Mushroom Mapo Tofu
Mapo tofu is one of the great dishes of Sichuan province in south-west China, with soft tofu simmered in a glossy, fiery sauce of fermented chilli bean paste and finished with the tingling, citrusy warmth of Sichuan peppercorns. Finely chopped mushrooms give this version its rich, savoury depth and a satisfying texture.
By Vegan Cook. Published 1 November 2026
Ingredients
Serves 3.
- 400 gsoft or silken tofu
- 250 gchestnut or shiitake mushrooms, very finely chopped
- 1 tspSichuan peppercorns
- 3 tbspneutral oil
- 2 tbspdoubanjiang (fermented broad bean and chilli paste), ideally from Pixian
- 1 tbspfermented black beans (douchi), rinsed and roughly chopped, optional
- 3garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 tbspfresh ginger, finely chopped
- 1 tspchilli flakes, or 1 tbsp chilli oil, plus more to taste
- 1 tbsplight soy sauce
- 1 tspsugar
- 250 mlvegetable stock
- 1 tbspcornflour (cornstarch), mixed with 3 tbsp cold water
- 3spring onions (scallions), thinly sliced, white and green parts kept separate
- to servesteamed rice
Cookware
- Wok or deep frying pan
- Small dry frying pan
- Mortar and pestle or spice grinder
- Saucepan
- Slotted spoon
Method
Read each step end-to-end before starting.
- 01
Toast the peppercorns
Toast the Sichuan peppercorns in the small dry frying pan over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes, shaking the pan, until they smell fragrant. Grind them to a coarse powder and set aside. Despite the name, these are not true peppercorns but the dried husks of a plant related to citrus, and they create a gentle tingling, almost numbing sensation on the tongue that is the signature of Sichuan cooking.
- 02
Warm the tofu
Cut the tofu into 2 cm cubes. Bring a saucepan of lightly salted water to a gentle simmer, slide in the tofu, leave it for 2 to 3 minutes, then lift it out carefully with a slotted spoon. This brief bath firms the outside of the tofu so that the cubes hold together in the sauce, and it warms them through so that they do not cool the dish.
- 03
Brown the mushrooms
Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in the wok over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and fry for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring often, until their liquid has cooked away and they are browned and slightly crisp. Browning them properly is what gives the sauce its depth, so give this step the time it needs.
- 04
Build the sauce
Push the mushrooms to one side, lower the heat to medium and add the remaining oil. Stir in the doubanjiang and fry it for about 1 minute, until the oil turns a deep red. Frying the paste in oil before any liquid goes in draws out its colour and flavour. Add the black beans if you are using them, along with the garlic, ginger, chilli and the white parts of the spring onions, fry for 30 seconds more until fragrant, then stir everything together with the mushrooms.
- 05
Simmer
Pour in the stock, soy sauce and sugar and bring to a simmer. Slide in the tofu, then nudge it gently into the sauce with the back of a spoon rather than stirring, which would break up the cubes. Simmer for 5 minutes so that the tofu absorbs the flavour.
- 06
Thicken and finish
Stir the cornflour mixture, then pour it in a little at a time while gently swirling the pan, until the sauce turns glossy and coats the tofu. Taste and adjust the chilli or soy sauce. Scatter with the ground Sichuan pepper and the green parts of the spring onions, and serve straight away with steamed rice.
Allergen profile
Every recipe here is fully plant-based. Cross-contamination risk depends on your kitchen, so check all packaging.
Swap note
Tofu, soy sauce and fermented black beans are all made from soy. Most doubanjiang contains wheat flour and ordinary soy sauce is brewed with wheat, so this dish contains gluten. Using tamari in place of soy sauce removes one source of gluten, but you would also need a chilli bean paste labelled gluten-free, which can be harder to find.