Crisp Tofu and Vegetable Stir Fry
Golden pan-fried tofu tossed with tender-crisp vegetables in a quick ginger-soy glaze. Pressing and searing the tofu properly is what stops it turning to a soft crumble.
By Vegan Cook. Published 5 August 2026
Ingredients
Serves 3.
- 300 gfirm tofu, cubed
- 1 cupbroccoli florets
- 1red bell pepper, sliced
- 1carrot, sliced on the diagonal
- 3 tbspsoy sauce or tamari
- 1 tbspginger, grated
- 2 clovesgarlic, minced
- 1 tspmaple syrup
- 1 tsprice vinegar
- 1 tbspcornflour, to coat the tofu
- 1 tbsptoasted sesame oil
- 2 tbspneutral oil, for frying
Cookware
- Wok or large frying pan
- Clean towel, for pressing the tofu
Method
Read each step end-to-end before starting.
- 01
Press the tofu
Wrap the tofu block in a clean towel and set something heavy on top for 15 minutes to squeeze out water. Dry tofu crisps
- 02
Step 2
wet tofu steams and falls apart. Then cube it and toss in the cornflour, which gives it a crust.
- 03
Sear the tofu
Heat the neutral oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Add the tofu in a single layer and fry, turning, for 6-8 minutes until golden and crisp on several sides. Resist stirring too early — let each face form a crust before turning. Remove and set aside.
- 04
Mix the sauce
Stir the soy sauce, maple syrup, rice vinegar and 2 tbsp water together in a small bowl.
- 05
Stir-fry the vegetables
In the same wok, add a touch more oil if needed and stir-fry the carrot and broccoli over high heat for 2 minutes, then add the pepper, garlic and ginger and cook 1-2 minutes more until bright and tender-crisp.
- 06
Bring it together
Return the tofu to the wok, pour in the sauce, and toss for 1 minute until everything is glazed and glossy. Finish with the sesame oil off the heat and serve over rice.
Allergen profile
Every recipe here is fully plant-based. Cross-contamination risk depends on your kitchen, so check all packaging.
Swap note
Contains soy (tofu, soy sauce) and gluten (soy sauce, sesame oil). Use tamari to make it gluten-free; not adaptable to soy-free.