szechuan tofu

Szechuan Tofu and Veggies! A flavorful vegan stir-fry with crispy tofu, szechuan sauce and loaded up with healthy vegetables! Quick, easy and flavorful!!!

Szechuan Tofu and Veggies

salt and pepper

onion

mushrooms (optional)

shredded cabbage (or shredded brussels, or shredded broccoli)

carrots

red bell pepper, thinly sliced

beans

: 6- 8 small dried red Chinese or Arbol chilies

garnish: scallions, sesame seeds, chili flakes

Heat oil in a skillet. Season oil generously with salt and pepper. With tofu, I generally use ½ teaspoon kosher salt per ½ pound of tofu. Swirl the seasoned oil around until spread out uniformly.  Add tofu and sear on at least two sides, until crispy and golden. Be patient here. Set aside.

To the same pan, add a little more oil if needed,  onion, and mushrooms and sauté over medium high heat &#8211; stirring constantly, until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the remaining veggies, add the dried chilies if you like -and lower heat to medium, and sauté,  tossing &amp; stirring for 3-5 minutes until just tender or al dente. Tender, but vibrant and still slightly crisp!

Add the Szechuan Sauce, starting with ¼ cup and adding more to taste. Cook the sauce 2 minutes, letting it thicken a bit. Toss in the crispy tofu ( or shrimp or chicken) right at the end, just to warm it up.

Divide among two bowls. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and scallions. Add chili flakes for more heat.

Serve this just as it is, or over rice, or noodles&#8230; and remember, do not eat the dried chilis!

This was fantastic! I’ve made it twice, once with tofu and once with shrimp, and used the corn starch version of the sauce for stir fry. The sauce kept great in the fridge for a couple of days, between the two versions. Both were terrific but I loved the tofu especially. I used regular peppercorns and served it over quinoa. Way better than restaurant takeout.

I doubled the sauce and made it a day ahead to make dinner quicker.
(I used regular peppercorns, and did not have chilis.)
I also put some of the extra sauce on the tofu and baked it.
New and interesting flavors to put into the rotation.
THanks

Delicious. Freezes well, too. Next time I make it, I think I'll skip the tofu and sub cashew nuts (saves time and I'm not a huge tofu fan).

Turned out really nice. Served with rice. Used packaged szechuan sauce instead of making my own

I really wanted to love this recipe but I found it to be a bit salty with the base of tamari. I had to put about 1/4 cup of water to make it more tolerable. Any suggestions?

I made this recipe last night and substituted some of the veggies. It was super good and the sauce was delicious! Will make again.

I made this for our meatless Monday dinner and it was so delicious!  I made a large batch of the Szechuan sauce to have on hand for more meals to come.  Thank you so much!

This is delicious! My husband made it for dinner tonight and I practically licked the bowl!

https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/NWwbsRCC.mp4

Szechuan Tofu and Veggies Video 

Kung Pao tofu is an improvised dish from the famous Szechuan cuisine Kung Pao chicken. It is an excellent vegetarian dish for those who do not eat meat but want to appreciate the same flavor of the famed Kung Pao chicken. 

Kung Pao Tofu

500 g firm tofu,

tsp light soy sauce

tsp dark soy sauce

tbsp light soy sauce

tp dark soy sauce

½ tbsp black vinegar

tsp doubanjiang

tbsp sugar

tbsp Shaoxing wine

tsp white pepper

tsp salt

garlic,

ginger, (about thumb size), cut into thin slices

tbsp ground Sichuan peppercorn

dry red chili,

cornstarch

water

(others)

red bell pepper

green bell pepper

cashew nuts

tsp sesame oil

scallion,

Combine ingredients in A, marinate for 2 hours....

Combine ingredients in A, marinate for 2 hours. Drained.

Combine ingredients in B.

Cut and prepare ingredients in C and E.

Pan-fry the tofu with some oil over medium...

Pan-fry the tofu with some oil over medium heat until brown on both sides. Set aside.

Saute the ginger, garlic, scallion, and the dry...

Saute the ginger, garlic, scallion, and the dry chili until aromatic.

Add the kung pao sauce. Add the bell...

Add the kung pao sauce.  Add the bell peppers, Szechuan peppercorn. Mix ingredients in D, pour into the pan. Return the fried tofu to the pan. Stir gently.

Add the cashew nuts and sprinkle a tablespoon...

Add the cashew nuts and sprinkle a tablespoon of scallion. Serve.

https://mediavine-res.cloudinary.com/video/upload/d4wukjyj0bdfzs33szq3.mp4

Featuring crispy tofu and crunchy veggies cooked in a spicy, bold sauce, this Szechuan tofu is seriously addictive! A quick and easy stir-fry that is vegan and healthier than Chinese takeout. The best part is, you can make it in under 30 minutes!

Spicy Szechuan Tofu (Vegan)

14 oz block extra firm tofu (drained, pressed and cubed)

salt

soy sauce (or tamari (use gluten-free if needed))

shaoxing wine

rice vinegar

sesame oil

coconut sugar sugar

five spice powder

yellow onion (roughly diced)

chilies

garlic (minced)

ginger

szechuan peppercorn (crushed (or black pepper, see notes)*)

red bell pepper (diced)

green onion (sliced into 2 inch pieces)

In a Ziploc bag, place in tofu cubes along with cornstarch and salt. Toss until tofu cubes are well-coated.

Heat up a tablespoon of neutral-tasting oil in a non-stick pan on medium-high heat. Once pan is heated, add in tofu cubes in one layer. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until most sides are golden.

In the meantime, combine all ingredients needed for the sauce and mix well.

Add more oil back to the pan. Add in onion and saute until translucent, about 2-3 minutes.

Then, stir in dried chilies, garlic, ginger, and Szechuan peppercorn. Fry until fragrant for about a minute.

Add in red pepper next and cook until slightly softened, about 3-4 minutes.

Lastly, stir in tofu cubes, stir-fry sauce, and green onion. Toss until everything is well incorporated. Serve and enjoy!

Szechuan Style Tofu Stir fry recipe with fried tofu and vegetables tossed in delicious spicy savoury sauce.

Szechuan Tofu

400 gram Firm tofu (About 14 ounces, Firm

½ Onion (Cut small dices)

Green chilli pepper (Or bell pepper

Red chilli pepper (Or bell pepper

Carrot (Cut 1-cm cubes)

tbsp Garlic (Finely chopped/minced)

½ tbsp Ginger (Finely chopped/minced)

5-6 Dry long red chilli (Sichuan chilli

peppercorns

Vegetable oil for frying (Or neutral flavour oil)

tbsp Soy sauce (Light soy sauce

8-10 tbsp Corn starch (About ½ cup, corn or potato starch)

tbsp Light soy sauce (Or all-purpose soy sauce)

½ tsp Dark soy sauce

Sugar

black rice vinegar (Or rice vinegar

Sesame oil

tsp Corn starch

Water

Wrap the tofu block with a paper towel or clean kitchen towel and gently press the excess water out. Pat dry the tofu and cut it into 1-inch size cubes.

Place the tofu cubes in a large bowl, and season with soy sauce. Stir it gently and set it aside for 10 minutes.

Add corn starch in the marinated tofu, toss and coat each tofu piece. Toss the excess flour out before frying.

Heat the pan over medium-high heat. Fill enough oil to shallow fry the tofu cubes. Once the oil is hot, add the tofu cubes, flip sides and fry until the coating is crispy golden brown.

Remove from oil and place it over the paper towel.

How to Prepare Tofu

Combine all the stir fry sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set it aside.

Leave 2-3 tablespoons of oil in the wok/pan. Heat the pan over medium-high heat. Add the carrots and stir for a few seconds.

Next, add the onions, and dried chillies, and toss them well. Follow with ginger, garlic, Sichuan peppercorns, and chilli peppers.

Pour the sauce in and follow with the fried tofu pieces.

Combine everything well until the sauce is thick and glossy. Turn off the heat and add spring onions.

Remove from heat and transfer to serving plate.

Serve with plain jasmine rice or noodles.

How to Make a Stir Fry

This easy mapo tofu recipe features soft tofu coated in a spicy and savory sauce with deep aromas from the garlic, green onion, and chilies. This incredibly flavorful tofu dish pairs perfectly with a bowl of steamed rice, and comes together quickly using a simple list of ingredients.

Easy 15-Minute Mapo Tofu

(450 grams) package soft tofu

vegetable oil

chili (crushed)

chicken (pork, beef, or finely chopped mushrooms)

tbsp Doubanjiang (spicy bean paste)

chicken stock (or water)

oyster sauce (or soy sauce)

tsp each dark soy sauce, sugar, and ground sichuan pepper (see notes below)

cornstarch (mixed with 2 tbsp water,

Cut tofu into small 1-inch cubes. Bring a pot of water to a boil and add a generous pinch of salt. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, add your tofu, and cook for 1 minute. Drain and set aside.

Heat oil in a wok over medium heat. Add garlic, white parts of green onion, and dried chili and cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add minced meat and cook for about 2 minutes while breaking up the meat with a spatula.

Add doubanjiang and fry for another minute, stirring well to combine. Add chicken stock and season with oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, and ground sichuan pepper. Stir to combine and cook for 2 minutes.

Add cornstarch slurry and stir continuously until thickened. Season with salt if needed, and carefully stir in your tofu. Remove from heat and add sesame oil to finish.

Transfer to a bowl, sprinkle with reserved green onions, and serve immediately over a bowl of steamed rice. Enjoy!

Chinese style easy Szechuan tofu and peppers is a delicious, spicy stir fry dish that tastes better than takeout. The key is using my simple Szechuan sauce made with easy to find ingredients. Tofu can be either fried or baked to reduce oil. Serve with brown rice and additional Asian-style hot sauce if desired.

Easy Szechuan Tofu and Peppers

red bell pepper,

green bell pepper,

onion,

Avocado or grapeseed oil OR cooking spray, as needed for frying

2-3 scallions, chopped diagonally, to serve

Tbsp **low-sodium soy sauce

chili garlic sauce

Tbsp rice vinegar

Tbsp brown or coconut sugar

tsp toasted sesame oil (optional)

tsp black pepper (freshly ground if available)

granulated garlic

water (room temperature)

Slice the tofu

Slice a drained and pressed block of tofu crosswise into 8-10 rectangles of about 1/2" thickness. (A tofu press like this one is very helpful for pressing tofu).

Tofu frying method

FOR FRIED TOFU (with oil): Preheat a large heavy-bottomed skillet (I use the larger one from this set) over medium high heat. Add 1 tsp of oil (or spray with cooking spray). Arrange tofu rectangles in a single layer (see picture below). Cook 3-4 minutes until the bottom turns golden brown. Flip and cook another 3-4 minutes. Set aside.

Baked tofu method

FOR BAKED TOFU (oil-free): Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Arrange tofu rectangles on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake 12-15 minutes until the top surface starts turning golden, then flip and cook 5-7 minutes more.

Cut the tofu

Slice each cooked tofu rectangle into bite-sized pieces, set aside.

Chop peppers and onions

While the tofu is cooking, chop peppers and onions into 1/2-inch cubes. (This is also a good time to make Szechuan sauce - see below.)

Cook peppers and onions

Once the tofu is done frying (or while it's baking in the oven), preheat the same skillet on medium-high. Add 1 tsp oil (or spray with cooking spray). Add cubed peppers and onions, toss well, and cook quickly to get some of the pieces slightly charred around the edges, about 2-3 minutes. The vegetables don't need to get cooked through - it's best if they retain some crunch. Take the vegetables out and set aside. They'll look something like this:

Make Szechuan sauce

In a small bowl or a measuring cup, whisk cornstarch and soy sauce until the cornstarch is dissolved. Add the rest of the ingredients, chili garlic sauce through water, and whisk to combine.  Set aside.

Add tofu and sauce to the skillet

Reheat the same skillet you cooked tofu and peppers in (or just peppers if you baked the tofu) over medium heat. Add 1 tsp of oil or spray with cooking spray. Add tofu cubes, and immediately pour in the Szechuan sauce (be careful as it may start splattering).

Mix in peppers and onions

Reduce the heat to medium, and cook, stirring often, until the sauce thickens, about 1-2 minutes. Once the sauce has reduced by half, add peppers and onions. Toss well, and cook another 2-3 minutes, or until most of the liquid evaporates, and each piece of tofu and vegetables is covered with sticky golden-brown glaze.

Serve with scallions and rice

Serve topped with chopped scallions with a side of steamed rice. Enjoy!

https://mediavine-res.cloudinary.com/video/upload/udszmyu5pfryw4iqcg3g.mp4

Vegan Szechuan tofu and peppers is a delicious Chinese-style stir fry made with easy to find ingredients. This spicy Asian-style vegan dinner recipe is quicker and tastier than takeout. Made with a spicy homemade Szechuan sauce. Serve over brown rice for an easy and filling meal.

Top 6 szechuan tofu recipes from across the web

The most viewed szechuan tofu recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

Top Tags

Szechuan Tofu and Veggies

Kung Pao Tofu

Spicy Szechuan Tofu (Vegan)

Szechuan Tofu

Easy 15-Minute Mapo Tofu

Easy Szechuan Tofu and Peppers

Top 6 szechuan tofu recipes from across the web

The most viewed szechuan tofu recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Szechuan Tofu and Veggies

Kung Pao Tofu

Spicy Szechuan Tofu (Vegan)

Szechuan Tofu

Easy 15-Minute Mapo Tofu

Easy Szechuan Tofu and Peppers

The most viewed szechuan tofu recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine