This vegan sweet and sour tofu is sure to become one of your favorite easy weeknight meals! Better than takeout and certainly more affordable, this dish is one that everyone at the dinner table will love and ask for again!
Vegan Sweet and Sour Tofu
If your family is like most, a takeout night is always a treat. Chinese takeout is definitely tops on our list, but finding quality vegan dishes can be hit or miss. Plus, it can be expensive when feeding a family. The solution is to make your own homemade sweet and sour tofu.
I think that this vegan sweet and sour tofu recipe is a must-try for anyone looking to add more plant-based meals to their diet. It's affordable, easy to make, and incredibly satisfying. Another benefit is how it showcases tofu as a main protein, in an appetizing way that even non-vegans will devour.
Serving this over some vegan fried rice with a side of steamed vegetables is the perfect way to make takeout at home without the fuss.
Ingredients
While the list of ingredients may seem like a lot, it's really very few items. Most likely, you already have all of these in your pantry. If not, they are great for many of our other vegan dishes and worth investing in adding to your kitchen.
For the tofu
- 10oz block firm tofu (300g)
- 2 tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅓ cup cornstarch
- Vegetable oil for cooking
For the sweet and sour sauce
- 3 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoon water
- 1 tablespoon chili sauce
- 3 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Tools Used
- Tofu press: if you plan to use tofu on a regular basis, this is an investment that will make working with it much easier to manage.
- Mixing bowls: invest in a set of mixing bowls that are nesting and come in a variety of sizes. These make preparing any recipe easier, and storage is super easy and convenient.
- Measuring cups and spoons: you will want to keep measuring spoons, dry measuring cups, and wet measuring cups in common sizes for most recipes.
- Large skillet: a large non-stick skillet will be your best friend in the kitchen and ideal for getting tofu crispy.
- Small saucepan: every kitchen needs at least a small, medium, and large saucepan for regular cooking needs.
Video Recipe
How to Make Homemade Sweet and Sour Tofu
To begin, you will prepare your tofu. If you have a tofu press, use it to remove excess moisture. A press should take around 30 to 45 minutes to do this. Without a tofu press, you will remove the focus from the package, and dry it with paper towels. Then, wrap it in a tea towel and place something heavy on top and let it sit like this in the refrigerator for 1 or 2 hours until the moisture has been removed.
Once the tofu is drained properly, cut it into bite-sized pieces, around 1" square. Pour these into a container with a lid and set it aside.
Now, in a small bowl, whisk together the dark soy sauce, vinegar, and garlic powder to make a marinade for the tofu. Add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil to the marinade if desired.
Pour the marinade over the tofu and stir-coat it well. Put the lid on the container and place it back into the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes, remove the tofu from the refrigerator and transfer it to a Ziploc bag along with the cornstarch. Seal this and shake until the tofu has been coated with cornstarch.
How to Cook the Tofu
Now, in a large skillet, add vegetable oil over medium heat. Using 2 to 3 tablespoons of oil is usually plenty for this. Once the oil is hot, add the tofu pieces to the pan evenly, being careful to not overcrowd the pan.
Now, cook the tofu for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until golden brown and crispy on all sides. Once cooked, transfer to a large bowl. Depending upon the size of the skillet, you may need to do this in a few batches.
While the tofu cooks, prepare the sauce in a small saucepan. Add the soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, water, chili sauce, brown sugar, and cornstarch to the pan and whisk to combine. Cook over low heat for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the sauce has heated through and thickened nicely.
Once the tofu and sauce are both done cooking, pour the sauce over the tofu and stir to coat before serving.
Add in vegetables if desired when cooking for added texture and flavor. Garnish with a sprinkle of fresh chopped chives and sesame seeds.
Frequently Asked Questions
For this recipe, and anywhere you are looking to cut and fry the tofu, firm tofu is the best choice. It holds the shape you cut it into and will retain any flavor added.
Many people think that tofu is just tofu, but there are actually different types of tofu out there. From soft and silken to firm and extra firm, each type has its own unique texture and flavor. And when it comes to cooking with tofu, the type you choose can make a big difference in how the dish turns out.
The best way to get your tofu extra crispy is to make sure you press the tofu to remove all moisture. In addition to this, you will want to make sure that you are cooking in a pan with hot oil and not overcrowding the pan. When a pan gets too crowded, it will steam the tofu rather than fry.
More Asian-Inspired Recipes
If you are looking for a great way to add Asian-inspired recipes to your meal plan, below are a few more of my favorite dishes. These can be made by themselves or paired together for a family meal that has tons of flavor and variety for everyone to try. Take a moment to bookmark the recipes that you like. You can also print them out or even pin them to Pinterest, so they are handy when you are ready to cook!
- General Tso's Tofu - 30 Minute Meal!
- Slurpalicious Vegan Peanut Noodles
- 20 Minute Vegan Egg Roll In A Bowl
- Vegetable Chow Mein
- Vegan Orange Chicken (Tofu)
- Tofu Stir Fry Recipe (Chinese)
- Best Teriyaki Noodles with Homemade Teriyaki Sauce
Sweet and Sour Tofu
Ingredients
For the tofu
- 10 oz block firm tofu 300g
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce dark
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅓ cup cornstarch
- Vegetable oil for cooking
For the sweet and sour sauce
- 3 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoon water
- 1 tablespoon chili sauce
- 3 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
- First, prepare the tofu by removing any excess moisture. If you have a tofu press, use it for 30 to 45 minutes. If you don't, remove the tofu from the package, dry it with paper towels, wrap it in a tea towel, and place something heavy on top of it. Leave it in the refrigerator for 1 or 2 hours.
- Once the tofu is drained, cut it into bite-sized pieces and put them in a container with a lid.
- In a small bowl, mix dark soy sauce, vinegar, garlic powder, and vegetable oil (if desired) to e a marinade. Pour the marinade over the tofu and stir-coat it well. Cover the container and put it in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes, put the tofu and cornstarch in a Ziploc bag and shake it until the tofu is coated with cornstarch.
- In a large skillet, add 2 to 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the tofu to the pan evenly, being careful to not overcrowd the pan. Cook the tofu for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until golden brown and crispy on all sides. Transfer the tofu to a large bowl.
- While the tofu is cooking, prepare the sauce in a small saucepan. Add soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, water, chili sauce, brown sugar, and cornstarch to the pan and whisk to combine. Cook over low heat for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the sauce has heated through and thickened.
- Once the tofu and sauce are both done cooking, pour the sauce over the tofu and stir to coat before serving. You can add vegetables to the skillet while cooking for added texture and flavor.
Video
Notes
- In a pinch, you can use a vegan certified bottle of sweet and sour sauce rather than making your own.
- Apple cider vinegar can be replaced with ½ white vinegar and ½ apple juice.
- Adjust the heat level by adding more or less chili sauce and brown sugar.
- The sauce can be served on the side for dipping.
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