Sweet and Sour Tofu

Name: Sweet and Sour Tofu
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 2 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided; 3 Tablespoons low-sodium tamari or soy sauce, divided; 3 Tablespoons rice vinegar or white wine vinegar, divided; 1 (14 ounce) package extra firm tofu, drained, pressed, and cubed; 1 small sweet onion, chopped; 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped; 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped; 1 cup canned diced pineapple, juice reserved; 1 Tablespoon tomato paste or Ketchup; 2 Tablespoons maple syrup; 1 Tablespoon corn starch; 4 cups cooked rice of choice

User Reviews

5.0

30 reviews

Excellent

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
45 mins
Servings
4 servings
Calories
426 kcal
Course
Main Course
Cuisine
Asian

Sweet and Sour Tofu

Finn Russell

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Sweet and sour tofu is surprisingly easy to make at home and has all of the comforting flavor of your favorite take-out!Recipe shared with permission from Eating Vegan, by Dianne Wenz, published by Rockridge Press. Copyright © 2020 by Callisto Media, Inc.

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Ingredients

Servings

2 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided See Notes section for oil-free tips.
3 Tablespoons low-sodium tamari or soy sauce, divided
3 Tablespoons rice vinegar or white wine vinegar, divided
1 (14 ounce) package extra firm tofu, drained, pressed, and cubed or super-firm tofu (no need to press)
1 small sweet onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 cup canned diced pineapple, juice reserved
1 Tablespoon tomato paste or Ketchup I had an open bottle of BBQ sauce in the fridge so I used that instead.
2 Tablespoons maple syrup
1 Tablespoon corn starch
4 cups cooked rice of choice

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Instructions

Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat, along with 1 tablespoon tamari and 1 tablespoon vinegar. Add the tofu to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown on all sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer the tofu to a plate.
Add the remaining 1 teaspoon of oil to the pan along with the onion. Cook, stirring frequently, until it begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the bell peppers and the pineapple to the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened, about 10 more minutes. Add the tofu back into the pan.
Whisk together the tomato paste, maple syrup, cornstarch, remaining 2 tablespoons tamari, 2 tablespoons vinegar, and ½ cup of the reserved pineapple juice in a small bowl. Pour the mixture into the pan and gently stir to coat everything well. Cook for a few more minutes, until the sauce thickens and is heated through.
Serve over the cooked rice.

Notes

First-Timer tip: If you’re short on time, you can used store-bought baked tofu and a bag of frozen stir-fry vegetables in this recipe. Baked tofu is already seasoned, so you can skip step 1. Just add it to the pan with the frozen veggies in step 2 and add the sauce after they’re both heated through.
Need to make it oil-free? Instead of cooking the tofu in oil in the first step, dry-broil it as described in this post. Another option is to season the tofu with tamari and rice vinegar, then bake. Or simply sauté it as described above and add a bit of broth or water, as needed. Thoroughly pre-heating the pan is also very important to prevent sticking.
Storage: Store leftover sweet and sour tofu in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.