Coconut-Caramel Braised Tofu

By Kay Chun

Published February 24, 2023

  • Cubes of tofu and green beans, simmered in a coconut-caramel sauce, top a bowl of rice. There’s a small bowl of lime wedges for squeezing.
    Kelly Marshall for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Yossy Arefi.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
20 minutes
Rating
5(4,003)
Comments
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In this quick vegan meal, versatile tofu takes on a flavorful coconut-caramel glaze with minimal effort. It’s simmered in a fragrant braising liquid of rich coconut milk, savory miso and aromatic ginger and garlic until the liquid reduces into a rich, sweet caramel sauce. Lightly charred green beans add subtle smoky notes, but broccoli or cauliflower florets would also work great. A final shower of fresh scallions and tart lime juice balances and brightens the sweet sauce; other herbs like basil or cilantro would also light up the dish in a lovely way. Leftovers can be reheated and tossed with noodles for lunch the next day.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • 3 tablespoons neutral oil, such as safflower or canola

  • 8 ounces green beans, trimmed and cut crosswise into thirds

  • Kosher salt and black pepper

  • 1 (14- to 16-ounce) package firm tofu, drained, patted dry and cut into ½-inch cubes

  • 1 small shallot, minced (¼ cup)

  • 2 tablespoons minced garlic

  • 1 tablespoon peeled minced ginger (from one 1-inch piece)

  • 1 cup unsweetened full-fat coconut milk, stirred

  • 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

  • 2 tablespoons white miso

  • 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar

  • ¼ cup chopped scallions, plus more for garnish

  • 1 tablespoon lime juice, plus wedges for serving

  • Steamed rice and hot sauce, for serving

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

22 grams carbs; 389 calories; 3 grams monosaturated fat; 9 grams polyunsaturated fat; 13 grams saturated fat; 26 grams fat; 5 grams fiber; 674 milligrams sodium; 25 grams protein; 6 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

    In a 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high. Add green beans, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly charred in spots, about 5 minutes. Transfer green beans to a plate.

  2. Step 2

    Add 1 tablespoon of the oil and the tofu to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 5 minutes. Push tofu to one side of the skillet and reduce heat to medium. To the empty side, add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, the shallot, garlic and ginger; stir until well combined and coated in the oil, then mix into the tofu until well incorporated.

  3. Step 3

    Add coconut milk, soy sauce, miso and sugar and bring to a simmer, mashing the miso until it dissolves. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce reduces and resembles caramel, about 5 minutes. Stir in reserved green beans, ¼ cup scallions and 1 tablespoon lime juice; season with salt and pepper.

  4. Step 4

    Divide braised tofu and green beans over rice. Garnish with more scallions and serve with lime wedges.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
4,003 user ratings
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Comments

eliza

Very tasty & easy! Excellent effort:outcome ratio. Made tonight, will definitely make again. After browning tofu I moved it to a plate and made sauce in pan, then when thickened I added tofu back in just to warm. Would be great with chicken instead of tofu too. Next time might dial back the salt a bit (reduce soy sauce to 1-2 tsp and go from there). Didn’t look especially beautiful but tasted awesome. Next time will add slivered jalapeños and cilantro on top.

Ciabnw

Air Fried the Tofu and the Green Beans. Air Fried tofu is considerably easier and healthier than frying. The green beans are marvelous out of the air fryer. Simply added both to the sauce. Next time I might try broccolini and perhaps a couple handfuls of spinach.

Dana

This was great! I tossed the tofu with a tbsp of cornstarch and roasted for 40 mins at 425, and threw in the green beans for the last 15 mins. Used the whole can of coconut milk, and added the green beans in for the 5 min braise.

Moana S

I love this recipe. If you are using the trader joe’s white miso it is less concentrated than other so you may need to add more for full flavor and salt as was the case for me. I’ve made this several times and it is really a flexible recipe, I added a teaspoon of fish sauce and a 1/2 inch of galangal the last time I made it - great easy flavor update

Icare2much

I wasn't wild about this. It didn't know if it wanted to be Chinese or Japanese, or if it maybe had a French aunt. While many of the comments made on this came with 5-star ratings, many people made their own adjustments, and I respect that: Many of them were VERY good suggestions that I agree would improve the outcome of this dish. BUT I am rating this recipe based on its directions, which I followed. I DO admit that I did not get the tofu to golden, so that is 1 error on my part. out v rm

hermanous

Loved this. Will make again for sure. Two things I did: 1) I wok-fried the tofu first to get it nice an crispy. On the back end, when I re-introduce the tofu I cut the cooking time down to three minutes instead of five.2:) I do this with a lot of recipes like this, but to my rice cooker I add a half-and-half of water to coconut milk and turmeric, and maybe a one shake of ground pepper. But it really makes wonderful coconut rice for such a really good dish.

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