to combine, and heat through for two minutes.
5. Stir in the tofu and fry for a further one minute until the dish is fully heated through (I add this last to prevent overcooking).
6. Serve topped with sesame seeds, if desired.

ADAPTATIONS:

• To get more portions out of the recipe, each portion can be made smaller and then served with white rice.
• Tofu works really well when seasoned and adds a unique texture to the dish, so if you’re comfortable with cooking tofu then feel free to season it beforehand – I like to add a generous dash of soy sauce, brown sugar, and chilli powder to give it a sweet but spicy kick.
• If you don’t like any of these vegetables then it’s super easy to swap them out for something else – bok choy, asparagus, carrots, spring onions, and tenderstem broccoli all work really well, or you can just increase the amount of a pre-existing vegetable.
• Flour and arrowroot powder also work as thickeners if you have no cornflour to hand.

What dishes have you used tofu in to make it vegetarian or vegan-friendly? Let me know in the comments!