Easy vegan sweet and sour tofu recipe

Published: Dec 17, 2019 · Modified: Mar 6, 2023 by Trish Bozeman · This post may contain affiliate links · 12 Comments

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Easy vegan sweet and sour tofu recipe! Skip the take out and make this simple weeknight comfort food instead. A bit healthier, a bit lighter, a lot more fun.

Easy vegan sweet and sour tofu recipe - Rhubarbarians (1)

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I received a copy of Vegan Comfort Cooking by Melanie McDonald for review and was granted permission to share this sweet and sour tofu recipe from the book. All opinions are my own.

Another great meatless weeknight meal for you today!

We are heading to Chinese take-out for our recipe inspiration. Sweet and sour tofu! A veganized version of one of our favorite comfort classics. Make some fluffy rice, some veggie chow mein, and dinner is AMAZING.

Sweet n sour tofu: an easy vegan weeknight meal

This meal is amazing for a weeknight dinner because it is EASY. The perfect recipe for anybody who is new to tofu or is new to trying meatless meals.

A lot of the ingredients are pantry staples or easily found at your grocery store. Plus.... absolutely DELICIOUS.

Pro tip from Melanie: When you buy tofu, toss it into the freezer in its packaging; then defrost before you need it, press it thoroughly to remove the liquid, and then continue on with this or any other similar tofu recipe. It really improves the texture!

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Easy vegan sweet and sour tofu recipe - Rhubarbarians (2)

Easy vegan sweet and sour tofu recipe - Rhubarbarians (3)

Vegan Comfort Cooking

This recipe comes from the pages of Vegan Comfort Cooking by Melanie McDonald. She let us share this fantastic recipe with you!

Melanie is the creator of A Virtual Vegan, where she shares tons of flavor packed vegan recipes. Her debut cookbook, Vegan Comfort Cooking: 75 Plant-Based Recipes to Satisfy Cravings and Warm Your Soul, is the perfect cookbook for somebody looking to add approachable vegan dishes into their everyday cooking.

"Eating vegan food does not mean you have to give up all your favorite things and it does not mean you have to sacrifice flavor or results," writes Melanie in the introduction. "You just need to find yourself some damn good recipes."

Some must-try recipes from the book:

How to make the crispy baked tofu

First things first: press your tofu. This will ensure the best texture.

Rub the Chinese five-spice paste into the tofu and spread out evenly on a baking sheet. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, carefully stirring halfway through.

The tofu will be crispy and golden brown to perfection!

Have you tried this honey garlic cashew tofu recipe yet? It's amazing!

How to make sweet and sour sauce

Sweet and sour sauce is a classic Chinese sauce made mostly with vinegar and pineapple juice.

This recipe adds a lot more flavor with the addition of ketchup, Sriracha, sugar, and tamari. It's thickened with a bit of arrowroot powder.

Just mix the ingredients in a small bowl and let thicken slightly. Add to your stir-fry vegetables and cook down with the veggies until thickened.

More sauces to try:

Honey stir fry sauce
Pineapple teriyaki sauce
Vegan stir fry sauce

Sweet and sour tofu recipe

Recipe

Vegan sweet and sour tofu

Melanie McDonald

Easy vegan sweet and sour tofu recipe! Skip the take out and make this simple weeknight comfort food instead. A bit healthier, a bit lighter, a lot more fun.

5 from 9 votes

Ingredients

1 large block (about 12oz) extra firm tofu
2 tablespoon all-purpose flour or cornstarch
1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
½ teaspoon salt, divided
2 tablespoon tamari, soy sauce, or coconut aminos, divided
2 tablespoon sesame oil or other oil of choice, divided
1 tablespoon arrowroot powder or cornstarch
½ cup pineapple juice (from the can if you are using canned pineapple, below, or freshly juiced if you are using fresh)
⅓ cup tomato ketchup
2 tablespoon Sriracha (optional; you can use more ketchup instead)
¼ cup cane or granulated white sugar
¼ cup rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
1 pinch freshly ground black or white pepper
1 small onion, sliced into half moons
2 medium bell peppers (different colors), seeded and thinly sliced
3 medium cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 heaping cup fresh or canned pineapple chunks

Instructions

Open the tofu package, drain the water, then either press in a tofu press or wrap it in paper towels or a clean dish towel and put something heavy on top. I usually use a heavy cutting board and some cookbooks. Let it sit like this for 15 minutes, unwrap, and cut into ½-inch cubes.
While the tofu is pressing, preheat the oven to 400° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a bowl large enough to hold the tofu, stir together the flour, Chinese five-spice powder, just ¼ teaspoon of the salt, 1 tablespoon of the tamari, and 1 tablespoon of the oil to form a paste. Toss the tofu cubes in the paste until they are all coated. If you have trouble coating them, use your fingers to rub the paste over the tofu pieces. Spread out on the prepared baking sheet and bake, tossing once at the 15-minute point, for 25 to 30 minutes, or until really golden.
While the tofu is cooking, place the arrowroot powder in a small bowl and gradually add the pineapple juice, stirring constantly to work out any lumps. Stir in the ketchup, sriracha (if using), sugar, vinegar, the remaining tablespoon of tamari, remaining ¼ teaspoon of salt and the pepper. Set this pineapple sauce aside.
About 5 minutes before the tofu is ready, or just after it comes out of the oven, in a large skillet or wok, heat the remaining tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat, and stir-fry the onion and bell peppers for 3 to 4 minutes; then add the garlic and cook for another minute. Pour in the pineapple sauce and keep stirring everything around until the sugar crystals have dissolved and the sauce has thickened. Lower the heat to low and add the tofu cubes and pineapple chunks. Allow to warm through, and then serve over fluffy rice or some noodles. Top with green onion and sesame seeds (optional).

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 266kcalCarbohydrates: 36gProtein: 10gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 1214mgPotassium: 457mgFiber: 2gSugar: 24gVitamin A: 1966IUVitamin C: 87mgCalcium: 56mgIron: 2mg

Keyword dairy free, plant based, vegan, vegetarian

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