What Can I Cook With Tofu and Vegetables?

Tofu and vegetables makes a complete vegan meal: a stir-fry, a sheet-pan bake, a curry, or a noodle bowl. The reason most home tofu is disappointing is moisture — press it, and everything else follows.

Tofu has almost no flavour of its own but enormous surface area, so it takes on whatever it's cooked in. Coating pressed tofu in cornflour before frying creates a shell that holds sauce instead of shedding it.

Dishes you can make

• Crispy tofu stir-fry — Press 20 minutes, cube, toss in cornflour, fry until golden, then sauce off the heat.
• Sheet-pan tofu and vegetables — 220°C, tofu on its own half of the tray so it doesn't steam.
• Tofu curry — Fry the tofu separately and add it to the finished curry, or it disintegrates.
• Tofu noodle bowl — Cold noodles, hot tofu, raw crunchy vegetables, sharp dressing.
• Silken tofu with vegetables — No frying at all — warm silken tofu with a soy-ginger dressing poured over.

Tips that actually matter

• Extra-firm for frying and roasting, silken for sauces and soups. They're not interchangeable.
• Freeze and thaw firm tofu for a chewier, more absorbent texture.
• Sauce goes on after crisping, never before.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get tofu crispy?

Press out the water, dry the surface, coat in cornflour, and use enough oil in a genuinely hot pan. Don't move it for two minutes.

How much protein is in tofu?

Around 8–10g per 100g for firm tofu, and it's a complete protein containing all nine essential amino acids.

Do I have to press it?

For frying and roasting, yes. For soups and braises, no — the water isn't a problem there.

Related guides

• rice and vegetables
• chickpeas and vegetables
• noodles and vegetables

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