Kung Pao Tofu
Tofu, broccoli and red peppers cook on a sheet pan in the oven while the spicy sauce simmers in minutes on the stove in this kung pao tofu.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- Non-stick cooking spray
- 1-14 ounce block extra firm tofu
- 3/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon water
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons hoison sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1-1/2 - 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 pound broccoli cut into florets
- 2 red bell peppers cut in 1/2-inch dice
- 1/3 cup roasted salted peanuts
- 3 scallions thinly sliced
- Brown rice for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a sheet pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- Pat the tofu dry with a towel. Wrap it 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.
- Arrange the tofu in a single layer across the sheet pan and bake for 10-12 minutes.
- While the tofu is in the oven, make the sauce. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the soy sauce, 1/4 cup water, maple syrup, rice vinegar, hoison sauce, sesame oil, ginger, garlic and red pepper flakes. Simmer the mixture for a couple minutes until it is fragrant. In a small bowl, stir together the cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water and whisk into the sauce. Continue simmering until the sauce thickens, about 2 minutes.
- Flip the tofu to the other side. Add the broccoli and the peppers to the pan between the cubed tofu. Continue cooking for 5 minutes.
- Scatter the peanuts across the pan. Cook for an additional 5 minutes until the tofu is lightly browned and the broccoli is tender and bright green, but still crisp.
- On the pan, toss the tofu, broccoli and peppers in half the kung pao sauce. Extra sauce can be served on the side or saved for another use.
- Sprinkle with scallions. Serve with brown rice.
Notes
If you want the sauce to be vegan, use maple syrup instead of honey.
For the vegetables, you can also include cauliflower, snow peas or a mix of bell peppers in different colors. But don't overcrowd the pan. The veggies should be spread out in a single layer and not on top of each other.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days. Keep the sauce in a separate jar. Eat cold or warm in the microwave.
Nutrition
Calories: 196kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 1920mg | Potassium: 817mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 2733IU | Vitamin C: 180mg | Calcium: 103mg | Iron: 2mg