Tofu Peanut Vegetable Stir-Fry

With a peanut sauce that’s a combination of spicy, sweet and herby, this tofu peanut vegetable stir-fry is good hot from the pan, or try leftovers cold from the fridge.

It’s been nearly 7 months since we started our fruit and vegetable box.

And I’m sad to say that it’s coming to an end.

We kicked off in June and chose to do the fall CSA as add-on because I wasn’t ready for it to be over.

But as the Midwest is heading into winter, the growing season is coming to an end.

A few years ago was the last time that I did a CSA, but I didn’t sign up again because I prefer to do my own shopping in person and see the same farmers at their stands every week.

Since the food shopping I love to do has taken on such a different reality in 2020, it only made sense to do a subscription box.

Also, wanted to make sure that I supported a local farm.

It’s been good for my cooking working with vegetables that might not always be on the top of my wish list.

The past 2 weeks the box has had bok choi along with an assortment of potatoes, squash and other fall goodies.

Bok choi is also known as Chinese cabbage.

It’s leafy on the top and has a group crunchy juicy stalks connected at the bottom.

You can eat it raw in a salad, braise it or stir-fry it, which is my favorite way to eat it.

The Ingredients

Bok Choi isn’t the only vegetable in this tofu peanut stir-fry. It also has red peppers, which are always a good choice for stir-fries.

But there are a few other steps before I get to the vegetables.

I start with pressing the liquid out of the tofu, wrapping it in towels and putting a heavy pan on top of it.

Then I cook soba noodles and rinse them in cold water, so they do not stick together until I am ready to use them.

Preparing the sauce is the last step before actual stir-frying.

With any stir-fry the most important thing is to have all the components ready before you start cooking because it goes very fast.

The Peanut Sauce

The sauce comes together in a food processor.

First, I mince a couple garlic cloves and add the rest of the ingredients. They include fresh ginger, peanut butter, soy sauce, water, sesame oil, honey, sriracha, rice vinegar, cilantro leaves and salted roasted peanuts.

I keep the motor running until the peanuts are totally pureed.

Nutty, spicy and herby are the best words to describe the sauce.

I will even use cut raw vegetables like carrots to consume every last bit of it in the bowl.

How To Make Tofu Peanut Vegetable Stir-Fry

With the sauce ready, I heat oil in a skillet. Once it’s shimmering, I add cubes of tofu.

I cook the tofu on each side until it’s deep golden brown. The tofu will release from the pan when it is ready to be turned to another side.

I move the cooked tofu it to a plate and wipe out the skillet.

Next, I heat oil in the pan and start sauteing the white parts of the scallions.

Then I add sliced red peppers and the stalks of the bok choi. Make sure they are cooked, but still crisp.

I stir in the soba noodles and peanut sauce, and fold in the tofu and bok choi leaves.

In a few minutes the leaves wilt, and finally, I add chopped peanuts and green scallions before serving.

I love eating tofu peanut vegetable stir-fry warm, but the leftovers are really good cold from the fridge, too.

Tofu Peanut Vegetable Stir-Fry

• Author: Paige Adams
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: Serves 4

With a peanut sauce that’s a combination of spicy, sweet and herby, this tofu peanut vegetable stir-fry is good hot from the pan, or try leftovers cold from the fridge.

Ingredients

• 1–14 ounce package extra firm tofu
• 3 ounces soba noodles
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 3 tablespoons peanut butter
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons water
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1 teaspoon sriracha
• 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup cilantro leaves
• 1/4 cup salted roasted peanuts plus chopped peanuts for serving
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced, white and green parts separated
• 1 red pepper, sliced lengthwise into narrow strips
• 3 bok choi, stems, thinly sliced and leaves torn

Instructions

1. Pat the tofu with a towel. Wrap with a dry towel and place a cast iron pan or cutting board on top to remove more liquid. Let stand for 15 minutes. Cut the tofu into 1-inch cubes.
2. Cook the soba noodles according to package instructions. Rinse with cold water and set aside.
3. For the peanut sauce, mince the garlic cloves in the bowl of a food processor. Add the ginger, peanut butter, soy sauce, water, sesame oil, honey, sriracha, rice vinegar, cilantro and peanuts. Puree until fully combined, about 2 minutes.
4. Heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium high heat in a large skillet or sauté pan, swirling to coat the bottom. Add the tofu and cook until browned, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer the tofu to a plate and wipe out the skillet.
5. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in the skillet over high heat. Add the white parts of the scallions. After they start to soften, about 1 minute, add the red peppers and bok choi stems.
6. Sauté the red peppers and bok choi stems until they are cooked but still crisp, 3-5 minutes. Stir in the soba noodles and peanut sauce.
7. Then fold in the bok choi leaves and tofu, letting the leaves wilt and everything to be heated through.
8. Finally, stir in the green scallions and chopped peanuts before serving.

• Author: Paige Adams
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: Serves 4