A delicious vegetarian weeknight dinner, this tofu bell pepper stir fry is ready in under 45 minutes and simple to make! Join me for an Instagram Live cooking class as I cook this stir fry on Monday, May 18th at 6pm EST.
This year I’ve been inspired more than ever to develop more vegetarian and vegan recipes. I eat a very balanced diet, but I’ve been trying to cook at least one vegetarian or vegan dinner and lunch each week.
It means that I’ve started to use more lentils and beans, but I’ve also been discovering ways to use tofu. The best way to learn how to cook specific ingredients? Read. Cook. Taste.
During my research, I was inspired by this stir fry recipe from Martha Rose Shulman in the New York Times.
I loved the combination of tofu and bell peppers and knew I could put a Living Lou twist on it and share it with you.
How do you make tofu delicious?
There are a few different tricks to making tofu delicious. First it’s important to press the tofu to remove the water. Because tofu comes packed in water, this process removes the liquid and will help avoid soggy tofu.
Start by draining the water, then wrap the tofu in paper towels, and weigh it down with something heavy (I use a cast iron skillet), and let sit for 15-30 minutes.
The other key to delicious tofu is to marinate it, to help it absorb flavour.
How long should you marinate tofu?
With tofu, any time is better than none! For this recipe I’ve found that 15 minutes is enough to add flavour and make this recipe quick enough for a weeknight. If you find yourself with ample time in the evening, you could marinate for 30 minutes.
If you don’t have time for a long marinate, try making tofu stir fry with zucchini and asparagus which uses tofu tossed in sriracha for a quick flavour boost.
Tofu Bell Pepper Stir Fry
Ingredients
- 1 lb firm tofu
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp hoisin
- 2 tsp sugar
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 2 tbsp canola oil, divided
- 1 onion, cut into 1" pieces
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1" pieces
- 1 green bell pepper, cut into 1" pieces
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp minced ginger
- ¼ tsp chili flakes
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
Instructions
- Drain tofu and wrap in paper towel. Place something heavy on top (I use a cast iron skillet), and let sit for about 15 minutes. Once pressed, cut into 1" cubes.
- Meanwhile in a medium bowl, whisk soy sauce with hoisin, sugar and sesame oil. Toss with pressed and cubed tofu, and allow to marinate for 15 minutes, tossing occasionally to coat tofu. Remove tofu from marinate (reserve remaining marinade for the vegetables).
- Heat 1 tbsp of canola oil in a wok or a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add tofu, and cook, stirring frequently until tofu starts to caramelize and turn a deep brown, about 3 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.
- Add remaining canola oil, onion and bell peppers. Cook, stirring constantly, until onion starts to brown and bell peppers have a few char marks on them. About 3 minutes. Vegetables should be a vibrant red and still have some crunch.
- Add garlic, ginger and chili flakes, continue cooking, stirring constantly for 30 seconds. Add remaining marinade and tofu back to pan. Toss to coat. Serve over rice with sesame seeds.
Gin 
Erica 
Louisa Clements 
Shirley Clements 
Kim Truesdell 
Alisanne 
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MindyC
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