Soy-Braised Tofu With Bok Choy

By Hetty Lui McKinnon

Updated July 7, 2022

  • A textured white plate is shown holding tofu and bok choy glazed in a dark brown sauce and sitting on a bed of rice.
    Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
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Total Time
20 minutes
Rating
5(1,452)
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

  • 1 tablespoon doubanjiang or chile oil

  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

  • 1 (1-inch) piece ginger, peeled and finely chopped (about 1 tablespoon)

  • 4 scallions, trimmed, white and green parts separated and cut into 1-inch pieces

  • 1 bell pepper (any color), stem and membrane removed, cut into 1-inch pieces

  • 2 teaspoons Shaoxing wine (optional)

  • 4 baby bok choy, trimmed and halved through the stem

  • Cooked rice or noodles, for serving

FOR THE SAUCE

  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce

  • 1 tablespoon vegetarian stir-fry sauce or oyster sauce

  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch

  • ½ teaspoon granulated sugar

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

26 grams carbs; 251 calories; 6 grams monosaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 12 grams fat; 3 grams fiber; 689 milligrams sodium; 13 grams protein; 4 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

    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
1,452 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.

Julia McNeill

It is very important to make this in a non-stick or seasoned pan, or the tofu will absolutely stick! I made this in a regular pan, which was my fault for not reading the recipe clearly, and it was a challenge. Flavors were good though. Next time I might make 1.5x the sauce.

Ellen

I really liked this recipe! It was really delicious and fairly easy. I made it nearly as is. Minor changes- Cut tofu in 1/2 inch thick triangles and dusted with cornstarch before frying. I adjusted some amounts - less bok choi and red pepper, though I would have liked the larger amount of veggies but I didn’t have them. 1.5x sauce with low sodium soy sauce and I put the whites of the bok choi in with the pepper. I’ll make this again!

Cinderella

I didn't have doubanjiang so I subbed chili crisp w/ some avocado oil. I should have used more than 1T, maybe 2 T? I agree with everyone to make double sauce and do ahead of time. I baked tofu in oven as everyone suggested and it took about 28 minutes to crisp on the wire rack. Was I supposed to add the oil to the cornstarch for the tofu before baking at 425? That's what I did but would like to know for next time. The recipe was alright but not phenomenal.

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