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Soy-Braised Tofu with Bok Choy
Tony Owens
This Chinese-style braised tofu is an ideal midweek dinner over rice or noodles. Shallow frying the tofu first makes it sturdier and prevents it from breaking apart in the sauce. (You could also deep-fry or use an air fryer.) Cutting the tofu into thicker pieces means that each mouthful is crisp yet plump, with a soft interior. This is an adaptable dish; when adding the bell peppers, you could add more vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, snow peas or whatever you have on hand. Those familiar with restaurant-style braised tofu may expect more sauce, but in this homestyle version, the seasoning sauce delicately coats the tofu and vegetables without drowning them. That said, double the sauce if you prefer.

Servings: 4

Servings: 4
Ingredients
  • subheading: FOR THE TOFU:
  • 1 (14-ounce) package extra-firm tofu, drained and patted dry
  • Neutral oil, such as grapeseed or vegetable
  • Salt and black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon doubanjiang or chile oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
  • 1 (1-inch) piece ginger, peeled and finely chopped (about 1 tablespoon)
  • 4 scallions, trimmed, white and green parts separated and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 bell pepper (any color), stem and membrane removed, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 2 teaspoons Shaoxing wine (optional)
  • 4 baby bok choy, trimmed and halved through the stem
  • Cooked rice or noodles, for serving
  • subheading: FOR THE SAUCE:
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon vegetarian stir-fry sauce or oyster sauce
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
Steps
  1. Cut tofu across into ¾-inch-thick slices, then cut each slice in half so you have roughly 12 squares.
  2. Heat a large (12-inch), deep-sided nonstick or well-seasoned cast-iron skillet on medium-high. When hot, add 1 tablespoon of oil and swirl to coat the base. Place the tofu in a single layer, season each piece with a little salt and black pepper, and fry for 3 to 4 minutes until golden and crispy. Flip and cook on the other side for 3 to 4 minutes more, adding more oil if needed. Remove tofu from the skillet and set aside on a plate.
  3. Make the sauce: Combine the soy sauce, vegetarian stir-fry sauce or oyster sauce, cornstarch and sugar with ⅓ cup of water. Whisk until smooth.
  4. In the same skillet over medium heat, add the doubanjiang or chile oil (if you’re using doubanjiang, add about 1 teaspoon of neutral oil) and stir for 15 seconds. Add the garlic, ginger and white parts of the scallion, and toss for 1 to 2 minutes, until the scallions are softened and everything is fragrant. If the pan starts to look dry, add a drop of oil.
  5. Add the bell pepper and Shaoxing wine, if using, and stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes until slightly softened. Pour in the seasoning sauce and let it sizzle for 30 seconds, stirring once or twice.
  6. Add the baby bok choy, tofu and green parts of the scallion, toss gently to coat the tofu. Let it simmer on low heat for 1 to 2 minutes until the sauce thickens, the baby bok choy is wilted but still green and crisp-tender, and the tofu has absorbed some of the sauce. Serve with rice or noodles.
Notes
  • Tofu can also be baked. In a bowl, put equal by volume oil and cornstarch (about 1 tbsp each), and gently turn the tofu (sliced into whatever size you wish), until coated. Place on sheet pan (or better on wire rack on sheet pan), and bake at 425F until it goes a pale brown. It's done at this point, edges crisp and tofu slightly chewy. Add to sauce and veggies and finish per recipe. This takes about 20 minutes.
  • Is this helpful? 128
  • Linda
  • 1 year ago
  • Recipe should call for low sodium soy sauce and adding a tbs of water to the sauce. The dish as instructed was too salty....no reason to salt and pepper the tofu either as the doubanjiang and sauce are adding all the flavor and sodium that's needed. Also....baby bok choy needs longer to cook than 1 to 2 minutes (this also depends on the size of the bok choy). In order to release its sweetness, bok choy should be cooked through, not crisp-tender. Otherwise it retains its natural bitterness.
  • Is this helpful? 62
  • maureen
  • 1 year ago
  • Make the sauce before starting to cook tofu. Added snow peas and broccoli to peppers, and mizuna with the bok choy. Covered it all to steam @2 minutes, then stirred it all to serve with rice. Plenty of sauce for us.
  • Is this helpful? 34
  • Denby Fawcett
  • 1 year ago
  • You absolutely need to double the sauce. I was wishing for more to flavor my rice I didn't have the Shaoxing wine so threw in a dash of rice wine vinegar and another dash of New Zealand sauvignon blanc wine. I have a feeling you can't go wrong with this recipe no matter what you toss in as a substitute..
  • Is this helpful? 24
  • jessica
  • 1 year ago
  • Thanks John L for the tip on baking the tofu. I really liked the texture that resulted. Also following some recs I doubled the sauce, but only used about ⅔ of what I made; there was plenty of sauce for rice. Definitely use low-sodium soy sauce and don’t add any other salt until you taste it at the end.
  • Is this helpful? 21
  • Bill
  • 1 year ago
  • Consider putting the sauce on individual servings, not in the pan. It would preserve the crunch on the tofu and still add the great flavor.
  • Is this helpful? 19
  • KB
  • 1 year ago
  • Doubled the sauce, added torn shiitake caps with the (yellow) bell pepper. Excellent.
  • Is this helpful? 17
  • JB
  • 1 year ago
  • This is a huge amount of salt.
  • Is this helpful? 13
  • Elizabeth Ball
  • 1 year ago
  • Baked the tofu, doubled the sauce, added Shitake mushrooms. Delicious! Great weeknight meatless meal!
  • Is this helpful? 11
  • Bill M.
  • 1 year ago
  • I cook a lot of tofu and this is my favorite recipe so far. Excellent crisping... better to have shallower rectangles than chunky cubes (more sauce on on crisp). Sauce is excellent with the oyster and fush sauces though too little; will double next time. One of the best balanced recipes with the bock choy, sauce, etc. Mushrooms would be great too. Mine turned out terrific in a 12" cast iron pan.
  • Is this helpful? 10
  • Rachel
  • 1 year ago
  • This was delicious! Used optional real oyster sauce & instead of Shaoxing wine. Doubled the aromatics & sauce ingredients as suggested by others - I love sauce! I also used a wonderful handcrafted 3-year fermented Dounamjiang paste plus the suggested tsp of oil & that gave the dish some pleasant and savoury heat, but not too much. I got mine at Mala Market (no affiliation!) - they have wonderful, handcrafted ingredients, many sourced directly from small makers in China!
  • Is this helpful? 7
  • QUAASAM
  • 1 year ago
  • Very nice and easy. Double the sauce portion. Do not salt the tofu.
  • Is this helpful? 5
 

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