Asparagus and Tofu With Black Bean Sauce

By Hetty Lui McKinnon

Published June 12, 2025

  • Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Brett Regot.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
20 minutes
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
10 minutes
Rating
5(423)
Comments
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While asparagus shines with light spring-like flavors, it also carries bigger and bolder seasonings extremely well. Here, tender asparagus is quickly seared to unlock its juiciness and then tossed with a salty, spicy and funky Chinese black bean sauce. Known as dou si (Cantonese) or dou chi (Mandarin), fermented black soy beans are made by inoculating cooked black soy beans with a mold similar to koji (which is used to make miso paste), followed by salting and drying them. While they look like wrinkled and shriveled watermelon seeds, they are intensely savory, with multidimensional umami that also hints at sweetness and bitterness. While store-bought black bean sauce is an easy convenience, making your own at home using fermented black beans allows more control over salt and spice levels (see Tip). This sauce will quickly become a weeknight workhorse, a quick way to inject a savory kick to vegetable or meat stir-fries, stews like mapo tofu and even salad dressings.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • ¼ cup fermented black soy beans (see Tip)

  • 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine or dry sherry

  • 1 garlic clove, finely chopped

  • ¼ to ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper (to your liking)

  • 1 teaspoon soy sauce 

  • 1 teaspoon sugar

  • 2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil

  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

  • 1 pound asparagus, woody ends removed, stalks cut into 2-inch pieces

  • Salt and pepper

  • 2 (7- to 8-ounce) packages baked tofu, sliced into 2-inch-long pieces

  • Toasted white sesame seeds, for serving

  • 2 scallions, thinly sliced

  • Cooked rice, to serve

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

14 grams carbs; 256 calories; 8 grams monosaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 16 grams fat; 5 grams fiber; 596 milligrams sodium; 17 grams protein; 5 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Place the black soy beans into a colander and give them a quick rinse. Transfer them to a small bowl and, using the back of a fork, mash them into a rough, chunky paste. Add the Shaoxing wine, garlic, red pepper, soy sauce and sugar; stir to combine.

  2. Step 2

    Heat a large skillet over medium-high for 2 minutes. Drizzle with canola oil and add the sesame oil and asparagus. Season lightly with salt and pepper and toss until the asparagus are bright green and crisp-tender, 2 to 3 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    Add the black bean sauce and tofu and toss until the tofu is warmed through and it smells highly fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if needed.

  4. Step 4

    Transfer to a plate and top with sesame seeds and scallions. Serve with rice.

Tip

  • Chinese fermented black soy beans look like wrinkled and shriveled watermelon seeds and are sold at Chinese grocery stores or online. They are shelf stable and will last for many years stored in a sealed, airtight jar. To use a store-bought Chinese black bean sauce (often sold as Chinese black bean garlic sauce) instead, skip step 1 and add 2 to 3 tablespoons of the sauce to make this recipe — taste it and add accordingly as commercial sauces will vary in saltiness.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
423 user ratings
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Comments

Mandy

@Mary P I like to pan fry tofu in cast iron skillet. Cut tofu in half lengthwise so it thins out the block. Wrap tofu in kitchen towel and place heavy skillet on top for about 10 mins to drain excess water. Cut tofu into smaller squares or triangles. Add oil (2-3TBl) to skillet, and salt and pepper the oil. Then add tofu. Don’t disturb until tofu comes up from pan without sticking. Flip over and do the same to each side. Should crisp up nicely.

SD

So incredibly delicious! I desperately wanted to make this so subbed in the veggies I had on hand. Used red peppers, zucchini, mushrooms and green beans. And I baked the tofu myself. Will definitely be making this again and again to level up from a basic stirfry.

Mary P

@SD do you have a method for the baked tofu that you can share?

T.P

Amazing recipe! Simple to cook and flavorful

Carl

I make my child eat tofu pretty regularly and she’s pretty ambivalent about it. This recipe ga prompted a shocked look on her face, a full on stare-down, and then a “put this in the rotation.” Thumbs up.

John

I sautee the tofu to give the dish a bit more texture. My family thinks the dish is a bit salty, so next time I make it I'll probably cut back the black beans a bit. Confession: I didn't rinse the black beans which might have been part of the problem...

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