Soy-Braised Tofu With Bok Choy

By Hetty Lui McKinnon

Updated July 8, 2022

Soy-Braised Tofu With Bok Choy
Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
20 minutes
Rating
5(1,342)
Comments
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This Chinese-style braised tofu is an ideal midweek dinner over rice or noodles. Shallow frying the tofu first makes it sturdier and prevents it from breaking apart in the sauce. (You could also deep-fry or use an air fryer.) Cutting the tofu into thicker pieces means that each mouthful is crisp yet plump, with a soft interior. This is an adaptable dish; when adding the bell peppers, you could add more vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, snow peas or whatever you have on hand. Those familiar with restaurant-style braised tofu may expect more sauce, but in this homestyle version, the seasoning sauce delicately coats the tofu and vegetables without drowning them. That said, double the sauce if you prefer.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

    For the Tofu

    • 1(14-ounce) package extra-firm tofu, drained and patted dry
    • Neutral oil, such as grapeseed or vegetable
    • Salt and black pepper
    • 1tablespoon doubanjiang or chile oil
    • 2garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
    • 1(1-inch) piece ginger, peeled and finely chopped (about 1 tablespoon)
    • 4scallions, trimmed, white and green parts separated and cut into 1-inch pieces
    • 1bell pepper (any color), stem and membrane removed, cut into 1-inch pieces
    • 2teaspoons Shaoxing wine (optional)
    • 4baby bok choy, trimmed and halved through the stem
    • Cooked rice or noodles, for serving

    For the Sauce

    • 2tablespoons soy sauce
    • 1tablespoon vegetarian stir-fry sauce or oyster sauce
    • 1teaspoon cornstarch
    • ½teaspoon granulated sugar
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

251 calories; 12 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 6 grams monounsaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 26 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 13 grams protein; 689 milligrams sodium

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

    Cut tofu across into ¾-inch-thick slices, then cut each slice in half so you have roughly 12 squares.

  2. Step 2

    Heat a large (12-inch), deep-sided nonstick or well-seasoned cast-iron skillet on medium-high. When hot, add 1 tablespoon of oil and swirl to coat the base. Place the tofu in a single layer, season each piece with a little salt and black pepper, and fry for 3 to 4 minutes until golden and crispy. Flip and cook on the other side for 3 to 4 minutes more, adding more oil if needed. Remove tofu from the skillet and set aside on a plate.

  3. Step 3

    Make the sauce: Combine the soy sauce, vegetarian stir-fry sauce or oyster sauce, cornstarch and sugar with ⅓ cup of water. Whisk until smooth.

  4. Step 4

    In the same skillet over medium heat, add the doubanjiang or chile oil (if you’re using doubanjiang, add about 1 teaspoon of neutral oil) and stir for 15 seconds. Add the garlic, ginger and white parts of the scallion, and toss for 1 to 2 minutes, until the scallions are softened and everything is fragrant. If the pan starts to look dry, add a drop of oil.

  5. Step 5

    Add the bell pepper and Shaoxing wine, if using, and stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes until slightly softened. Pour in the seasoning sauce and let it sizzle for 30 seconds, stirring once or twice.

  6. Step 6

    Add the baby bok choy, tofu and green parts of the scallion, toss gently to coat the tofu. Let it simmer on low heat for 1 to 2 minutes until the sauce thickens, the baby bok choy is wilted but still green and crisp-tender, and the tofu has absorbed some of the sauce. Serve with rice or noodles.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
1,342 user ratings
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Comments

John L

Tofu can also be baked. In a bowl, put equal by volume oil and cornstarch (about 1 tbsp each), and gently turn the tofu (sliced into whatever size you wish), until coated. Place on sheet pan (or better on wire rack on sheet pan), and bake at 425F until it goes a pale brown. It's done at this point, edges crisp and tofu slightly chewy. Add to sauce and veggies and finish per recipe. This takes about 20 minutes.

Linda

Recipe should call for low sodium soy sauce and adding a tbs of water to the sauce. The dish as instructed was too salty....no reason to salt and pepper the tofu either as the doubanjiang and sauce are adding all the flavor and sodium that's needed. Also....baby bok choy needs longer to cook than 1 to 2 minutes (this also depends on the size of the bok choy). In order to release its sweetness, bok choy should be cooked through, not crisp-tender. Otherwise it retains its natural bitterness.

maureen

Make the sauce before starting to cook tofu. Added snow peas and broccoli to peppers, and mizuna with the bok choy. Covered it all to steam @2 minutes, then stirred it all to serve with rice. Plenty of sauce for us.

C. Wolfe

Everything about this recipe is great, but we decided to double the sauce. Currently our favorite tofu dinner.

Karen

I had no red pepper, instead made this with a little adult bok choy and thinly sliced red cabbage! The sauce made it all taste good.

Merry

Love the combination of flavors and textures! Will make again. As others have mentioned, the recipe as stated didn't yield much sauce, but no biggie. I added some no-salt veggie broth, gave it a stir, and covered it to steam the bok choy a bit. Didn't have Shaoxing wine so substituted dry sherry. I had chili crisp oil on hand so that was my chili oil. Agree with the comment to make the sauce before you start any cooking. I sautéed the tofu vs. baking as some have suggested (I'm all about one pan), but didn't season it. I did coat it with a bit of cornstarch before cooking because that trick seems to produce crispy tofu that doesn't fall apart in the sauce.

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