Vegan Thai Vegetable Stir Fry with Tofu

By á-30923

Most vegetable stir-fries are a tad on the boring side, but not this one! This dish sings with so much flavor, you'll forget all about its amazing health benefits (plus it's vegetarian and vegan too!). Using a good stir-fry sauce one of the keys to creating a great veggie stir-fry; the other is in the stir-frying - knowing when to add what. At the same time, this recipe is pretty forgiving - you can add your own choice of vegetables, depending on what you have on hand.

Ingredients

• STIR-FRY SAUCE:
• 12 ounces tofu medium firmness, about 2 1/2 cups, cubed
• 3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon purple, or white onion, finely chopped
• 1 medium carrot, sliced
• 1 stalk celery, sliced thickly
• 1 1/2 to 2 cups broccoli florets
• 6 to 7 shiitake mushrooms, sliced
• 1 1/2 to 2 cups baby bok choy, or regular chopped green cabbage
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced
• 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3/4 cup white flour
• 1/4 cup vegetable stock, or chicken stock
• 4 tablespoons. soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
• 2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
• 1 teaspoon rice vinegar, or regular white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sherry, or cooking sherry
• TOFU MARINADE:
• 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar

Preparation

Step 1

In a small mixing bowl, stir together the Tofu Marinade ingredients until sugar dissolves. Slice tofu into 1 to 1 1/2-inch cubes or rectangles and add to the sauce, gently turning to saturate. Set in the refrigerator.

Next, combine 'Stir-Fry Sauce' ingredients in a cup and set aside. Chop all your vegetables, keeping them in separate piles.

Distribute flour over a large dinner plate. Remove tofu from refrigerator and gently turn each piece in the flour. Let tofu remain sitting in the flour.

Heat a small to medium-size frying pan over high heat. Add 5 to 6 tablespoons oil. When oil is hot, add the floured tofu cubes. Fry 1 minute, then turn tofu for 1 more minute or until medium-browned on both sides. Remove tofu from oil and set on paper towel to drain. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue frying until all tofu is cooked. Reserve fried tofu on a pan in a warm oven.

Heat a wok or large frying pan over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil plus onion and garlic, and stir-fry 1 minute. Add carrot and celery, and 2 tablespoons of stir-fry sauce. Stir-fry 2 minutes.

Add broccoli and mushrooms. Stir-fry 2 minutes, adding more of the stir-fry sauce as you go.

Add bok choy (or cabbage), red pepper, and remaining stir-fry sauce, frying everything together until vegetables are cooked but still retain some crispness (2 to 3 minutes). Remove from heat and taste test. If too salty or sweet for your taste, add a little lime or lemon juice. Add more soy sauce if not salty or flavorful enough. Some fresh-cut chili or chili flakes can be added for more spice.

To serve, transfer vegetables onto a serving plate, individual plates or bowls. Tip the pan to drizzle remaining sauce over, then top with the warm tofu.

Serve with Thai jasmine rice, and enjoy!