Vegetarian Tomato Mapo Tofu

By Hetty Lui McKinnon

Published Aug. 19, 2025

Vegetarian Tomato Mapo Tofu
Johnny Miller for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Vivian Lui.
Total Time
30 minutes
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
15 minutes
Rating
5(356)
Comments
Read comments

Mapo tofu, the classic Sichuan dish that is now a Chinese American staple, receives a summery twist with the addition of tomatoes. Its signature tingly and assertive flavors are intensified by the umami tanginess of tomatoes, which also add a hint of fresh acidity. When you add the tofu, it will look like there’s not enough liquid, but rest assured, the tomatoes do break down during the cooking process, providing a soupy base. Not all brands of doubanjiang are created equal, so look for ones that come from Pixian, in Sichuan, as they tend to be the most flavorful thanks to a long period of fermentation under sunlight, resulting in a reddish-brown color with a deep and complex umami.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • Vegetable oil (or other neutral oil)
  • 1yellow onion, halved and cut into ½-inch wedges 
  • 6ounces cremini mushrooms, trimmed and halved or quartered, depending on size
  • Salt and pepper 
  • 1(1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped 
  • 3garlic cloves, finely chopped 
  • 1 to 2whole dried red chiles (such as er jing tiao or chile de árbol) or ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 2 to 3tablespoons doubanjiang (fermented spicy broad bean paste) or Chinese black bean sauce 
  • ½ to 1teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns (to your liking)
  • 1pound tomatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks
  • 1tablespoon soy sauce
  • 2(14- to 16-ounce) packages silken tofu, drained
  • 2teaspoons toasted sesame oil
  • 2scallions, thinly sliced
  • Cooked rice, to serve
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

321 calories; 17 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 6 grams polyunsaturated fat; 23 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams dietary fiber; 7 grams sugars; 24 grams protein; 1010 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

    Heat a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot on medium-high. When hot, drizzle with 1 to 2 tablespoons of oil and then add the onion and mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Stir until the mushrooms and onions have softened and have golden edges, 2 to 3 minutes.

  2. Step 2

    Add the ginger, garlic, dried chiles, doubanjiang and Sichuan peppercorns, and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, soy sauce and ½ cup water, and stir to combine.

  3. Step 3

    Add the silken tofu to the pot, breaking it up into irregular chunks, and gently stir to combine. Reduce heat to medium, cover and cook for 10 minutes.

  4. Step 4

    To serve, drizzle with sesame oil, top with scallions and eat with rice.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
356 user ratings
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Comments

Fran B

We really enjoyed this! I did tweak it a little after reading David Tannis's vegan mapo tofu again (it is also an excellent recipe) and soaked a small handful each of dried sliced cloud's ear mushrooms, dried sliced shitake mushrooms and the dried 'gourmet mushroom mix' from Costo. I chopped up the rehydrated mushrooms and added them along with a 1/2 cup of the mushroom water (replacing the 1/2 cup of water) and also added tablespoon or so of rice wine. Served with brown rice and chili crisp.

Dylan

Very tasty and alive with flavour. Ended up a bit too watery for me - I possibly used too many tomatoes but would cut down on the additional water next time to have a more concentrated flavour. Did add a few dashes of Shaoxing Rice Wine which did add a lovely acidity.

min

This is amazingly flavorful! I water sautéed the vegetables, omitting the neutral oil. I did add the sesame oil at the end...about 2 tsp total. I can't wait to make this again!

Trang

One can't have too many mapo tofu recipes. A few tips: - If possible, use dried mushrooms since they will crisp up better. Fresh mushrooms contain too much water. You can also use frozen tofu and break them up into small bits. - Some tomatoes are sour, which IMO doesn't go well with the salty flavor of doubanjiang. Add sugar if needed. - Don't be tempted to add more water if the tofu is not submerged in the liquid. It will release a lot of liquid when boiling.

Cynt

Delicious! Used 3 T Pixian doubanjiang (NPG brand), 2 whole chiles de arbol, 1 tsp whole Sichuan peppercorns. It was the right amount of heat for me. Used a mix of 1 Roma tomato and the rest large red tomatoes, 8 oz mushrooms, 3 large garlic cloves, a medium yellow onion (0.6 lbs), a little extra ginger, and TJ's organic silken tofu. Easy and quick to make.

mollie

Such a great recipe and adaptable, I actually made it in my slow cooker! I did add 1tbls of corn starch to thicken the sauce.

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