Easy Tofu and Broccoli Stir-Fry (with a choice of sauces)

You can’t get much simpler than this tasty tofu and broccoli stir-fry. For a super-easy weeknight meal, use one of three widely available bottled sauces — teriyaki, General Tso’s, or Korean BBQ. 

You’ll find these bottled sauces in the Asian foods section of well-stocked supermarkets. Look for natural brands. This shortcut is a sure route to a quick meal, and is more economical than take-out.

A choice of bottled stir-fry sauces

This easy vegan recipe gives you the option of using three bottled sauces, all of which are great and give this dish a different flavor profile each time you make it:

• Teriyaki sauce or marinade: For this recipe, use the kind or teriyaki sauce or marinade that has a bit of body to it, not the thin type that’s almost like soy sauce. Sometimes you’ll see sesame seeds suspended in the thicker variety, and that’s how you can tell the difference.
• General Tso’s sauce: General Tso’s Tofu has long been a family standard when we do take-out. The secret to General Tso’s is in the sauce, and I could never quite get the right balance of sweet, tangy, and spicy flavors. A lot of ingredients are involved, including vinegar and tomato sauce for the tang. Fortunately, excellent General Tso’s sauce is now available in the Asian foods section of well-stocked supermarkets.
• Korean BBQ sauce: A newer arrival to the Asian foods, this flavorful sauce is, like the other two, soy sauce based, and has added fruit purees, onion, and garlic. It’s bold rather than spicy, with a hint of sweetness. Try to find an all-natural brand without added high fructose corn syrup.

Switch things up by tossing this stir-fry with udon, soba, or rice noodles.

What to serve with Tofu and Broccoli Stir-Fry

The recipe suggests serving with rice, but if you want to switch things up, you can serve with Asian noodles instead — rice noodles, soba, or udon. If you’re inclined to make another dish, Asian-Flavored Cabbage and Kale Slaw is a good companion; otherwise, a simple lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and peppers salad works, too.

Add some fun to the meal with vegetable spring rolls or dumplings from the supermarket or natural foods store frozen foods section.

• See lots more easy vegan tofu recipes for every meal.
• Explore more delicious vegan broccoli recipes.

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Yield: 3 to 4

Easy Tofu and Broccoli Stir-Fry (with a choice of sauces)

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You can’t get much simpler than this tasty tofu and broccoli stir-fry.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 14- to 16-ounce tub extra-firm tofu
• 1 tablespoon neutral vegetable oil such as safflower
• 1 large or two medium broccoli crowns
• 1 cup grated carrot (pre-grated carrots are fine!)
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup bottled Teriyaki, General Tso’s, or Korean BBQ sauce, or as needed
• Hot cooked rice or noodles for serving
• Sesame seeds for garnish, optional

Instructions

1. Cut the tofu crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices to get 6 slabs. Blot well between clean tea-towels or several layers of paper towel (or use a tofu press ahead of time). Cut each slab into dice. 
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet or stir-fry pan. Add the tofu and and sauté over medium-high heat about 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often, until golden and crisp on most sides. Transfer the tofu to a plate or bowl. Set aside.
3. Cut the broccoli into bite-sized florets. Place in the same skillet with the carrots and steam with about 1/2 inch of water until the broccoli is tender-crisp, then drain the skillet.
4. Stir the tofu back into the skillet with the broccoli and carrots. Add enough of your sauce of choice to generously coat the tofu and broccoli. 
5. Continue to cook the mixture over medium-high heat just until heated through, then serve at once with rice or noodles. Garnish each serving with a sprinkling of sesame seeds, if you'd like.

Notes

Optional additions

• Traditionally, General Tso’s tofu includes small hot red chile peppers (dried or fresh), which are on the incendiary side of the heat scale. Add a few if you can stand the heat! Or, you can add mini sweet peppers if you’d like, for a similar look.
• It never hurts to add a couple of thinly sliced scallions (green onions) to a stir-fry.

Photos above: Vladislav Chusov / Bigstock

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