37 Tofu Recipes for Silky Soups, Hearty Salads, and Crispy Snacks
Looking for a few new tofu recipes? You’re in luck, because that’s just what we have here. And while we love the soft cubes of tofu you’ll often find swimming in a miso-laced broth; we also have a few modern preparations to add to your repertoire. Have you evertorn tofu into rough, craggy piecesbefore spicing and roasting it to crisp, golden-brown perfection? Highly recommended. Dredged tofu in aheady jerk marinadeand tossed it on the grill? Add it to your summer plans. Blended tofu into奶油泡that’s so flavorful your party guests refuse to believe it’s vegan? Get ready to wow ‘em.
Below, you’ll find our best tofu recipes, including main dishes, speedy weeknight stir-fries, warming soups and stews, homemade dumplings, saucy noodle bowls, and so much more. But before you start scrolling, make sure you’re armed withthe best tofufor the job. Ready? Let’s go.
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Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton1/37Chaozhou Flavor-Potted Tofu
Flavor-pottingis a unique form of slow-cooking thanks to the braising broth, which can be strained and re-used for more tofu, poultry, or other types of meat. Serve with rice for one of the most comforting tofu meals we know.
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Photo by Andrew Purcell, Food Styling by Carrie Purcell3/37Sheet-Pan Collard Greens and Crispy Tofu With Niter Kibbeh
The secret to the best crispy baked tofu? A three-step breading process involving tapioca flour, egg whites, and toasted panko. Re-crisp leftovers on a hot baking sheet in the oven or a preheatedair fryer.
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Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne4/37Vegan Pumpkin Pie
This silky vegan pie is so good you’ll probably want to eat it more often than once a year. The filling is made withcanned pumpkinand soft silken tofu and spiced with nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves.
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Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Anne Eastman, Food Styling by Lillian Chou5/37Mapo Tofu (麻婆豆腐)
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Photo by Ted + Chelsea Cavanaugh, Prop Styling by Nathaniel James, Food Styling by Laura Rege6/37Shawarma-Spiced Tofu Pita Wraps
This recipe converted many an Epi staffer to Team Tofu. Tear the bricks into craggy pieces and roast them with a heap of spices until the edges turn crisp. The result is intensely flavorful and wonderfully textured, perfect for sandwiches or grain bowls. Use the recipe as a template to make tofu tacos and burritos with Mexican spices, or tofu andcoleslawsandwiches withbarbecue spices.
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Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich7/37Sayur Lodeh (Vegetable Soup With Pressed Rice Cakes)
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8/37The Best Vegan Breakfast Sandwich
Take a break fromtofu scrambleand make this superior sandwich a part of yourvegan brunchroutine. It’s got a savory tofu-based patty, but the best part is the vegancassava baconthat’s glazed with tamari, maple syrup, liquid smoke, and smoked paprika.
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Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Christopher Barsch10/37Grilled Jerk Tofu and Plantains With Mango Salsa
Likejerk chicken? Try switching out the protein for grilled jerk tofu at your next backyard BBQ. For the best results,freeze and thaw the tofubefore adding it to the marinade, which will make it more absorbent and give it a hardier texture.
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Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Sophie Strangio, Food Styling by Monica Pierini12/37Rice Noodles and Tofu in Peanut Sauce
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Photo by Joseph De Leo17/37Creamy Ginger Dressing
You’re missing out if you’ve never made acreamy dressing with silken tofu. Chef Bryant Terry uses this version to dress a hearty grain salad with celery, persimmons, and chopped nuts—but you can also drizzle it overgrilled vegetablesor use it as a dip forcrudités.
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Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Anne Eastman, Food Styling by Lillian Chou18/37Vegan Beer-Cheese Sauce
This 10-minute vegan tofu cheese sauce requires very little prep time and comes together with the blitz of a blender. It’s endlessly versatile: slather it ontovegan cheesesteaks, drizzle it ontoveggie burgers, or use it as a dip forcrispy potatoes.
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Photo by Joanne Lee Molinaro19/37Dooboo Jorim (Braised Tofu)
Out ofall the types of tofu, the extra-firm variety seems to get the most attention. But this recipe calls for medium-firm tofu, celebrated for its soft and velvety texture. Save any extra spicy scallion-soy dressing for pouring over rice or adding to tofu stir-fries.
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Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Anne Eastman, Food Styling by Lillian Chou20/37Shamey Momos
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Photo by Akiko Ida & Pierre Javelle22/37Mitarashi Dango (Rice Balls in Syrup)
Silken tofuand glutinous rice flour are all it takes to make these Japanese dumplings, which you’ll roll in a sweet soy glaze before serving. Total time from start to finish? 30 minutes flat.
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Photo by Maggie Zhu24/37Stir-Fried String Beans With Tofu
Patting the tofu dry with paper towels and tossing it with cornstarch ensures this tofu crisps to perfection—no need for a tofu press! If you have time, make a big batch ofblack bean saucefrom scratch, which lasts for up to six months in the fridge.
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Photo by Ed Anderson25/37Jerk Tofu Wrapped in Collard Leaves
This tofu recipe from Bryant Terry’sVegetable Kingdomis a bit elaborate but worth it for the deep flavors and contrasting textures. You’ll marinate the tofu in a vibrant mix of garlic, nutmeg, allspice, Scotch bonnet peppers, and lime, then fry it before wrapping it with garlic chips in collard-leaf packets.
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Photo by Con Poulos28/37Baked Chocolate Tofu Cheesecake
The mousse-like texture of this creamy (but dairy-free) chocolate cheesecake is truly impressive. Bookmark it for dinner parties where you’re servingvegan guests.
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Photo by Eric Wolfinger29/37Chile and Ginger–Fried Tofu Salad With Kale
In this spicy salad from Melissa Clark’sDinner: Changing the Game, cubes of pan-fried tofu act like tender-bellied croutons amid baby kale leaves, only with much more protein and character than the usual toasted bread. It’s delicious proof that salads can be so much more than appetizers.
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Anna Surbatovich, Food Styling by Mariana Velasquez30/37Vegan "Tofurkey" With Mushroom Stuffing and Gravy
拨出store-bought faux turkey roasts and place this stunner on your holiday table instead. Thevegan loafis packed with tons of flavor, thanks to miso-infused tofu, a pecan and mushroom stuffing, and a soy-maple glaze.
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Romulo Yanes31/37Summer Rolls With Baked Tofu and Sweet-and-Savory Dipping Sauce
这些Vietnamese-style卷需要小翻云覆雨g and make for a wonderfully light appetizer.Baked tofumakes them hearty, while the pickled vegetables keep them cool and crunchy.
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Katherine Sacks33/37Nabeyaki Udon Soup With Chicken, Spinach, and Mushrooms
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Photo by Jennifer Davick34/37Tofu-Vegetable Noodle Toss
Thissimple pastauses gluten-free buckwheat noodles to complement blanched vegetables, plus a soy sauce, sesame oil, and mirin dressing for an easy weeknight dinner. Serve with sriracha for more heat and a sprinkling of sesame seeds or gomasio for extra nuttiness.
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Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell35/37Coconut Cabbage and Tofu With Lemongrass and Ginger
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Photo by Ana Cuba37/37Kimchi and Miso Noodle Soup
Extra-firm tofu soaks up the flavorful kimchi-laced broth in this noodle bowl from Anna Jones, author ofThe Modern Cook’s Year. It will quickly become one of your favorite tofu recipes.
