Tofu and Mushrooms in Sun Dried Tomato Sauce

This tofu and mushroom recipe was the happy result of craving chicken when all we had in the refrigerator was tofu. And, I am aware that there are many who would not consider the tofu for chicken tradeoff a satisfying solution. But in this case people, it 100% worked.

Like jackfruit curry bowls or vegan tacos smothered in the absolute best and completely plant-based nacho cheese sauce, tofu and mushrooms is the kind of thing that tastes rich and decadent but is actually quite light and will absolutely not leave you feeling weighed down. Which is honestly how I like to eat most of the time.

Even better, most of the ingredients can be swapped out for something else, which makes this one of the easiest ways to accommodate picky eaters or use up some of those odds and ends hanging out in your refrigerator. 👏

🥘 Ingredients

I created this recipe on a night when I was really craving chicken in some kind of creamy mushroom sauce. Peering into my refrigerator I learned that we didn't have any chicken but we DID have some extra firm tofu. I used that instead and it worked exceptionally well.

Having said that, you could absolutely make this recipe with chicken instead of tofu. Either way, the combination of meaty mushrooms, Italian seasoning, and creamy sun-dried tomato sauce is delightful.

• Extra firm or super firm tofu. The main difference between silken, regular, firm, extra firm, and super firm tofu is the water content. Silken tofu has the highest water content and super firm has the lowest. Choose a tofu with low water content for best results in this recipe.
• Cornstarch. The little bit of cornstarch in this recipe helps crips up the tofu and adds a touch of thickening power to the sauce.
• Italian seasoning. I used McCormick Organic Italian Seasoning but any brand will do.
• Paprika. I used smoked paprika, but any kind of paprika works well in this recipe.
• Salt and ground black pepper.
• Extra virgin olive oil. You can also use vegetable or canola oil if you prefer. 
• Mushrooms. I used cremini mushrooms, but you can use any kind of fresh mushrooms you like in this recipe.
• Garlic. This recipe uses a whole tablespoon of minced garlic. If that seems like a bit much for your tastes, just reduce it to whatever amount you like.
• Fresh thyme. Dried thyme is also fine to use, just don't use as much.
• Sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil. You can also use dry-packed sun-dried tomatoes. Allow them to soak in warm water for 30 minutes, then chop and proceed with the recipe.
• Sugar. Just 1 teaspoon of sugar in the creamy sun-dried tomato sauce for the tofu and mushrooms brightens the flavor to a surprising degree.
• Unsweetened coconut milk. Full-fat coconut milk works better in this recipe than "light" coconut milk which tends to be watered down. I used Thai Kitchen Coconut Milk.
• Vegetable stock or Better than Bouillon Vegetable Base. I always have several jars of Better than Bouillon base in my refrigerator. It's such a convenient way to boost the flavor of any dish and the flavor is much better than most prepared vegetable stock.
• Shredded parmesan cheese. This is 100% optional. If you want to keep this dish vegetarian/ vegan, simply leave it out. Or, sprinkle in some nutritional yeast or vegan grated cashew cheese.
• To serve: I like to spoon tofu and mushrooms over cooked rice and top it with a bit more ground black pepper and a sprinkle of chopped fresh parsley.

*See the recipe card below for precise quantities.

🔪 Instructions

The process for making this tofu and mushroom recipe is easy and straight forward. Cook the tofu and mushrooms separately to maximize the flavor and texture of each then toss it all together in a creamy-without-the-cream sun-dried tomato sauce flavored with fresh thyme.

Even though we're using extra firm or super firm tofu in this recipe, you'll want to press out any excess water so the tofu browns and gets a bit crispy.

Chop it into bite-size pieces and place it between a couple layers of paper towels or clean kitchen cloths.

Place something heavy over the tofu to press the excess water out and leave it for about 10 minutes.

I used a heavy cast iron dutch oven, but anything with some weight to it will work great.

You can also use a tofu press if you have one.

Add some cornstarch, Italian seasoning, paprika, salt, and pepper to a bowl and add the tofu. Toss the pieces around in the spices until they are coated on all sides.

Heat some olive oil in a skillet, add the tofu, and reserve any of the dried spice mixture that's left in the bowl. Cook until the tofu is beginning to get crispy.

Scoop the tofu out of the skillet, wipe it out, and add some more oil and the sliced mushrooms. Cook the mushrooms in the oil until they are golden brown, caramelized, and absolutely delicious.

Add some minced garlic plus any leftover spices from the tofu bowl to the mushrooms and stir everything around in the skillet for a minute or so.

Stir in the thyme, sun-dried tomatoes, and sugar.

Then stir in the coconut milk and vegetable broth. Let the sauce simmer for a few minutes until it thickens up a bit.

If you're using grated parmesan cheese or a vegan option like nutritional yeast or vegan grated cheese, add that now.

Stir in the tofu and you are ready to eat!

I like to serve tofu and mushrooms over rice and topped with some more black pepper and a handful of chopped fresh parsley. So good!

📖 Variations

As I mentioned earlier, this dish can easily be prepared with chicken instead of tofu. But honestly, this is the kind of recipe for which you can swap out nearly everything for something else. Here are a few suggestions for how to make it your own!

• Instead of Tofu: Replace the tofu with bite-size pieces of boneless, skinless chicken, pork tenderloin, or even shrimp. Follow the recipe as written but adjust the cooking time accordingly. Cook chicken to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F (71 degrees C) and cook pork to an internal temperature of 145 degrees F (63 degrees C). Shrimp will cook much faster than tofu, chicken, or pork. Cook shrimp until it turns from translucent to opaque, which can be difficult to see because of the spices, but 2 minutes should suffice.
• Instead of Italian seasoning, paprika, and thyme: Use any kind of seasoning you like. Tofu and mushrooms are a blank slate so there are no wrong answers here, but two flavor combinations that go particularly well with sun-dried tomatoes are Cajun (use a Cajun blend or combine paprika, onion powder, oregano, thyme, and cayenne) or Spanish (paprika, cumin, oregano, and coriander).
• Instead of sun-dried tomatoes: Sun-dried tomatoes add acidity and brightness to the flavors in this recipe but there are other ingredients that will do the same thing. You could add fresh diced or even canned diced tomatoes. The extra water in the tomatoes will change the consistency of the sauce some, so you might need to let the sauce simmer longer, but the flavor will be fabulous. Another great alternative is a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a jar of diced roasted red peppers. Olives make a great substitute for sun-dried tomatoes AND are also a delicious addition if you like the idea of including both. You can also stir some tomato paste into the sauce and leave the tomatoes out entirely.

🍽 Equipment

The only thing you really need to make tofu and mushrooms is a 12-inch skillet and a sharp knife. I've had this Cuisinart 12-inch skillet for years and it's served me well. However, when the day comes to replace it, I'll probably swap it out for a pre-seasoned carbon steel pan.  Carbon steel is lightweight and conducts heat more evenly than other materials. It's also more durable than stainless steel and non-stick pans.

I love my set of Mercer knives but the most important thing about the knife you use is that it's sharp. This Mercer Double Diamond sharpener is one of the hardest working tools in my kitchen and makes knife sharpening a 5 second task.

🥗 Side dishes

This is one of those stand-alone recipes that doesn't really need a side dish to make it a complete meal. However, I do love to serve salad with most meals and also like to add some variety to the menu when cooking for a group. As such, these are my favorite side dishes to serve with tofu and mushrooms:

And, if you love tofu as much as we do, check out this recipe for gado gado. Say whaaa??? Gado gado Jakarta is a fabulous Indonesian salad with tofu and a spicy peanut sauce that's absolutely delicious!