Fried Tofu Noodle Bowls
by: claire cary
This is the BEST pan fried tofu recipe. This crispy tofu is coated in a simple chili garlic sauce and served with your favorite noodles & veggies. Perfect for a quick, healthy vegan and gluten free dinner.
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Ingredients
Tofu
- 1 14 ounce block extra firm tofu
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Sauce
- ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce or tamari
- ¼ cup water or vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon chili paste (sambal oelek)
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
Bowls
- 8 ounces rice noodles
- 1 avocado
- 1 large cucumber sliced
- 2 cups julienned carrots
- 1 batch peanut sauce click for recipe
Instructions
- Remove the tofu from the package and drain off excess liquid.
- If you have time, press for 30 minutes by wrapping in a towel and placing a heavy object on top. This will help it get crispier!
- Once pressed, cut in half, then cut into cubes and add to a bowl.
- Toss with the cornstarch.
- Heat a large non-stick skillet (I do not recommend cast iron as tofu sticks easily with cast iron) with the sesame oil and vegetable oil, then add in the tofu.
- Cook on each side for about 3 minutes or until golden brown. Avoid touching the tofu while it's cooking on each side to ensure it actually gets crispy.
- Meanwhile, whisk together all ingredients for the sauce.
- Once the tofu is crispy on all sides, add the sauce into the pan and simmer until thick, stirring to ensure the tofu is well coated.
- Assemble your bowls with a bed of rice noodles, then add the tofu and veggies and top with peanut sauce. Enjoy!
Notes
In the sauce, you can easily swap the cornstarch for arrowroot or tapioca with no problem.
However, the cornstarch definitely works better to get the tofu crispy than arrowroot or tapioca, though these are two options if you don't have or want to use cornstarch.
Serving: 1bowl / Calories: 416kcal / Carbohydrates: 62g / Protein: 19g / Fat: 10g / Fiber: 4g / Sugar: 5g
