Description
Incredibly flavorful Braised Tofu is a super easy tofu recipe that is seriously next level. Pan-fried tofu is simmered in a delicious sauce!
Ingredients
Scale
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil (see Notes 1 and 2)
- 16 ounces Extra Firm Tofu (or Super Firm Tofu), cut in triangles, rectangles, or cubes (see Note 3)
- 1 Medium Sweet or Yellow Onion, Thinly Sliced
- 3-4 Cloves Garlic, Thinly Sliced (see Note 4)
- 2 cups Vegetable Broth (or more if needed) (see Notes 5 and 6)
- 2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce (see Note 7)
- 4-6 Green Onions, Optional Garnish
Instructions
- Add the Oil: In a large, deep frying pan, add the olive oil until you have enough to cook with. This is subjective and also depends on the size of your pan. We used just about a half cup of olive oil but we have a pretty large pan. There's no need for it to be 1/4-inch deep or anything like that, but we use just enough so that none of the tofu pieces are touching bare pan.
- Heat the Oil: Heat the oil over medium heat until hot. The way we recommend testing it is to get your fingers wet and flick a droplet of water into the pan. If it sizzles, the oil is ready.
- Add Tofu: Carefully add the tofu pieces to the hot oil (gently, to avoid splashing, you can do this with tongs if you prefer) and give them all a little breathing room.
- Cook Tofu: Let the tofu cook for 4-5 minutes, and then flip and allow to cook for another 4-5 minutes. When the two larger sides are sufficiently light golden brown, transfer them to a paper towel lined plate. Do NOT adjust the burner heat yet.
- Cook Aromatics: Add the onion and cook for 3-4 minutes until translucent, stirring often. Then add the garlic and cook another 30 seconds.
- Add Back Tofu and Add Braising Liquid: Place the tofu pieces back in the pan, right on top of the translucent onion and garlic. Again, leave a little room in between each piece. Mix together the vegetable broth and soy sauce and add it to the pan, letting it splash onto each tofu piece. The 2 cups broth + 2 tablespoons soy sauce should be enough to come halfway up the sides of the tofu. But if not (maybe your pan is like REALLY big), you may need to add a little more broth. Similarly, if your pan is smaller than ours, you may not need all that broth. Do not submerge the tofu completely; you want the braising liquid to come halfway up the sides of the tofu.
- Reduce Heat and Simmer: Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook 20-30 minutes. 20 minutes is definitely sufficient for flavorful braised tofu, but you can go 30 minutes for a deeper flavor. We don't recommend going an hour (unless you're willing to risk the tofu getting too soft), though.
- Serve: Serve immediately with plenty of the onions from the pan. We like to serve this with sautéed cabbage for a veggie and mashed potatoes which absorb a bit of that braising liquid and taste phenomenal.
- Storage: Refrigerate leftovers for up to 4 days in an airtight container. You could also freeze in a freezer-safe container for up to 6 months (we recommend including as much of the braising liquid as possible).
Notes
- Note 1: You need just enough olive oil to pan fry the tofu. We only use enough to get the pan covered with a layer of oil so the tofu doesn't directly touch the pan. There's no need to have the oil even 1/4-inch deep, but you don't want to use so little that you have to swirl the oil around the pan to get coverage. For us, this was just under a half cup of oil but our pan was very large. We use Caraway pans if you are interested in excellent cookware!
- Note 2: You don't HAVE to use olive oil here, but we think it produces the best results. Vegetable oil, avocado oil, etc. are fine but olive oil (especially extra virgin olive oil, which we buy in bulk at Costco) has better flavor. You can use something like sesame oil, but we do find that the flavor of sesame oil tends to take over the dish so keep that in mind.
- Note 3: This recipe is best with extra-firm tofu or super firm tofu, but it will work with firm tofu. If using firm tofu, we recommend a tofu press to get out extra water. You can also make your own tofu press with layers of paper towel or a clean kitchen towel, two small cutting boards or plates, and a heavy object. Pressing tofu takes about 30-60 minutes because it just has a little too much water but if you press it out, it will be fine!
- Note 4: Fresh garlic is important here. The jarred minced stuff can work in a pinch but it really tastes different. Keep in mind if that this recipe just calls for you to slice the garlic, not mince it if that helps sway you in the right direction (fresh garlic is always a good direction... unless you're allergic). We wouldn't recommend garlic powder instead. If you can't have garlic, just omit it.
- Note 5: We highly recommend using a vegetable broth with a lot of flavor, such as a bouillon paste like Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Broth Base. The more flavor your broth, the better flavor your braised tofu will have. If you only have veggie stock or something that doesn't taste like a delicious soup all on its own, you will need to add salt to this recipe.
- Note 6: Another option (for a deep beefy flavor) is Better Than Bouillon No Beef Base or for a chicken-like flavor, Better Than Bouillon No Chicken Base. We've been using their products for nearly a decade because of how much good flavor they have (and a little goes a long way, so its more economical than prepared broths).
- Note 7: This is necessary with the vegetable broth for extra depth of flavor. You might want to add even more if your vegetable broth isn't super flavorful. You could also consider using a tablespoon or two of dark soy sauce which has a much richer flavor.
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Entree, Entrees
- Method: Boiling, Braising
- Cuisine: American, Tofu