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Square cropped close up image of a small white bowl filled with General Tso tofu cubes and garnished with white sesame seeds and sliced green onion. A second white bowl of tofu is blurred to the back left with a small black bowl of broccoli blurred to the back right. Even further back is a larger plate filled with a pile of rice topped with more tofu.
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General Tso Tofu (Vegan)

This easy vegan General Tso tofu recipe is a delicious, nutritious weeknight dinner for when you want take-out at home! The sauce is perfectly balanced with salty, sweet and spicy flavor.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Chinese-inspired, Vegan
Keyword General tso tofu recipe, vegan General tso tofu
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4 Servings
Calories 342kcal

Ingredients

  • 350 grams extra firm tofu (pressed if needed)
  • 2 tablespoons corn starch
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 teaspoons sesame oil
  • 1 ½ tablespoons ginger , grated or finely minced
  • ¼ cup green onion , diced

Sauce

  • 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
  • 3 tablespoons ketchup
  • 2 ½ tablespoons soy sauce (low sodium)
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • ¼ cup water
  • chili flakes (to taste; optional)

To Serve

  • rice , cooked
  • broccoli , steamed

Instructions

Step 1: Prep and Brown Tofu

  • The tofu I buy doesn’t need pressing, but if yours does (if water comes out when pressed) start by pressing the tofu.
    350 grams extra firm tofu
  • Next, cut your tofu into bite-sized cubes.
  • Add cut tofu to a container or plastic bag along with corn starch and toss to coat (shake the bag or place lid on container to shake).
    2 tablespoons corn starch
  • It’s best to brown the tofu in 2 batches. Warm a large pan over medium-high heat and add cooking/ vegetable oil. Brown the first half of the tofu on all sides.
    2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • Then, heat the remaining vegetable oil and brown your second batch of tofu; if it browns very quickly or becomes dark brown rather than golden brown, turn down the heat.
  • Set aside the browned tofu.

Step 2: Prep and Cook Sauce

  • Finely mince or grate ginger.
    1 ½ tablespoons ginger
  • Dice green onion (you can use the green and white parts).
    ¼ cup green onion
  • In a small bowl or jar, whisk together all the sauce ingredients: rice vinegar, hoisin sauce, ketchup, soy sauce, brown sugar, water and chili flakes to taste.
    3 tablespoons rice vinegar, 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce, 3 tablespoons ketchup, 2 ½ tablespoons soy sauce, ¼ cup brown sugar, ¼ cup water, chili flakes
  • In the pan used to brown your tofu, warm sesame oil over medium heat. Add ginger and green onion and cook for about 1 minute, until fragrant.
    2 teaspoons sesame oil
  • Next, add your sauce and cook for about 1 minute before adding the browned tofu to the pan.
  • Simmer the tofu in sauce, tossing regularly, until your sauce is thickened, about 5 minutes.

Step 3: Assemble and Serve

  • Serve the saucy tofu alongside steamed broccoli and cooked rice.
    rice, broccoli

Notes

Accuracy of nutrition information cannot be guaranteed (certain ingredients may not have all nutrients listed in the database); amounts may vary (and will vary depending on brands of ingredients used); all nutrition fact values rounded to the nearest whole number.
Nutrition information reflects only the sauce and tofu; rice, broccoli and anything else consumed with the recipe not included.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Serving (¼ of recipe) | Calories: 342kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Sodium: 688mg | Potassium: 358mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 32g | Vitamin A: 373IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 346mg | Iron: 3mg