Tofu Recipes | Yummly

If you're like most people, you probably have no idea how to cook tofu. The good news is that it goes with anything and is one of the healthiest foods you can cook as it's packed with quality protein. If you're looking for vegan recipes, tofu is the way to go! Since tofu is such a versatile ingredient, you can make the best recipes when you're craving Thai, Chinese, or even American food without skimping on flavor. With Yummly, you can find tofu recipes like Thai curry, tofu tacos, or a tofu sc…

amble for breakfast.

Breakfast Tofu Recipes

You may be surprised that tofu can be eaten for breakfast, but there are so many different ways to get creative with tofu, you'll find that it will become harder to imagine breakfast without tofu once your eyes are opened to the possibilities. Consider using tofu as an alternative to eggs, but tofu shouldn't just be limited to vegetarians or vegans. You'll find that it's easy to make, affordable, and packed with nutrients, so it's worthwhile whether you eat meat or not. And since you technically don't need to cook it at all, it's perfect for those mornings you really don't feel like cooking a huge breakfast.

Tofu breakfast tacos are an easy recipe you can incorporate into your daily life. Just scramble the tofu with paprika and chili powder and cook with fresh veggies like red bell pepper and onions. Place the scramble in a tortilla and top with some guacamole. If you're not in a taco kind of mood, make yourself a tomato, mushroom, and spinach tofu quiche. Make an energy-boosting tofu smoothie by blending silken tofu with your favorite fruits and berries or blend it into your pancake batter for some silky, delicious pancakes. Or try your hand at French Toast tofu sticks by pan-frying tofu for 30 minutes. Top them with a cinnamon sugar mixture or chocolate syrup.

Lunch Tofu Recipes

You can keep up the healthy trend for easy tofu lunch recipes, too! Crispy-baked garlic tofu can liven up your meatless Monday. This baked tofu recipe can be amazing with a simple garlic marinade. Just mix garlic, onion powder, soy sauce, sriracha, and brown sugar into a saucepan with a mixture of cornstarch and water and add the tofu once the sauce has thickened. Serve over brown rice or with some brussels sprouts. Are you a soup and salad kind of person? Try the crispy tofu and broccoli salad with some tofu and mushroom miso soup. If you'd rather a sandwich, give the eggless "egg" salad sandwich a try by combining tofu with celery, onion, mayo, and seasonings. Chicken-less "chicken nuggets" can really give you a health upgrade. Just swap the chicken for tofu and coat with a nutritional yeast, egg, almonds, and flour breading. The best part about this tofu dish is that it comes with its own healthy dipping sauce recipe made from Greek yogurt, avocado, garlic, parsley, salt, pepper, and lime. You don't ever have to worry about going hungry because you're trying to eat healthy. The maple dijon tofu burger will be sure to fill your stomach.

Dinner Tofu Recipes

Dinner doesn't have to be a bother when tofu is involved. Any recipe you can think to make with any kind of meat can be substituted for tofu and taste just as delicious or even better than the original recipe. Crumbled extra-firm tofu is a great alternative to ground beef for a meatless meal. This vegan substitute is perfect in tacos, lasagna, soup and more. Boost the flavor of the tofu with paprika, garlic powder, and tamari, or add your own favorite flavorings. Fry some slices of tofu for a satisfying crunch to a bowl full of quinoa, veggies, and cashews. Simple tofu green curry and sweet and sticky tofu are sure to become favorites in your home. Having people over for game day? Skip the buffalo wings and replace them with crispy buffalo tofu bites. Pair these flavorful, buttery bites with a tangy, garlicky, yogurt sauce and blow your friends away with how delicious eating healthy can be! Stop feeling guilty about ordering take-out egg rolls and start making them at home. Baked tofu and vegetable egg rolls are way simpler to make than you'd think! Pad Thai with tofu will definitely have your family begging you to make more.

Dessert Tofu

If being able to incorporate tofu into your breakfast meals surprised you, then prepare to have your mind blown! Tofu can also be incorporated into your favorite desserts, as well! Most dessert recipes will call for silken tofu, rather than firm or extra-firm tofu, which are usually used to substitute for eggs and meats. When making your own tofu desserts, be sure to have the right kind as it makes a huge difference. Tofu usually acts as a substitute for dairy, cream cheese, or heavy cream in dessert recipes, so you can enjoy these healthy desserts without the guilt knowing that they are low in fat and cholesterol and provide you with protein. Finish off your meal with a guilt-free no bake lime and vanilla cheesecake. Substitute tofu for the cream cheese for a light and airy texture, mix it in the food processor with some lime and vanilla flavorings, and pop in the fridge to chill for 2-3 hours or overnight. More of a chocolate pudding kind of person for dessert? Make a tofu chocolate pudding instead! The best part is that this chocolate pudding is really easy to make. All you have to do is melt chocolate chips and whip the rest of the ingredients into a smooth purée. Sugar, vanilla extract, and cinnamon add sweetness to the taste of the tofu so it's hardly detectable at all. If you'd rather eat cake for dessert, try a red velvet cake with chocolate mousse frosting made with tofu. The red color of the cake comes naturally from beets instead of food coloring, and the chocolate mousse frosting is made with tofu, dark chocolate, and coconut milk. If ice cream is more your style, try chocolate peppermint tofu ice cream. The tofu gives it a nice, custard-like texture while the peppermint and cocoa give it a rich flavor.

Tofu Tips and Tricks

It helps to know a few tips and tricks to be able to turn tofu into an awesome recipe. The most basic thing to understand is that tofu is packed in water and acts like a sponge. If you don't press out the water that it's packed in, you're going to have a hard time filling it with new flavors. To press the tofu, you must first make sure you give yourself a couple hours prep time as it takes a while to press. Make sure you have extra firm tofu (not silken tofu). Drain the water and and use a cutting board to cut the tofu block width-wise into however many slices you want (or make some tofu cubes), then lay a dish towel on a cookie sheet and place some paper towels on top of it. Place the slices of tofu in a single layer on top of the paper towels and place more paper towels on top of them with another dish towel on top, and cover with another cookie sheet- creating a sandwich with the tofu in the middle, the paper towels and the dish towels as the dressing, and the cookie sheets as the bread. Place some heavy objects on top of the cookie sheet. Cookbooks should do the trick nicely. Leave the cookbooks to press on the tofu for no less than thirty minutes. It works better if you leave it for a couple of hours or overnight in the fridge. If you're pressed for time, you can apply pressure with your body weight bearing down on the cookie sheets for about fifteen minutes, but it doesn't have quite the same effect as the slow pressure. Once the tofu is pressed, uncover it, and marinate and cook it as your recipe states.

Along with pressing it, you must realize that tofu needs to be marinated. Since tofu has such a mild flavor, it will taste like nothing if it's not marinated. Avoid marinades that contain oil, though, since tofu still has a lot of water in it even after it's pressed, and oil and water repel each other. If you do marinate your tofu in marinade containing olive oil or sesame oil, it will create a barrier that won't allow the flavors to sink in. Skip those oils and replace them with marinades containing ingredients like soy sauce, stock, brown sugar, or maple syrup.

If you're going for some golden brown, crispy tofu, simple pan-fry or stir-fry it in a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. To make your tofu stir-fry, coat it in a light or medium coat of cornstarch after you marinate it. Simply place your marinated tofu in a freezer-size plastic zippered bag, add half a cup of cornstarch, close and shake. Shake off the excess cornstarch by dumping the mixture into a colander over the sink. The cornstarch really gives the tofu a nice, crisp coating and helps it not stick to the pan.

To make a healthy, non-fried tofu dish, think about grilling it in a grill pan, placing it under the broiler or on the grill. Tofu doesn't need to be fried to taste amazing. In fact, tofu doesn't have to be cooked at all, so you don't have to worry about internal temperatures. To grill it, just marinate, spray the cooking surface, and cook it for a total time of fourteen minutes- seven minutes per side, or until you get nice grill marks or crispy edges.

Remember that there are so many different ways you can cook tofu. It doesn't just have to be in an Asian stir-fry. Make some garlic tofu chicken parmesan by marinating it with an Italian marinade and bread crumbs. Grill it with onions and barbecue sauce with a steak marinade, black pepper or red pepper flakes, and serve on a toasted bun with some grilled red bell pepper or green bell pepper "fries". Or cut it into cubes, coat it with cornstarch, and serve with honey mustard as a healthy alternative to chicken nuggets. The possibilities are endless!

Read More

Easy Tofu Recipes

See All
See All Easy Tofu Recipes

Healthy Tofu Recipes

See All
See All Healthy Tofu Recipes

Baked Tofu Recipes

See All
See All Baked Tofu Recipes

Tofu Stir Fry Recipes

See All
See All Tofu Stir Fry Recipes

Crispy Tofu Recipes

See All
See All Crispy Tofu Recipes

Pan Fried Tofu Recipes

See All
See All Pan Fried Tofu Recipes

Tofu Curry Recipes

See All
See All Tofu Curry Recipes

Tofu Soup Recipes

See All
See All Tofu Soup Recipes

Tofu Salad Recipes

See All
See All Tofu Salad Recipes

Tofu Scramble Recipes

See All
See All Tofu Scramble Recipes

Tofu Desserts Recipes

See All
See All Tofu Desserts Recipes

Related Tofu Recipes

See All
See All Tofu Recipes

You may also like