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Home » Lunch Recipes » Vegan Tofu Stir Fry Recipe

Published: Apr 3, 2023 | Modified: Apr 3, 2023 by Hina Gujral

Vegan Tofu Stir Fry Recipe

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This Vegan Tofu Stir Fry is a perfect one-pot dinner! It is a quick and healthy vegetable stir fry that gets ready in less than 30 minutes. Be sure to watch the video!

Aerial shot of white marble bowl with vegan tofu stir fry on dark wooden table, with napkin under bowl and chopsticks at the side. 2 small bowls of condiments in background.

What is stir-frying?

Stir-Frying is a Chinese technique of cooking food quickly in a wok with hot oil.

In China, it began appearing in the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) but has only gained worldwide popularity in the last century, spreading west and well beyond Chinese communities.

Today we see stir-frying everywhere – at home, as kits in supermarkets, restaurants, and take-out.

White marble bowl with vegan tofu stir fry on dark wooden table, with napkin under bowl. Blurry bowl in background.

Why is stir-frying so good?

Your vegetables retain their nutrients! We know that as you cook vegetables, their nutritional value decreases. In a stir fry, you don’t need to cook the veggies very long. Less cooking + optimal flavour = healthy win!

You can clean out your fridge! In this stir-fry recipe, I use green beans, broccoli, red and yellow bell peppers, and zucchini, but stir-fries are a great way to use leftover vegetables in the fridge.

It’s healthy, gluten-free, and vegan! Stir-fries are primarily vegetables with herbs, spices, and a little soy sauce. There isn’t much oil or flour used, keeping the calories low for a considerable volume of food.

It’s quick & easy! Prep = 15 minutes, cooking = 15 minutes. The trickiest part is draining the tofu (which isn’t hard at all!).

Cream stone plate with rice and vegan tofu stir fry on dark wooden table with chopsticks.

Ingredients Required

The main ingredients for making tofu stir fry are firm tofu, red and yellow peppers, broccoli, zucchini, green beans, onion, and celery.

For the sauce, you will need garlic ginger paste, rice vinegar, light soy sauce, vegetable stock, brown sugar, chilli powder, Chinese Five Spice Mix, salt, and pepper.

Equipment: You will need a towel to squeeze out the extra moisture from the tofu, a mixing bowl to season the tofu, a Wok or non-stick pan to cook in, a heat-safe spatula to flip the tofu, and stir the ingredients, a chopping board & knife.

How to prepare the Tofu

(follow step-by-step instructions as shown in the image below)

First of all, press the tofu firmly with a towel. You can use a cloth or paper towel (image 1).

Then, cut the tofu into cubes.

In a bowl, season the tofu cubes with salt, pepper, and soy sauce. Mix well, making sure the tofu is evenly coated. 

Heat 2 of the 4 tablespoon of sesame oil in a non-stick pan, and cook the tofu until it’s crispy on all sides, using the heatproof spatula to flip (image 4).

A collage of 4 pictures of the tofu cooking process: pressing, cutting, seasoning and cooking.

Tofu Stir Fry Recipe Variations

Can I use other vegetables? Yes! Other vegetables that work well in tofu stir fry are:

  • yellow summer squash
  • carrots
  • sugar snap peas
  • bean sprouts
  • water chestnuts
  • bok choy
  • baby corn
  • Brussels sprouts.

Feel free to suggest more options in the comments below!

A pan of the vegetables used in this dish: green beans, zucchini, broccoli, red bell pepper and yellow bell pepper

Meal Prep Tips

This Vegan Tofu Stir fry is great to make in bulk and store for lunch or dinner for the week!

Here are a few ideas for making this work for you:

Double the recipe! This recipe serves 4 people; doubling it would make 8 servings. I would freeze half and use it a few weeks later for an easy weeknight meal.

Take this dish to work for lunch! After you’ve finished cooking, separate the Vegan Tofu Stir Fry (plus a side of rice or noodles if desired) into 4 microwave-safe containers and, when cool, put their lids on and pop them in the fridge.

When you’re going to work, if the container is in a warm environment for more than 2 hours, pack an ice pack with the container to keep it fresh.

To reheat, simply warm tofu stir fry in a microwave until it’s piping hot.

Vegan tofu stir fry in a frying pan on a dark wooden table.

How do I store this stir fry?

Fridge: After the tofu stir fry has completely cooled, store it in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Freezing: After completely cooling the stir fry, store it in a freezer bag or container for up to 3 months. The veggies may become relatively soft after freezing, but the flavour will still be amazing!

Serving Suggestion

The best way to enjoy this tofu stir fry is with aromatic jasmine rice. You can serve it with any other variety of rice as well.

For a vegan dinner, I serve it with fried chili oil noodles, or pineapple fried rice.

Store the leftover stir fry in the refrigerator. It remains fresh and suitable for consumption for 2 – 3 days. Reheat in a stir-frying pan or microwave.

Watch Tofu Stir Fry Video

More Stir-Fry Recipes

  • Pineapple Fried Rice
  • Stir-Fried Broccoli
  • Indian Beetroot Stir Fry
  • Stir Fry Pasta With Veggies
  • Quinoa Stir Fry With Shrimps
  • Instant Noodles Chicken Stir Fry

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If you try this recipe and love it, please leave a comment and a rating. This helps us grow and reach other food lovers like you.

Aerial shot of white marble bowl with vegan tofu stir fry on dark wooden table, with napkin under bowl and chopsticks at the side. 2 small bowls of condiments in background.

Vegan Tofu Stir Fry Recipe

This healthy tofu stir fry with veggies is ready in 30 minutes. It is a vegan, and gluten-free stir-fry recipe.
5 from 2 votes
Save Saved! Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Chinese
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 229kcal
Author: Hina Gujral
  • Chinese Wok
  • Mixing Bowl
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Ingredients

  • 200 gram fresh tofu, cut into cubes
  • ½ Cup roughly chopped red onion
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
  • 1 tablespoon chopped celery stalk
  • 5 – 6 green beans, cut into half lengthwise
  • ½ Cup broccoli florets
  • ½ Cup red bell pepper diced
  • ½ Cup zucchini cut into cubes
  • ½ Cup yellow bell pepper cut into cubes
  • 4 tablespoon sesame oil or olive oil
  • Salt and black pepper to taste

Ingredients For Sauce

  • ½ Cup vegetable stock or broth (get recipe)
  • ⅛ Cup light soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste (get recipe)
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
  • 1 teaspoon Chinese Five Spice Mix

Ingredients For Garnish:

  • 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
  • 2 tablespoon spring onion greens

Instructions

Prepare Tofu:

  • Firmly press the tofu with a paper towel to drain all the moisture/water. Make sure tofu is completely dry. Then cut into cubes.
  • Combine salt, black pepper, half a tablespoon soy sauce, and tofu in a bowl. Mix nicely.
  • Heat 2 tablespoon oil in a non-stick pan. Fry the tofu cubes till crisp from both sides. Transfer to a plate lined with an oil absorbing paper. Set it aside.
  • Combine vegetable stock, soy sauce, vinegar, ginger garlic paste, brown sugar, Chinese five spice mix, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Whisk to combine. Keep it aside.
  • In a Chinese wok heat remaining oil and swirl to coat the wok with oil.
  • Add ginger, garlic, red chili, celery stalk, and red onion. Stir fry for 10 – 20 seconds to release the aroma of herbs.
  • Then add veggies one by one and stir-fry on high heat. Cook for 5 -7 minutes, stirring the skillet. When the vegetables have a shining layer and have softened a bit, add the sauce prepared earlier. Stir to combine.
  • Add the crispy tofu cubes. Mix. Cook the stir-fry for 3 – 5 minutes or until the sauce thickens.
  • Add spring onion greens and sesame seeds for garnishing.
  • Tofu Veggie Stir Fry tastes best with steamed jasmine rice or chilli garlic noodles.

Recipe Notes:

  • Make sure the tofu is completely dry before frying. Else, it might not turn crispy and stick to the pan. 
  • Do not cook the vegetables for too long. They will lose the colour and crunch. 
  • To thicken the sauce, you can use corn starch, potato starch, rice flour, or any other gluten-free thickening agent as well. 
  • Instead of tofu you can use paneer (cottage cheese), shrimp, boneless chicken, or fish. 
 

Nutrition

Calories: 229kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Sodium: 546mg | Potassium: 291mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1080IU | Vitamin C: 76mg | Calcium: 108mg | Iron: 2mg
If you try this recipe, please leave a comment and a rating. This helps us grow and reach more food lovers like you.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Beulah Arun says

    June 03, 2014 at 3:31 pm

    Lovely dish!

    Reply
  2. Pritish Soundararajan says

    March 28, 2017 at 11:51 am

    Lovely recipe. Since I’ve been eating healthy for over a month now, this recipe is apt. Thanks.

    Reply
    • Hina Gujral says

      April 03, 2017 at 6:04 pm

      I am so thrilled that you liked it. Stay tuned with us for more such recipes.

      Reply
  3. Tara Nair says

    March 29, 2017 at 12:15 pm

    Lots of love to this healthy recipe. Thanks Hina 😀

    Reply
    • Hina Gujral says

      April 03, 2017 at 6:03 pm

      Happy me 🙂

      Reply
  4. Shruthi says

    March 20, 2020 at 11:26 pm

    This looks so simple and delicious. Definitely trying it this weekend!

    Reply
    • Hina Gujral says

      March 21, 2020 at 1:12 pm

      Great! It’s healthy and wholesome too.

      Reply
  5. Shamla says

    April 10, 2020 at 6:33 pm

    Hi Hina thank you for your super collection of vegan food they turn out delicious

    Reply
    • Hina Gujral says

      April 10, 2020 at 7:27 pm

      I am so thrilled to hear your sweet feedback. More vegan recipes coming your way!

      Reply
  6. Roberto says

    December 15, 2020 at 8:48 am

    Really a solid recipe, and a super alternative to mapo dofu without the pork. We’re not vegans, but this’ll be on our go-to menu list. Our only modification was increasing the veg broth and adding corn starch to thicken the sauce. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Hina Gujral says

      December 15, 2020 at 11:37 am

      Thank you for your feedback. You can always customize the recipe as per personal preference.

      Reply
  7. Judy Hillhouse says

    August 09, 2021 at 10:31 pm

    What’s the serving size how many cups or oz

    Reply
    • Hina Gujral says

      August 10, 2021 at 11:51 am

      It will give you 4 Cups of 100 grams each.

      Reply
  8. Diana says

    August 11, 2022 at 10:26 pm

    Would a regular pan work in the absence of a Chinese wok?

    Reply
    • Hina Gujral says

      August 12, 2022 at 11:28 am

      Yes, it will work. Just make sure not to overcrowd the pan otherwise, the veggies won’t get properly stir-fried. Each ingredient should get evenly distributed high heat for stir-frying. Hence, pick your pan accordingly.

      Reply
5 from 2 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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Hello, I’m Hina Gujral.

Banker to Blogger. Married to a like-minded food lover. Mother of a food critique pug – MOMO.

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