Tofu Recipes

By Food & Wine
Updated January 17, 2018
Marcus Nilsson
Terrific tofu recipes, from fried tofu with spicy ginger-sesame sauce to crispy kale-and-tofu salad with coconut.
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Chilled Tofu with Apple Soy Sauce


Credit: Con Poulos
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This refreshing and light starter is based on the popular Japanese dish called hiyayakko, which is simply chilled tofu dressed with flavorful toppings. In his version, Food & Wine's Justin Chapple drizzles a sweet-salty mix of apple juice and soy sauce on top, then garnishes with a few tasty things, including crunchy radishes and toasted sesame seeds.

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Tofu Masala

Credit: © Eva Kolenko
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This supersimple vegetarian dish from F&W's Kay Chun is hearty, spicy and delicious with a glass of Chenin Blanc.

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Tofu Doughnuts with Mezcal Condensed Milk


Credit: Abby Hocking / Food & Wine
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F&W Best New Chef 2017 Yoshi Okai, of Austin’s Otoko, makes these crisp fried doughnuts with a combination of silken tofu, sugar, flour and salt. The texture is not that of a traditional doughnut; instead, it’s more like mochi, with an appealing chew. The creamy, sweet and smoky mezcal sauce is a most excellent accompaniment.Okai’s crisp fried doughnuts have an appealing chew, almost like mochi.

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Creamy Sesame-Garlic Tofu Dressing

Credit: © Eva Kolenko
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This versatile dressing from F&W’s Kay Chun is delicious on anything from salad to grilled meat and fish.

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Crispy Tofu Steaks with Ginger Vinaigrette

Credit: © Eva Kolenko
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F&W’s Kay Chun uses panko to coat tofu steaks, then pan-fries them until they’re crispy outside and creamy within.

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Crunchy Tofu Tacos

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These vegetarian tacos by chef Joe Kim combine fried tofu and peanuts.

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Spinach and Tofu Dumplings

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These spicy dumplings are a wonderful way to eat spinach, rich in vitamin C, beta-carotene, magnesium, riboflavin, folate and vitamins B6 and K.

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Chili con Tofu

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Spicy chili seasonings work wonders for the bland flavor of tofu. For a more substantial, spicy chili, use the same weight of tempeh in place of the tofu. Since tempeh is not packed in water, there is no need to pat it dry before sautéing, but stir in up to one extra cup of water in Step 4 when adding the beans.

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Fried Tofu with Spicy Ginger-Sesame Sauce

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Tofu is an unlikely partner for red wine, but in this recipe by Young Hwa Chung—wife of Hi Sang Lee—a soy-ginger glaze works well with a Cabernet Sauvignon.

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Cold Peanut Noodles with Tofu and Red Peppers

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A vast improvement on the usual sesame noodles made famous by a million Chinese take-out menus, this silky version includes chunks of tofu and sweet, crunchy slices of red bell pepper.

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Tofu-Salad Sandwiches

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In this riff on a classic egg-salad sandwich, Melissa Rubel Jacobson stirs finely chopped silken tofu with mayonnaise, mustard, chives and crunchy celery, then spreads it on whole wheat toast. To mimic the yellowish color of egg salad, she sometimes adds a little turmeric, but it's not necessary.

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Grilled Tofu with Asparagus and Nori Vinaigrette

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Lee Anne Wong plays with an array of Asian ingredients to create a wonderful marinade for extra-firm tofu or high-fiber tempeh (cakes made from fermented whole soy beans). Tempeh's nutty flavor and grainy texture make it an acquired taste, but Wong loves it here.

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Xie Xie's Tofu Salad with Pickled Vegetables

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Tangy pickled cabbage and spicy carrot kimchi are the key to Angelo Sosa's tofu-topped green salad. They are supereasy to make, but for a great shortcut, use store-bought kimchi (a chile-flecked Korean pickle that's often made with cabbage) in place of both.

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Curried Tofu-and-Avocado Dip with Rosemary Pita Chips

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To create this tasty dip, Lee Anne Wong blends soft or silken tofu (which has an especially custardy texture) with high-potassium avocado and a little bit of low-fat sour cream and yogurt. For extra fiber, she serves the dip with raw vegetables and rosemary whole wheat pita chips.

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Tofu, Eggplant and Shiitake Noodle Soup

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To simplify the Cambodian noodle soup, we added fewer vegetables to store-bought vegetable broth.

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Stir-Fried Tofu with Bok Choy

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This dish, adapted from Harumi Kurihara's Harumi's Japanese Cooking, is topped with a sprinkling of umami-packed bouillon.

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Grilled Tofu Steaks with Piquillo Salsa Verde

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Firm tofu is ideal for the grill, because it holds its shape and gets nicely smoky. It's excellent with this tangy salsa prepared with piquillo peppers, capers and parsley.

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Crispy Kale-and-Tofu Salad with Coconut

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Heidi Swanson, author of Supernatural Cooking, has already proven she's a master at creating amazingly healthy and tasty vegetarian recipes with very few ingredients. Here, she toasts kale, coconut and tofu until lightly browned and crisp, then tosses them with brown rice.

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Steamed Tofu with Shrimp and Black Bean Sauce

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Corinne Trang, author of Essentials of Asian Cuisine, offers this pungent, garlicky take on the Chinese dish of tofu stuffed with shrimp in black bean sauce. The shrimp here are stir-fried just until they curl and served alongside firm tofu.

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Tofu Casserole

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This dish is already supernutritious; to simplify it, use supermarket ingredients and combine everything in the pot—no dipping required.

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Whole-Wheat Pasta with Tofu and Cucumber

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An updated pasta salad—whole-wheat spaghetti served at room temperature with sautéed tofu, cucumbers, scallions, and an Asian dressing—makes a delicious warm-weather meal, reminiscent of Japanese soba-noodle dishes.

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Caesar Salad with Crispy Tofu Croutons

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In this creative remix of a classic Caesar, Melissa Rubel Jacobson pan-fries tofu cubes until they become crisp and crouton-like. Plus, she blends soft tofu with olive oil, lemon juice and an anchovy to make a terrific Caesar-style dressing without the standard raw egg yolks.

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Barley-and-Spinach Salad with Tofu Dressing

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This salad is incredibly satisfying, thanks to the fiber-rich barley Lee Anne Wong tosses with spinach and mushrooms. Crumbled firm tofu in the sherry vinegar dressing adds extra protein.

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Chicken Hot Pot with Mushrooms and Tofu

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Cooks in Asia serve hot pots communally, setting a big pot of bubbling broth on the table alongside a platter of raw ingredients (like vegetables and thinly sliced chicken) for dipping. It's a fun way for guests to feel like they have a hand in making their own meal. In his version, Ethan Stowell gives each person at the table an individual bowl of sliced mushrooms, tofu and scallions, then adds piping hot chicken broth loaded with chunks of tender cooked chicken.

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Chilled Tofu with Soy Dressing


Credit: Marcus Nilsson
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Chilled Tofu with Soy Dressing offers the perfect balance of textures: crispy shredded nori, toasted crunchy sesame seeds, and creamy silken tofu. All are bathed in a garlicky soy dressing that completes the dish.

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