Make this easy tofu and broccoli for a healthy and delicious meal in 30 minutes! The tofu is cooked until perfectly browned and flavorful, then cooked with tender broccoli in a sticky ginger garlic sauce. {Vegan, Gluten-Free Adaptable}
Tofu is a great ingredient if you want to create a delicious and healthy meal that is packed with protein. In the past I shared some very popular tofu recipes, including Crispy Marinated Tofu, Mapo Tofu, and General Tso’s Tofu. If you’ve tried any of these recipes, you’d know that with the proper preparation, you can turn plain-tasting tofu into a rich tasting feast.
Cooking notes
(1) Marinate tofu is the key
We used a simple marinade that is savory and sweet, with a hint of sourness. Not only does it impart a great flavor, but the dark soy sauce also creates a beautiful char on the surface of the tofu.
TIP: When marinating the tofu, using a ziplock bag will help the marinade coat the tofu more evenly.
NOTE: I’ve found that pressing tofu before cooking is not necessary. All you need to do is drain the water from the package before cutting. Pressing tofu only makes a marginal difference and it isn’t really worth the trouble.
(2) Cook the broccoli in one pan
Instead of blanching the broccoli in a separate pot of water, I used a quick-steaming method to blanch the broccoli in the same skillet we use to cook the tofu. It will save you a lot of time and cleanup!
(3) Perfect for meal-prep
This tofu and broccoli holds up well in the fridge and is perfect for meal-prep. We decided not to use cornstarch to coat the tofu in order to make the dish healthier. But if you really love a crispy texture, you can coat the tofu with 1/3 cup of cornstarch once you drain it from the marinade (Recipe Step 5) before pan frying.
Preparation
Organizing your ingredients in groups will save counter space and make the cooking process easier. Before cooking tofu and broccoli, all you need are four things on your countertop:
- Marinated tofu
- Chopped ginger and garlic in one bowl
- Chopped broccoli
- Mixed sauce
Cooking process
Cooking the tofu and broccoli is super simple. Here is how:
- Boil water in a skillet and add the broccoli
- Cook the broccoli until it’s done, then remove it
- Crisp the marinated tofu
- Add the ginger and garlic
- Thicken the sauce
- Stir in the broccoli and mix
That’s it!
The result is perfectly seasoned tofu and tender broccoli with a sticky sauce that’s just enough to coat the ingredients.
Top them on steamed rice and you’ll have a delicious and balanced meal in no time!
Other great way to use tofu
- Homemade Vegan Dumplings
- Baked Crispy Tofu Nugget
- Vegan Dan Dan Noodles
- Vegetarian Hot and Sour Soup
- Crispy Tofu with Garlic Sauce (without Deep-Frying)
If you give this recipe a try, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it (once you’ve tried it), and take a picture and tag it @omnivorescookbook on Instagram! I’d love to see what you come up with.
Tofu and Broccoli Stir Fry
Ingredients
- 1 14 oz. / 400 g block firm (or extra firm tofu)
Marinade
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon dark soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
Sauce
- 1/4 cup vegetable stock
- 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
- 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
- 2 teaspoons dark soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
Stir-fry
- 2 1/2 tablespoon peanut oil (or vegetable oil)
- 1 large head of broccoli
- 1 tablespoon ginger , minced
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
Instructions
- Cut the tofu into 3/4” (2 cm) cubes and place it in a sealable ziplock bag.
- Combine all the marinade ingredients in a bowl and stir to mix well. Pour the marinade into the bag with the tofu. Press out as much air as possible and seal the bag. Gently swirl the bag around so all the tofu is coated with the marinade. Set aside, occasionally flipping as you finish your prep.
- Combine all the sauce ingredients in a medium-sized bowl. Stir until the cornstarch is dissolved.
- Cut the florets off the stalks of broccoli. If there is excess stem, peel it and cut it into 1/2” (1 cm) chunks. Wash them, drain them, and set them aside.
- Drain the marinated tofu and discard the marinade.
- Heat 1/3 cup of water in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until boiling. Add the broccoli and cover with the lid. Steam until the broccoli is cooked to the tenderness you prefer, 2 minutes for a chewy texture or 3 minute for a softer one. Transfer the broccoli to a large plate. Wipe the pan with a few layers of paper towel held in a pair of tongs to get rid of any excess water.
- Add 2 tablespoons of oil into the same pan. Add the tofu. Let cook until the bottom turns golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip and cook the other side until browned. Gently stir a few times with a spatula, then move the tofu onto one side of the pan.
- Add the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of oil, the ginger, and the garlic to the other side of the pan. Stir a few times to release the fragrance. Then stir everything together.
- Stir the sauce again to make sure the cornstarch is dissolved. Pour it into the pan and stir and cook until the sauce thickens.
- Add the cooked broccoli and turn off the heat. Stir to coat everything with the sauce, then transfer everything to a serving plate.
- Serve hot over steamed rice as a main dish.
Nutrition
Lilja Walter is a part of the Omnivore’s Cookbook team who work with Maggie closely to develop and test this recipe.
Loved this recipe though did take me about 30 mins not 15
Made this tonight! It was delish!
It came out incredibly salty, was there an issue with the Hoisin sauce I used? I used water instead of vegetable stock. What do you reckon the issue was?
Did you discard the marinade before cooking? This recipe uses a lot of soy sauce for the marinade. If you added them to the cooking, it will be too salty.
The Shaoxing wine I used was unsalted. If you used a salted one, it increases the saltiness, but shouldn’t by too much.
I’m not sure what hoisin sauce brand you used, so I cannot say for sure. But usually it’s a sweet sauce and shouldn’t be too salty (if you taste the sauce, it should taste sweet than it’s salty).
The final reason I can think of is, maybe you’ve marinated the tofu for too long time. I used a generous amount of marinade in this recipe, so I can do a quick marinating while preparing other ingredients. I wouldn’t marinate the tofu for longer than 30 minutes.
Way too salty. Maybe I marinated to tofu too long???
The marinade is quite salty and it is intended for marinating only for 10 to 15 minutes, while you prepare other ingredients. The brand of vegetable broth and hoisin sauce might make a difference as well.
Genuinely surprised that I haven’t rated and reviewed this one yet! Definitely a staple weekday meal for me. Nutritious, delicious and easy – an instant classic.
E