Szechuan Tofu Stir-Fry

Why This Recipe Works

A deliciously healthy vegan meal, packed with protein and vegetables, in under an hour? Yes, please! 🙌

Szechuan sauce is one of those super quick sauces that requires a small handful of ingredients and adds so much flavor it's like a culinary super power. The soy sauce based sauce is a delicious balance of sweet, savory and spicy that goes with pretty much anything.

In this recipe, extra-firm tofu is tossed in a bit of cornstarch and then fried in oil to create a super crispy exterior while keeping the inside tender and creamy. Toss the tofu with tons of crisp-tender stir fried veggies, douse the whole thing in Szechuan sauce, pile it on some rice, and you're done.

Looking for a meaty version of this vegan szechuan recipe? Check out this delicious Chinese Chicken Dinner Recipe.

Pssst! Szechuan Tofu makes a GREAT camping meal! Scroll down for more information about how to make this recipe work on a camp stove, Blackstone griddle, or open flame. Looking for a great camping cocktail to go with this stir fry? Check out this list of 21 Camping Cocktails.

Ingredients Needed to Prepare this Recipe

Szechuan sauce requires 8 ingredients that might already be in your pantry. After that, all you need is some extra firm tofu, cornstarch and vegetable oil, and a plenty of fresh veggies.

For the crispy Tofu:

• Extra-firm tofu. Extra-Firm Tofu contains less liquid than other varieties making it perfect for stir fries.
• Vegetable oil. You can also use canola oil.
• Cornstarch. A light coating of cornstarch is key to giving the tofu an extra crisp exterior.
• Salt and ground black pepper.

For Szechuan sauce:

• Soy sauce: If you're sensitive to salt, use low sodium soy sauce. To make this recipe gluten free, use tamari in place of soy sauce.
• Rice vinegar. I prefer to use unseasoned rice vinegar in this recipe.
• Chili Garlic sauce. Use as much or as little chili garlic sauce as you like in this recipe to control the heat level of the sauce.
• Toasted Sesame oil. I prefer the more intense flavor of toasted sesame oil in this sauce, but regular sesame oil will also work.
• Granulated sugar. You can also use brown sugar, coconut sugar, honey or even maple syrup if you prefer.
• Chinese five spice powder. Chinese 5-Spice Powder is crucial to the flavor of Szechuan sauce.
• Garlic powder.
• Cornstarch. A bit of cornstarch thickens the sauce so that it will coat the crispy tofu and stir fried vegetables.

For the stir-fry:

• Vegetable or canola oil. You can also use extra virgin olive oil, if you prefer.
• Medium yellow onion. Peel the onion and dice it into pieces about the size of kidney beans.
• Small dried red Chinese or arbol chilies. Small dried red chilies are usually found in the Asian or Mexican food isles of most major supermarkets. You can also order them on Amazon.
• Vegetables: I used red bell pepper, cabbage, asparagus and carrots. But, feel free to use any kind of vegetables you like in this stir fry.
• Ground black pepper or Szechuan peppercorns. Szechuan peppercorns (also known as Sichuan peppercorns) can be found in the Asian or spice isle of most major supermarkets. Or, order them on Amazon.
• Green onions: Thinly sliced, only using the white and light green parts.
• Kosher salt.
• Sesame seeds.

See recipe card for quantities.

How to Make Vegan Szechuan Tofu Stir Fry 

Step #1: Fry the Crispy Tofu

For extra crispy pieces of tofu, it's important to press out any excess moisture. If you have a tofu press, use that. If not, simply wrap the tofu in a towel, set something heavy on top (like a cast iron skillet), and let it sit for 5 minutes.

Cut the tofu into cubes and add them to a zip-top bag along with the cornstarch, and a bit of salt and pepper. Gently shake the tofu around in the bag until all the pieces are coated with cornstarch.

Add some vegetable (or canola) oil to a 12-inch skillet and set it over high heat until the oil is hot and shimmery. Add the tofu cubes, spreading them out in the pan in one layer.

Let the tofu cook until the bottoms of the pieces are golden brown. Use metal tongs to turn the pieces of tofu in the pan and continue to cook until they are golden and crispy on all sides.

Step #6: Serve Szechuan Tofu over rice, sprinkled with some sesame seeds and chopped green onions.

Other ways to serve Szechuan Tofu: Serve Szechuan Tofu over any kind of rice - white, brown or black. Or, serve over noodles, or any other kind of grain such as couscous or quinoa.

Equipment Needed to Make this Recipe

Szechuan Tofu is one of those simple meals that relies on basic kitchen equipment you most likely already have. Here's what you'll need:

• While not at all necessary for this recipe, a tofu press is a handy little piece of kitchen equipment if you cook tofu on a regular basis.
• A 12-inch non-stick skillet, like this one from Cuisinart.
• A small mixing bowl and wire whisk to mix up the Szechuan sauce.

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