Kung Pao Tofu
This Kung Pao Tofu is a blend of tofu, bell peppers, chilies, green onions and peanuts, all in a savory and spicy sauce. A vegan remake of the take out classic that’s even better than the restaurant version!
Ingredients
For the tofu:
- 14 –16 oz block of firm or extra firm tofu
- 2 tablespoons of cornstarch
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon of oil
For the sauce:
- ½ cup of veggie broth
- ⅓ cup of soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons of Chinese black vinegar or balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoon of Chinese Shaoxing wine or dry sherry
- 2 teaspoons of hoisin sauce
- 2 tablespoons of sugar can sub with maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons of cornstarch
Other ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons of cooking oil I like toasted sesame oil
- 4 cloves of garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon of freshly grated ginger
- ½ of a red bell pepper diced
- ½ of a green bell pepper diced
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- 10 dried chilies cut into ½-inch pieces seeds removed for less heat (can also use less of these as desired)
- 4 green onions cut into 1 inch pieces
- ½ cup of roasted peanuts
Instructions
- Prepare the tofu by pressing the liquid out. HERE is my full guide on pressing tofu with AND without a tofu press. Once pressed, tear the tofu into large bite-sized chunks. Mine were all roughly an inch long and varied in size a little. Don’t worry too much about the size and shape. The idea is for it to have rough edges to give the tofu a little more texture and to hold onto flavors a little better.
- Place the tofu chunks into a large bowl and sprinkle on the cornstarch, a good pinch of fine sea salt, and freshly cracked black pepper. Toss to combine so that the tofu is mostly covered in the cornstarch, salt and pepper.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add in the tofu and cook for about 10 minutes, tossing often so that it gets browned on all sides. Once done, remove tofu from the skillet and set aside.
- Meanwhile, make the sauce by whisking together the broth, soy sauce, vinegar, Chinese Shaoxing wine, hoisin sauce, sugar, and cornstarch. Set aside.
- In the same skillet used for the tofu, add in 2 tablespoons of oil and place over medium heat. Once hot, stir in the garlic, ginger, bell peppers, dried chiles, and red pepper flakes. Stir fry for 3 minutes.
- Add in the sauce and bring to a simmer. Once simmering and beginning to thicken, add the tofu back in as well as the green onions and peanuts. Stir to coat thoroughly, about 2 additional minutes.
- Serve over your favorite grain and ENJOY!
Notes
This dish reheats well and is great for meal prep! Store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to about 4 to 5 days.
If you want extra flavor and you have time, you can marinate the tofu chunks in the sauce before coating it in the cornstarch. Save the sauce so that you can then proceed with the recipe as directed.
