High-protein tofu stir fry
Protein-packed vegan tofu stir-fry with crisp veg, edamame and a glossy soy-ginger sauce — quick, satisfying and great for batch cooking.
This is a no-fuss, protein-forward tofu stir-fry that actually fills you up. Tofu and edamame do the heavy lifting for protein while a soy-ginger glaze gives it that punchy takeaway vibe.
It’s perfect for weekday batch-cooking: press and marinate the tofu while you chop, then a quick sizzle in a hot frying pan and you’re done. Serve with rice or noodles if you like, but it’s satisfying on its own.
Ingredients
- 600 g firm tofu
- 30 g cornflour — use most for coating; a little for the sauce slurry
- 30 ml rapeseed oil
- 15 ml sesame oil
- 60 ml light soy sauce
- 15 ml maple syrup
- 15 ml rice vinegar
- 3 garlic cloves — finely minced
- 20 g fresh ginger — finely grated
- 4 spring onions — trimmed and sliced on the diagonal
- 1 red pepper — cut into thin strips
- 1 courgette — halved lengthways and sliced
- 250 g shelled edamame — frozen is fine, thawed
- 150 g chestnut mushrooms — trimmed and quartered
- 1 lime — juice only
- 15 g fresh coriander — roughly chopped
- 15 ml sesame seeds — toasted
- 5 ml sea salt
- 0 ml black pepper
Instructions
Press the firm tofu: wrap the block in kitchen paper, place on a plate and weight with a heavy plate or saucepan. Leave to press for 20 minutes to remove excess water.
Make the sauce: in a small bowl whisk together the light soy sauce, maple syrup, rice vinegar, sesame oil, half the grated fresh ginger and one minced garlic clove. Set aside.
Prep the tofu and veg: cut the pressed tofu into 2cm cubes. Place tofu in a bowl, add the cornflour, sea salt and black pepper and toss gently to coat each cube. Add roughly half the sauce to the tofu and leave to marinate for 15 minutes.
Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat with 1 tbsp rapeseed oil. Add the tofu in a single layer (work in batches if necessary) and fry, turning occasionally, until deep golden on at least two sides — about 8 minutes total. Transfer to a plate and keep warm.
Add the remaining 1 tbsp rapeseed oil to the pan. Fry the chestnut mushrooms for 1–2 minutes until starting to brown, then add the red pepper, courgette and shelled edamame. Stir-fry for about 5 minutes until the veg are tender-crisp. Stir in the sliced spring onions and the remaining minced garlic and ginger for the final minute.
Mix a slurry of 1 tsp cornflour with 60 ml cold water. Pour the reserved sauce and the cornflour slurry into the pan, bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 1–2 minutes until the sauce is glossy and slightly thickened.
Return the crispy tofu to the pan and toss in the sauce for 1 minute so everything is well coated and heated through.
Finish and serve: squeeze over the lime juice, scatter with chopped fresh coriander and toasted sesame seeds. Serve immediately.
Tips
- Press the tofu thoroughly — well‑pressed tofu crisps beautifully and soaks up flavour better.
- If you don’t have time to press, use extra-firm tofu and pat it dry very well with kitchen paper.
- Cook tofu in batches rather than crowding the pan so it browns instead of steams.
- Make the sauce ahead and keep it in the fridge for up to 48 hours — add the slurry and reheat to finish.
- Leftovers keep 2–3 days in the fridge; reheat gently in a pan to keep tofu crisp.
Substitutions
firm tofu → extra-firm tofu, same quantity
Stays closelight soy sauce → tamari, same quantity (makes the dish gluten-free)
Stays closeshelled edamame → cooked chickpeas, 250 g
Noticeably differentmaple syrup → agave nectar, same quantity
Stays close
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 375
- Calories
- 20 g
- Protein
- 20 g
- Carbs
- 23 g
- Fat
- 5 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
- Sugar
- 900 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make this gluten-free?
Yes — swap light soy sauce for tamari (same quantity) and check any store-bought condiments for gluten.
How do I keep the tofu crispy when reheating?
Reheat in a hot frying pan with a small splash of oil rather than the microwave to restore crisp edges.
Can I freeze this dish?
You can freeze the tofu on its own but fried veg suffer in the freezer; for best texture freeze components separately and combine when reheating.
Is this suitable for meal prep?
Yes — store in airtight containers for up to 3 days. Keep any rice or noodles separate to avoid sogginess.
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