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Say goodbye to boring tofu. There is another winner in town: stuffed tofu! Introducing Stuffed Tofu in Spicy Tomato Sauce!
Here is another Vietnamese-inspired recipe. It consists of tofu that is stuffed with mushrooms, carrots, and bell pepper and served in a sweet and spicy tomato sauce. It’s SUPER good and definitely different from baked or sautéed tofu!
The recipe starts with the carved-out tofu, as you can see in the photo below. Then, we mash the tofu and mix it with finely diced mushrooms (I went with shiitakes), carrots, red bell pepper, as well as soy sauce and coconut sugar to season it.
This recipe is versatile, so feel free to use the vegetables you have on hand. Want to tweak this recipe a bit? Go with cabbage, kale, or even cooked chickpeas for more texture!
Next, you want to fill the tofu pouches tightly with the tofu filling. If you want the tofu to be slightly crispy on the outside, I recommend you shallow-fry it for a few minutes before making the tomato sauce.
Now onto the tomato sauce! It is easy. You start by cooking aromatics like garlic, chili, and green onions until fragrant. Then add diced tomatoes, ketchup, soy sauce, and coconut sugar.
Cook for a few minutes, until it slightly thickens, before adding the stuffed tofu to the sauce.
The tofu will soak up the spicy and flavorful tomato sauce. SO GOOD!
This tofu is tender on the inside, chewy on the outside, and comes with a tomato sauce that is spicy/sweet, which takes it to another level! If you are looking for a different way to cook tofu, you should definitely try this one!
Looking for more tofu recipes? Check out these Saucy Caramelized Tofu Bowls, Sesame Crusted Hoisin Tofu Bowls, or these Spicy Seaweed Tofu Rolls!
Let me know in the comments if you try this recipe!
Stuffed Tofu in Spicy Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
- 5 pieces of fried tofu homemade or store-bought
- 2-3 mushrooms finely chopped
- 1/2 carrot very finely diced
- 1/2 red bell pepper very finely diced
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp coconut sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
Tomato Sauce
- 2 tbsp oil
- 3 cloves of garlic minced
- 1/2 red chili sliced
- 2 green onions chopped
- 3 tomatoes finely chopped
- 3 tbsp ketchup
- 2 tbsp coconut sugar start with one and adjust to your liking
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
- a pinch of salt adjust to taste
Instructions
- Start by preparing the stuffed tofu. Using a sharp knife, carve out the inside of each tofu piece, making sure you don't go all the way through. Take a look at the photo for more detail.
- Transfer the carved-out tofu to a mixing bowl. Add the finely diced mushrooms, carrot, red bell pepper, soy sauce, coconut sugar, and salt. Using a fork, mash everything together until it forms a slightly chunky paste. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. At this point, you can add some chili or chopped fresh herbs for extra flavor.
- Fill the tofu pouches with the mashed tofu mixture, making sure to pack it tight. Be careful not to break the tofu pouches.
- Heat two tablespoons of oil in a large non-stick skillet. Once hot, fry the stuffed tofu pieces on each side for about 5 minutes. This step is optional but makes the tofu crispy on the outside. Remove the tofu from the skillet and transfer them to a plate lined with a kitchen paper towel to remove excess oil.
- In the same skillet, heat another two tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Once hot, add the garlic, sliced chili, and green onions and cook for about 3 minutes.
- Next, add the chopped tomatoes and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until they are cooked and have slightly thickened. Add the ketchup, coconut sugar, and soy sauce, and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
- Add the stuffed tofu back to the skillet and cook for about 5 minutes, flipping them once to coat them with the tomato sauce.
- Add the ground black pepper, top with chopped green onions, and serve with rice or quinoa on the side!
- This stuffed tofu will keep for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
Notes
Nutrition
About the Author
Thomas Pagot is the founder, photographer, and recipe developer behind Full of Plants. He created the blog in 2016 as a personal cookbook for vegan recipes. Through years of recipe development, Thomas has successfully grown Full of Plants into a trusted resource for plant-based recipes.
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