10 Tasty Tofu Recipes

Sunset Magazine

This is tofu? Bean curd is bland no more in these flavorful dishes.


Grilled Tofu, Bacon, and Avocado Sandwiches
Charles Phan's Out the Door in San Francisco serves a non-traditional fried tofu banh mi with grilled zucchini and avocado. Andrea Nguyen, a cookbook author and cooking teacher based in Northern California, likes to change it up by marinating and grilling a slab of tofu and sliding it into a ciabatta roll along with the vegetables and bacon. Sriracha and a drizzle of the ginger-soy marinade add even more complex flavor.

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Pressed Tofu, Roast Duck, and Broccolini Stir-Fry
This recipe from Andrea Nguyen was inspired by a dish at Seattle's Ba Bar. Usually flavored with five-spice powder, brown-colored pressed tofu is sold at Chinese and Vietnamese markets, which often have a barbecue shop where you can pick up the roast duck, too. If you'd rather not use the duck fat for the stir-frying, substitute it with 2 tbsp. canola oil. Char siu pork can sub for the duck, too.
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Miso-Glazed Tofu with Parsnips Two Ways
Chef Douglas Keane regularly serves housemade tofu on his tasting menu at Cyrus, a Michelin two-star restaurant in Healdsburg, CA, and uses it in this uncommonly good creation. For her home rendition, Andrea Nguyen likes to roast the parsnips with sesame oil to amplify their sweet earthiness.
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Fresh Herb and Tofu Curry
Andrea Nguyen based this fragrant, creamy coconut-milk curry on one from James Syhabout's Hawker Fare, in Oakland, CA. Use asparagus or green beans instead of bok choy if you like, and serve it with steamed jasmine rice--or a warm baguette.
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Tofu Fries with Gingered Ketchup
At Musha's, a Tokyo-style izakaya in Santa Monica, classic agedashi (block-fried) tofu gets turned into slender fries served with wasabi mayonnaise and sweet chile sauce. Andrea Nguyen, gives the fries an Indian twist--the gingered ketchup.
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Asian Greens and Tofu Soup
A simple, excellent, healthy soup for a weeknight. You'll feel like your mama is cooking for you.
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Spicy Eggplant, Pork, and Tofu Stir-Fry
Spicy garlic sauce gives a big flavor punch to simple stir-fry in this Asian-inspired dish.
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Spinach Dinner Salad with Sesame Tofu
The excitement in this salad comes from crisp little cubes of tofu, gently fried and crusted with sesame seeds. It's quick and just right for a weeknight.
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Tofu and Eggplant Hobo Bundles
Here's a fresh new vegetarian main course for a summer night; grill the tofu and eggplant in foil, open up the fragrant bundle, and top it with a spicy salad.
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Sesame Tofu Dressing
What a way to deliver creamy, bold flavor to a boring salad! Honestly, even plain iceberg tastes great with this dressing spooned on top. More good news: It's low-fat and high-protein.
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Related: 30 hearty vegetarian dishes