Tofu and vegetable stir-fry
Quick Chinese-style tofu and veg stir-fry: crispy tofu, glossy umami sauce and vibrant vegetables — perfect for a weeknight supper.
This is the sort of weeknight dish that looks and tastes like you spent hours on it — but you didn’t. Crispy cubes of tofu get a short soy‑hoisin glaze and a riot of quick‑stirred vegetables for texture and colour.
Make it when you want something speedy, veggie and satisfying. Leftovers reheat well for lunch the next day, but hurry — the crispiest bits are best fresh.
Ingredients
- 400 g firm tofu
- 45 ml light soy sauce
- 30 ml hoisin sauce
- 15 ml sesame oil
- 15 ml rice vinegar
- 10 g caster sugar
- 20 g cornflour — use half for dusting, half for the sauce slurry
- 40 ml vegetable oil
- 3 garlic cloves — finely sliced
- 20 g fresh ginger — peeled and finely sliced
- 4 spring onions — whites and greens separated, sliced
- 1 red chilli — finely sliced, optional
- 120 g carrot — cut into thin matchsticks
- 200 g broccoli — cut into small florets
- 1 red pepper — removed seeds, sliced into strips
- 1 courgette — halved lengthways and sliced
- 150 g chestnut mushrooms — trimmed and sliced
- 60 ml vegetable stock
- 10 g toasted sesame seeds — to garnish
- 10 g fresh coriander — roughly chopped, to garnish
Instructions
Drain the firm tofu, wrap in kitchen paper and place on a plate. Put a heavy chopping board or a tin on top to press out the liquid.
Mix the sauce: in a small bowl combine light soy sauce, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, caster sugar, half the cornflour (10 g) and vegetable stock. Whisk until smooth and set aside.
Unwrap the tofu and cut into 2 cm cubes. Put the cubes in a bowl, add 15 ml light soy sauce and 5 ml sesame oil, toss gently and leave to marinate for 15 minutes.
After marinating, lightly toss the tofu cubes in the remaining cornflour (about 10 g) so they have a thin dusting — this helps them crisp when fried.
Heat half the vegetable oil (about 20 ml) in a large frying pan over a medium–high heat. When hot, add the tofu in a single layer and fry, turning occasionally, until golden and crisp on all sides, about 8 minutes.
Lift the tofu onto kitchen paper to drain and set aside. Wipe the pan briefly if it has burnt bits.
Heat the remaining vegetable oil (about 20 ml) in the same frying pan over a high heat. Add the garlic cloves, fresh ginger and the white parts of the spring onions, stir-fry for 1 minute until fragrant.
Add the carrot and broccoli and stir-fry for 3 minutes until they start to soften but remain crisp.
Add the red pepper, courgette, chestnut mushrooms and red chilli. Stir-fry a further 4 minutes until all the vegetables are tender‑crisp.
Return the fried tofu to the pan, pour in the prepared sauce and stir. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens and becomes glossy, coating the tofu and vegetables.
Stir through the green parts of the spring onions, scatter with toasted sesame seeds and fresh coriander. Serve immediately.
Tips
- Press the tofu well — the drier it is the crispier the exterior will be when fried.
- Dust tofu lightly with cornflour rather than heavy batter to keep it light and prevent gumminess.
- Prepare and slice all veg before you start cooking; stir‑frying is fast and you won’t have time to chop mid‑cook.
- If you prefer less salt, use low‑salt soy sauce or reduce the light soy by 10–15 ml and add a little extra hoisin for body.
- Make ahead: cook the tofu and store separately from the vegetables; reheat quickly in a hot pan and add the sauce at the end to retain crispness.
Substitutions
firm tofu → tempeh, same quantity
Stays closelight soy sauce → tamari, same quantity (for gluten-free)
Stays closehoisin sauce → plum sauce with 5 ml light soy added, same total volume
Noticeably differentvegetable oil → sunflower oil, same quantity
Stays close
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 385
- Calories
- 12 g
- Protein
- 28 g
- Carbs
- 25 g
- Fat
- 4 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
- Sugar
- 900 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make this gluten-free?
Yes — swap light soy sauce for tamari and check the hoisin is gluten-free (or use a gluten-free plum sauce).
How do I keep the tofu crispy when reheating?
Reheat in a hot frying pan with a little oil rather than the microwave; that restores crispness better.
Can I use frozen tofu?
Frozen, thawed tofu will be chewier and more sponge-like and can hold more sauce. Press and treat it the same way, but you may need a little less frying time.
What can I serve this with?
Serve over steamed rice, noodles or wrapped in lettuce leaves for a lighter option.
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