Fiber-Rich Recipes with Fried Tofu to Try This Weekend

The month of October is typically a busy month in the US. Temperatures drop, the leaves turn brown, and everyone seems to be occupied with their personal projects and priorities before the year rushes out of the door. This is also the time of the year when we start to be conscious of our eating habits as the Halloween decorations remind us of the plethora of holiday foods towards December.

Luckily, October is also the season of broccoli, eggplant, bok choy, and fresh greens like kale, spinach, and lettuce. These veggies are essentially your best choices for filling up on vitamins and nutrients to boost your immunity during the COVID-19 pandemic.

But, of course, you also need protein. You might be exploring a plant-based alternative for this one – enter tofu. As meat processing plants encountered supply chain problems all over the country, tofu suddenly became the staple protein source simply because it was available during the pandemic. Before COVID-19, tofu was less attractive and a tough nut to crack. Americans couldn’t get the trick for making tofu really crispy (Tip: press water out of your tofu cubes before cooking). 

Then, in 2020, tofu was officially welcomed to mainstream takeout orders and home-cooked dishes of Americans. Tofu’s clout skyrocketed because it’s affordable, healthy, and the best choice for omnivores who wanted to limit animal protein intake in light of the narrative of COVID-19 origin.

Fast forward to 2021, and tofu’s still a thing, thanks to cooking inspirations all over Tiktok. If you’re reading to get some ideas, look no further. Read on as we give you Filipino-inspired recipe ideas for the hearty and cheap ingredient. 

Tofu with Soy-Ginger Sauce

This recipe features a zesty oriental sauce on small squares of tofu with fresh mushrooms. All you need is 20 minutes to finish cooking the dish. Start by deep drying tofu until golden brown then drain the oil on paper towels to be set aside. Next, saute the aromatics – including leeks and mushroom – in the remaining oil. Then, add the rest of the ingredients like rice vinegar, rice wine, and Chinese soy sauce into the mix before throwing in your fried tofu. Full recipe here: https://www.yummy.ph/recipe/tofu-soy-ginger-sauce-recipe?ref=recipe_related

Stir-Fried Summer Vegetables and Tofu

A flavorful side dish, this stir-fried summer vegetables and tofu can be enjoyed best with meat or fish as your entrée. For the chicken stock mixture, you just need to combine chicken stock, rice wine, soy sauce, cornstarch, and sugar. Coat tofu cubes with cornstarch and brown on all sides. Then, cook the vegetables separately until tender and crisp. Finally, pour the chicken stock mixture into the pan until the sauce thickens before putting back the tofu. Full recipe here: https://www.yummy.ph/recipe/stir-fried-summer-vegetables-and-tofu-recipe?ref=recipe_related

Quick Stir-Fried Vegetables and Tofu

Looking for a hearty and fiber-loaded tofu recipe? This one’s a winner with white rice or -- hear us out -- when stuffed into lumpia. While the recipe takes 50 minutes to be ready, everything happens so fast when you stir fry this sweet and savory dish. You will need a large frying pan to fry the tofu. For the sauce, mix chicken broth, sesame oil, honey, soy sauce, and other ingredients in a bowl. Heat a large wok, saute the aromatics, and gradually add the remaining vegetables according to instructions. Pour the prepared sauce and add tofu until everything comes together and heated through. Full recipe here: https://www.yummy.ph/recipe/ginisang-gulay-at-tokwa-recipe-a439-20190826?ref=recipe_related

Stir-Fried Tofu with Oyster Sauce

This recipe is simple and easy to cook, but the result is incredibly satisfying. You will have a satiating tofu recipe in no time. All it takes is sautéing onion, bell pepper, and leeks after frying tofu cubes. Just add oyster sauce, sugar, and water to get the Asian dish on the table. Full recipe here: https://www.yummy.ph/recipe/stir-fried-tofu-with-oyster-sauce-recipe