Tofu and Broccoli

This pan-fried tofu and broccoli is tangy, crispy, and tastes like restaurant-quality! With an easy trick to make this dish on par with your favorite take-out, this vegan meal is perfect for weeknights or for when you want to impress.

Prep: 10

Cook: 20

Total: 30

Yield:4

Ingredients

1 ½ teaspoons sesame oil divided

For the Tofu

14 ounces extra firm tofu
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon vegetable or avocado oil

For the Broccoli

3 cups broccoli florets
3 tablespoons water
3 cloves garlic minced
1 teaspoon ginger grated
¼ cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
½ teaspoon chili flakes
1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water
½ teaspoon sesame seeds toasted, plus more for serving

For Serving

white rice cooked
scallions sliced

Instructions

Prepare your tofu. (See Notes.) Cut tofu into cubes about 1" thick and season liberally with salt and pepper.
Toss tofu cubes in a plastic sandwich bag filled with cornstarch until coated.
Heat the vegetable or avocado oil and 1 tsp sesame oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tofu once the oil is hot and cook about 5 minutes on each side, 10 minutes total, until the are golden brown and crispy all over. Remove tofu from the pan and set to the side.
Add the broccoli and water to pan. Cover and reduce the heat to medium-low. Steam until they are bright green and tender when pierced when a fork, about 3-5 minutes. Uncover and turn heat to medium-high. Add garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, and remaining sesame oil. Stir until everything has softened. Add the soy sauce, maple syrup, rice vinegar, and cornstarch-water mix. Stir until it reaches desired thickness. Add the sesame seeds and stir.
Place the tofu back to the pan and toss to coat in sauce. Serve over white rice and garnish with scallions and sesame seeds.

Notes

Cooking notes: The key to this recipe is cooking the tofu long enough. This helps it to taste more deep fried and restaurant quality.
How to prepare tofu: Wrap the block in a couple layers of paper towels and place it on a plate. Place another plate on top to help weigh it down and quicken the draining. It should sit for at least 30 minutes.

Recipe yields approximately 4 servings. Nutritional values shown are general guidelines, and reflect information for one serving. Macros may vary slightly depending on specific types and brands of ingredients used.

To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by 4. Result will be the weight of one serving.

Nutrition

Recipe By:Cheryl Malik