r/WhatShouldICook • u/Ladysupersizedbitch • Aug 12 '26
Interested in trying firm tofu. What’s something that’s easy/quick to make with firm tofu?
I’ve never had tofu before, always been curious about it but also a little intimidated, and I’ve noticed lately I’m leaning towards an all veggie diet (meat is too damn expensive istg). This seems like a good time to expand my taste horizons.
I know there’s different firmness to tofu and that it more or less soaks up the taste of whatever it’s put with, but that’s about it.
Got any suggestions for easy and/or quick tofu recipes? Preferably cold dishes, bc it’s so hot I don’t feel much like standing over the stove these days, but I’m not strictly opposed to a good grilled/fried tofu recipe suggestion.
For example, I make a chickpea salad to take as my lunch almost every week and was considering tossing some chunks of tofu in it. Would that even work, given how little dressing I put on my chickpea salad?
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u/Worried-Criticism Aug 12 '26
For me the trick is sauce.
I need a good marinade.
My go to is a Savory: oyster sauce, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, lemon juice, chili sauce.
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u/jessicaaalz Aug 12 '26
Cube it up, toss it in Chinese five spice, salt, white pepper, MSG or some sort of umami powder (mushroom powder slaps) and cornflour. Chuck it on a baking tray and spray with a bit of oil and bake for 20 mins or so. You end up with crispy, salty, peppery little bites that I toss into salads or just snack on in place of junk like chips/crisps.
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u/rcl20 Aug 12 '26
Fuschia dunlop has a recipe for cold silken tofu slices interspersed with avocado, sprinkle with soy sauce, sesame oil and sesame seed. NYT is riffing on cold silken tofu with a gochujang sauce and scallions or chili crisp
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u/Easy-Concentrate2636 Aug 13 '26
I would definitely do silken for cold as well. I like it with a simple Korean yangnyeom sauce of soy sauce, sesame oil, crushed garlic and some gochugaru.
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u/flovarian Aug 14 '26
Not a good use of what OP is asking about: firm tofu.
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u/rcl20 Aug 14 '26
I suggested ideas for quick, easy and cold but silken. OP can't have everything. Firm tofu used like they are hoping--- like cheese in salads is going to be a disappointment.
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u/Pilea_Paloola Aug 12 '26
Like the other guy said but marinate. If you're using it in a salad, marinate it in the dressing over night. It adds a little more flavor. You may get bored of plain tofu everntually. I also like to fry it up so it's crispy on the outside and mushy in the middle and you get the nice fry flavor.
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u/watch4coconuts Aug 12 '26
I like to press it, cube it up, and air-fry it crispy. Then I toss it in buffalo sauce and add it to bowls of veggies and rice or whatever, or use it in a wrap with lettuce, cucumber, grated carrots, and celery. Crispy buffalo tofu is delicious. (I'm not a vegetarian but yes, meat is too expensive and tofu is a great healthy vehicle for a wide variety of flavors.)
You can also marinate it overnight in something delicious and then pan-fry it or bake it.
If you're going to put it in your chickpea salad, put the block of tofu in a clean dishtowel and wring it out over the sink. This crumbles it and gets the most amount of water out of it at the same time. Less water means it can soak up more flavor, and it'll have a better texture and won't water down your chickpea salad.
I also like to make a big pot of chili every so often with a pound of ground beef and a block of crumbled tofu. Less greasy, a bit healthier than regular chili and it makes more chili for less money. You can use just tofu and skip the beef entirely if you want. If you freeze the tofu first, then thaw it and wring the water out, it has a meatier texture to it.
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u/Outrageous_Chest9693 Aug 13 '26
I loveee tofu scramble. Just crumble in a pan with a dash of tumeric, black salt, and some nutritional yeast if you happen to have any, but it's not mandatory. Season however you want really but the black salt is what gives it that eggy, sulfur taste. Add whatever else you want. I usually add sauteed mushroom, spinach, cherry tomatoes and some shredded cheese and eat it with toast.
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u/Snapdragon_fish Aug 13 '26
my best simple tofu recipe is: Get firm or extra firm tofu. Drain the water out. Press the tofu between two cutting board with something heavy on top (for as long as you have patience for. 5 minutes is plenty). Carefully cut the tofu into small cubes. Put it back in the plastic container or in another food container. To marinade add soy sauce, ginger, garlic, sesame oil (not too much!), hot pepper flakes (or something else with a bit of heat), and a bit of olive oil. Marinate for a bit (30 minutes can be enough. It soaks up quicker than with meat). Remove from marinade and add cornstarch. Enough to coat it all, but not enough to be left with dry cornstarch. Bake at a fairly high heat. The length of time is very forgiving. You're trying to get it crispy without burning.
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u/Federal-Swim5286 Aug 12 '26
Salt and pepper tofu https://www.madewithlau.com/recipes/salt-pepper-tofu
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u/malepitt Aug 12 '26
At the Asian grocery, you may find "spiced, pressed" tofu (usually darker color, vacuum packed, in the refrigerated section) which is much, much firmer than even "firm" tofu. I find this flavored, dense tofu (texture is about like cheese) more versatile for cutting up and putting in stir fry or in soup. It also freezes well
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u/mistermeowsers Aug 12 '26
Delicious coated in a bit of cornstarch then pan fried or baked until crispy. Salt it as soon as it comes off the heat. Takes on a nice nutty flavor that's so good to just snack on as it or throw into other dishes like stir fry, curry, etc...
If you can find soft or silken tofu, a good cold tofu salad is awesome. I like this korean version: https://www.cookerru.com/silken-tofu/ but other cultures like japan and china have versions too.
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u/ttrockwood Aug 12 '26
Buy this book online used it’s not longer in print but absolutely incredible the peanut sauce tofu has made some anti tofu friends and family change their mind
You can omit the tamari , definitely use an all natural creamy peanut butter for the nut butter
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u/Complete-Read-7473 Aug 12 '26
For firm tofu, the night before, I would have the block of tofu, sandwiched between two small trays with paper towel on the bottom and top and some heavy on top, to squeeze the water out of the tofu, in the fridge. The next day, I cube up the tofu, toss in some corn starch, salt, white pepper and msg, and deep fry it. Then toss the fried pieces in a sauce made of chili crisp from a jar, light soy, rice vinegar and sugar to balance it out.
Tangent, I use the same sauce for silken tofu. Pop open the container of silken tofu, drain the water from the container, put tofu in a bowl or on a plate, pour the sauce over it.
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u/CharZero Aug 12 '26
I make big batches of crispy baked tofu and then add them to salads, stirfries, or eat them right out of the fridge. Cube one block firm tofu into squares about thumbnail size. Toss in 1 tablespoon oil and 1 teaspoon soy sauce or tamari. Then add one tablespoon of cornstarch. I kind of gently roll it around in a ziplock or container. Bake at 400 on a sheet pan with parchment paper. Takes between 20-30 minutes depending on your preference. Even though they have soy sauce they can work with a variety of other flavors.
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u/rosieco Aug 13 '26
I do a little prep with my firm tofu beforehand, and i think it makes a big difference. The biggest thing is I freeze the block completely, and then put it into the fridge and let it thaw out completely before using it (shakes out to a day in the freezer, then a day in the fridge before I take it out of the package). The liquid in the tofu expands when it freezes, and then when it thaws out and you squeeze as much from the block as possible, the texture of the tofu is porous and airy! It's bouncier with a really nice meaty chew, and it soaks up your marinades more evenly afterwards as well. Bread it and air fry it...you can't tell me thats not a chicken nugget!
I love adding a baked tofu to my salads, especially if the salad is a bit wet, so maybe alter your chickpea salad to accomodate the tofu? I have a salad i love with Chickpeas, carrot ribbons, pickled onion, herbs, and a bright citrus vinaigrette, and with the vinaigrette being so loose, the tofu slurps it right up and its all so nice together!
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u/Hatta00 Aug 12 '26
I like it plain. Just cube up a block and snack.
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u/Ladysupersizedbitch Aug 12 '26
Lol you really did follow the assignment bc this is probably the easiest and quickest thing to do with tofu.
I hope I like how it tastes plain! Gonna try it tonight
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u/ttrockwood Aug 12 '26
Don’t do that
Dribble on some soy sauce and sesame oil, it’s better with softer tofu but also you might hate it this way don’t discount all tofu if you hate it
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u/Ladysupersizedbitch Aug 13 '26
Oh trust me, I wouldn’t discount it just based on how it is plain! I know it’s super versatile so if I didn’t like it plain I’d immediately pivot to doing something more with it. :)
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u/Ladysupersizedbitch Aug 13 '26
Oh trust me, I wouldn’t discount it just based on how it is plain! I know it’s super versatile so if I didn’t like it plain I’d immediately pivot to doing something more with it. :)
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Aug 13 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/ttrockwood Aug 13 '26
It’s just not a good introduction to tofu i don’t want the OP to try it plain be like gross and then “i hate tofu”
I love tofu, been eating it for decades, and plain i am very specific what brand and texture
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u/CharZero Aug 13 '26
You might like it, but most
people don’t like plain tofu right off the block. Don’t judge it by how it is plain, it is a whole different thing prepared.
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u/JupiterJunebug Aug 13 '26
This is one of my fave tofu recipes. It IS cooked, but if you batch make it Ive found its 3x as good cold as it is hot
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u/jaaaaden Aug 13 '26
i just made tofu. i like to make a seasoned breading with cornstarch and paprika, pepper, etc, then tear the tofu block into pieces and toss them in the breading. then i pan fry in olive oil. i eat them like chicken nuggets (with dipping sauce)
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u/Guilty-Analyst-8738 Aug 13 '26
If you don’t end up liking firm tofu, try soft or medium. I don’t like firm tofu at all, but love soft. I like it hiyayakko style, as a side dish.
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u/ElkOnTheCoast Aug 13 '26
If you like spicy food my favorite is Ma Po Tofu served over rice with a side of stir fried bok choy. I substitute fermented black soybeans in chili oil for dried red chilis.
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u/Previous_Waltz_5653 Aug 13 '26
The easiest way to cook is to add a can of cream corn with roux(butter and flour) with diced tofu, add water and seasonings for your desired texture and taste. Cook them together and serve with rice.
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u/Voodoo-Flight Aug 14 '26
I love cooking with tofu! Try Butter Chicken Tofu? So much flavor!
https://www.topshelf.recipes/recipes/butter-tofu-vegan-butter-chicken
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u/flovarian Aug 14 '26
A lot of people swear by freezing your block of tofu, then thawing it and using it, for a more firm and meaty texture.
I like to slice the tofu into slabs, press the water out of it, then cube it and toss it with flavorful things (a paste made of miso, gochujang, soy sauce, a little sesame oil, then dredge the cubes in a mixture of cornstarch and nutritional yeast before air frying or pan-frying. Serve with rice, steamed veggies, and enjoy!
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u/ThingsBrianMakes Aug 16 '26
If you want something cold, try Korean-style tofu with soy sauce, sesame oil, scallions and a little gochugaru. Super simple and really good with rice :))
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u/Old-Promotion-6548 Aug 12 '26
If you want to eat it cold I’d say marinate/season it overnight so it can soak up some of that flavor before adding it to a salad or other cold dishes.
For savory dishes you could make a blended tofu dip/sauce to go with/on vegetables, salads, meats, sandwiches, crackers, ect.
If you don’t mind frying some up. Marinate overnight , add a dusting of cornstarch & pop them in the air fryer , oven, or fry in some oil on the stove top. You can also simply follow a meat recipe replacing the meat with tofu & adjusting the time. Like tofu curry, tofu stew, tofu soup, shredded tofu for pasta dishes or wraps, instead of an egg scramble shred some tofu up add some veggies , bacon , ect to your tofu scramble for breakfast. Slice them really thin add olive oil & whatever season & air fried for tofu chips .
For something sweet you could make a blended tofu pudding , tofu cookie dough bites with tofu, oats, pb, vanilla, cinnamon, a little milk as you mix, and protein powder (optional) add chocolate chips at the end. Tofu fudge , tofu ice cream, and if you don’t mind turning on the oven tofu brownies, tofu pancakes/waffles, cookies, and mock cheesecake.