Korean Tofu Vegetable Stir Fry
On a recent visit to an Asian grocery store, I discovered gochujang sauce, a Korean red pepper and rice paste. It resembles tomato paste in color and texture and has a similar earthy sweetness punctuated by a bite of lingering heat from the red chilies. It inspired me to make this simple Korean tofu vegetable stir fry, a new favorite of mine!
What is Korean Tofu Vegetable Stir Fry?
This Korean tofu vegetable stir fry is a blend of colorful vegetables and cubes of tofu that are married together with a spicy gochujang sauce mixture. While you could use many different types of veggies in this dish, I have chosen carrots, broccoli, red bell pepper, and onion, which all cook quite quickly in the skillet.
The sauce is the key component that gives this veggie stir fry its Korean flare. It involves a mixture of gochujang, soy sauce, and rice vinegar, along with sriracha and optional red chili flakes for extra fire. The results are a colorful main dish that is healthy while being robust in flavor similar to your favorite takeout dishes!
Ingredients
The beautiful thing about stir fries is that you can make them all your own to use up vegetables you already have in your garden or fridge. Here is what you will need to make my version of this Korean tofu vegetable stir fry:
Stir Fry
- extra-firm tofu
- onion
- garlic
- carrots
- broccoli
- red pepper
Sauce
- gochujang
- boiling water
- soy sauce
- rice vinegar
- sriracha
- red chili flakes
For Serving
- sesame oil
- steamed rice
Instructions
This Korean tofu vegetable stir fry recipe makes a perfect weeknight meal when you need to get dinner on the table fast. From sautéing the veggies to mixing the sauce, here is how to make this quick and easy dinner:
- In a large skillet, sauté the onion and garlic until fragrant, about 4 to 5 minutes.
- Add the carrots and allow them to cook while preparing the sauce.
- In a bowl, whisk the gochujang with the water, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sriracha, and red chili flakes if using.
- Add the tofu and remaining vegetables to the pan.
- Pour in the sauce, stirring the mixture until combined, and continue cooking until the vegetables are tender. Once the vegetables are tender, stir in sesame oil to taste.
- Serve over steamed rice.
Variations
This Korean tofu vegetable stir fry includes some very specific ingredients, but you can change it up depending on the ingredients you have on hand or what you enjoy:
- Add Fresh Herbs: If you have an abundance of cilantro or Thai basil on hand, they would both be wonderful added to the stir fry at the end of cooking or sprinkled on top as a garnish. They would also add a pop of extra color to the stir fry.
- Make a Rice Noodle Stir Fry: Rather than serving your version of this vegetable stir-fry over rice, you could toss the cooked vegetables and sauce with some cooked rice noodles near the end of cooking. The rice noodles will absorb some of the sauce, making them extra delicious. For this preparation, you may prefer to double the sauce to ensure you have enough to coat the noodles.
- Add Extra Protein: If you are looking to scale up protein in your diet, you can add it to this dish in a few ways. If you are a meat eater, you can add some chicken breast to the stir fry. Alternatively, you can add some edamame into the stir fry or serve it over cooked quinoa rather than white rice.
How to Store Korean Tofu Vegetable Stir Fry
This easy stir fry recipe serves six people so you may find that you have leftovers if you are just cooking for one or two people. To store the stir fry, simply place it in an airtight container in the fridge until you plan to serve it. It should keep well for at least 3 days or so.
Korean Tofu Vegetable Stir Fry
Ingredients
Stir Fry
- 1 block extra-firm tofu, (14 oz., pressed, cut into cubes)
- 1 onion, (diced)
- 3 cloves garlic, (minced)
- 2 carrots, (medium, diced)
- 2 cups broccoli, (blanched)
- 1 cup red pepper, (cut into chunks)
Sauce
- 3 tablespoons gochujang
- 3 tablespoons boiling water
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sriracha
- 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes, (optional)
Instructions
- In a large skillet, saute onion and garlic until fragrant (about 4-5 minutes).
- Add in carrots and let cook while preparing sauce.
- In a bowl, whisk together all sauce ingredients (gochujang, water, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sriracha, red chili flakes if using).
- Add tofu and vegetables to the pan, then pour in the sauce, stirring to incorporate and toss.
- Once veggies are tender, toss everything with a drizzle of sesame oil to taste, then remove from heat.
- Serve immediately over steamed rice.
BON APPÉTIT!
FAQ
Gochujang is a Korean paste that is made of Korean chili flakes (gochugaru), fermented soybeans, salt, and glutinous rice. It has an incredibly savory flavor with some spice. It is wonderful to include in dishes when you are looking to get them that umami factor.
Yes, if you are someone who prefers your tofu to be quite crispy, you can coat it with some cornstarch before baking it in the oven or putting it in your air fryer. Then, simply toss the tofu into the vegetable mixture at the end of the cooking time.
Yes, you definitely could, although you will need to judge when you should add each vegetable into the stir fry as each one may require different cooking times. Feel free to add zucchini, mushrooms, bok choy, spinach, Swiss chard, and more into this plant-based dinner recipe.
Yes, if you are short on fresh vegetables, frozen ones will work in a pinch. However, you should thaw them before you add them to the stir fry or else your stir fry may become soggy.
Yes, to make your meal prep even easier during a busy work week, you can pre-chop all of the vegetables and tofu, and pre-mix the sauce to store in the fridge. Storing them in sealed containers in the fridge will help them maintain optimal freshness for a few days.
While you certainly could reheat the stir fry in the microwave, the very best way is to heat it in a skillet on the stove. Simply add a small splash of water as the mixture cooks to ensure that the mixture returns to a saucy consistency and heats through evenly.
Related
If you are looking for other meals with tofu, consider trying these recipes:
Mandy
I put this on top of chow mein noodles and changed the veggies a bit. But yow! This is spicy and that is without the chilli flakes! I really liked it though—I’m always adding spice after the fact but not this time! So good and super quick!
Used— green beans, onions, mushrooms, carrots, garlic, ginger, Napa cabbage.
veggiecurean
I am so glad you liked it. Yes, it is a quick and easy recipe. The sauce is the key here.
Yvette
The sauce is the perfect balance of flavors. I love it!