Sweet and Sour Tofu Recipe (Vegan)
This Sweet and Sour Tofu is a quick and delicious vegan comfort food featuring crispy tofu and a perfectly balanced sweet and sour sauce that comes together easily and tastes great as meal prep.
Equipment
- 1 pan or wok
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 block firm or extra firm tofu pressed and torn into 1 to 2 inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce gluten free if needed, or liquid aminos or tamari
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ⅓ cup cornstarch
- ¼ cup oil for frying
- ½ medium red onion chopped
- ½ cup pineapple chopped/cubed
- 1 medium bell pepper chopped
- ⅓ cup sugar cane sugar preferred, brown or granulated also fine
- ¼ cup ketchup
- ¼ cup vinegar preferably rice or white
- ¼ cup water or pineapple juice
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce gluten free if needed, or liquid aminos or tamari
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ tablespoon sesame seeds for garnish
- scallion chopped, for garnish
Instructions
Instructions
- In a medium-sized bowl place the pressed and torn tofu pieces. Add the soy sauce and toss to coat. Add in the garlic powder, sea salt, ground black pepper and cornstarch and toss to thoroughly combine, ensuring all the tofu pieces are covered with the seasonings and the cornstarch.
- Heat a pan or wok over medium-high heat, and add the oil. When hot, add the tofu and toss to crisp up on all sides until the tofu is cooked and crisped on all sides, about 5 to 8 minutes. Feel free to do this in batches if desired. Remove tofu pieces and set aside.
- In the same pan, lower the heat to medium-high, and add in the onions, pineapples and bell peppers. Saute until the onions are translucent and the pineapples are slightly browned, about 5 minutes.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the sugar, ketchup, vinegar, water, soy sauce, and garlic powder for the sweet and sour sauce and stir together until fully combined.
- Pour in the sauce over the veggies. Bring to a slight boil, then reduce to a simmer for about 5 minutes until the sauce has thickened up.
- Add back in the crisped up tofu, and stir to combine. Taste test and add more sugar or soy sauce if you desire. Remove from heat until needed.
- Remove from heat and top with sesame seeds and chopped scallions. Serve and enjoy!
- Press the tofu to squeeze out extra moisture before starting to ensure crispiness and avoid mushy texture.
- Tear the tofu into chunks about 1 to 2 inches big; rustic style.
- Roll each tofu piece in cornstarch evenly before frying.
Notes
I love enjoying this dish with noodles or hot rice, or even fried cauliflower rice for extra gravy. To tear tofu, slice pressed tofu in half lengthwise and tear into 1 to 2 inch cubes for more edges and crispiness. This recipe works well for meal prep too.