Thai Vegetable Stir-Fry with Tofu

By
Darlene Schmidt
Darlene Schmidt
Darlene Schmidt is a cookbook author and culinary teacher who specializes in Thai cuisine.
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Updated on 05/21/21
Broccoli, carrot, mushroom stir fry with tofu.
Westend61 / Getty Images
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 15 mins
Total: 30 mins
Servings: 3 to 4 servings

Most vegetable stir-fries are a tad on the boring side, but not this one! This dish sings with so much flavor, you'll forget all about its amazing health benefits (plus it's vegetarian and vegan too). Using a good stir-fry sauce is one of the keys to creating a great veggie stir-fry; the other trick is knowing when to add each ingredient. At the same time, this recipe is pretty forgiving - you can add your own choice of vegetables, depending on what you have on hand. The tofu topping is delicious, but optional – if you just want vegetables, you'll still get a great stir-fry out of this recipe. 

Ingredients

For the Tofu:

  • 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce

  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar, packed

  • 2 1/2 cups (350 grams) medium-firmness tofu, 2 1/2 cups cubed

  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

  • 6 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided

For the Stir-Fry Sauce:

  • 1/4 cup vegetable stock

  • 1/4 cup soy sauce

  • 2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce

  • 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce

  • 1 tablespoon sherry, or cooking sherry

  • 1 teaspoon rice vinegar

For the Stir-Fry:

  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped purple or white onion

  • 3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 medium carrot, sliced

  • 1 celery stalk, sliced thickly

  • 1 1/2 to 2 cups broccoli florets

  • 6 to 7 shiitake mushrooms, sliced

  • 1 1/2 to 2 cups bok choy

  • 1 red bell pepper, sliced

  • Lemon juice, or lime juice, optional

  • Fresh chile pepper slices, or chili flakes, optional

  • Jasmine rice, for serving

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. In a small mixing bowl, stir together the hoisin sauce and brown sugar until sugar dissolves.

  3. Slice tofu into 1- to 1 1/2-inch cubes or rectangles and add to the marinade, gently turning to saturate. Set in the refrigerator.

  4. Combine stir-fry sauce ingredients in a cup and set aside.

  5. Distribute flour over a large dinner plate. Remove tofu from refrigerator and gently turn each piece in the flour. Let tofu remain sitting in the flour.

  6. Heat a small to medium frying pan over high heat. Add 5 tablespoons vegetable oil. When oil is hot, add the floured tofu cubes. Fry 1 minute, then turn tofu and fry 1 more minute or until medium-browned on both sides. Remove tofu from oil and set on paper towel to drain. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue frying until all tofu is cooked. Reserve fried tofu on a sheet pan in a warm oven.

  7. Heat a wok or large frying pan over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil plus onion and garlic, and stir-fry 1 minute. Add carrot and celery plus 2 tablespoons of stir-fry sauce. Stir-fry for 2 minutes.

  8. Add broccoli and mushrooms. Stir-fry 2 minutes, adding more of the stir-fry sauce as you go.

  9. Add bok choy, red pepper, and remaining stir-fry sauce, frying everything together until vegetables are cooked but still retain some crispness (2 to 3 minutes). Remove from heat and taste-test. If too salty or sweet for your taste, add a little lime or lemon juice. Add more soy sauce if not salty or flavorful enough. Some fresh-cut chili or chili flakes can be added for more spice.

  10. To serve, transfer vegetables onto a serving plate or individual plates or bowls. Tip the pan to drizzle remaining sauce over, then top with the warm tofu. Serve with Thai jasmine rice.

Recipe Variations

  • Switch from rice vinegar to regular distilled white vinegar.
  • Rather than bok choy, use the same amount of chopped green cabbage.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
542 Calories
30g Fat
50g Carbs
25g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 3 to 4
Amount per serving
Calories 542
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 30g 39%
Saturated Fat 3g 16%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 1294mg 56%
Total Carbohydrate 50g 18%
Dietary Fiber 8g 30%
Total Sugars 18g
Protein 25g
Vitamin C 124mg 621%
Calcium 588mg 45%
Iron 7mg 37%
Potassium 1125mg 24%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)