Ah, poor tofu. The butt of every vegetarian joke. Tofu is actually quite fantastic IF you make it right. (My college cafeteria used to serve it cold and plain at the salad bar…NOT good.) It’s tasty and filling and full of protein.
A tofu recipe that doesn’t require pressing or marinating makes these a staple in our house. It’s been great for Gabe since he was really young – the cubes of tofu and peas are perfect. Plus, it’s just the antidote to eating a cupcake as a snack and needing a something that is filling but still healthy (and combats that sugar belly…I’m not the only one gets that, right?). And I love lettuce wraps – there’s something fun about eating food with your hands, amiright?
This recipe is easy. A total weeknight star.
First, you cube a block of drained tofu and cook it in a bit of oil.
Splash a little soy sauce in the pan when it starts to get brown on one side. Take the cooked tofu out of the pan and set it aside (we’re going to use one pan for everything to make clean up easier. But if you’re in a rush, just do it all at once.)
Let’s make the sauce. Saute chopped onion, a cup of frozen peas, smashed garlic, and cayenne pepper in sesame oil for 10 minutes.
While that’s cooking, go ahead and clean off the lettuce. I like to soak the romaine leaves in water with a big splash of vinegar for 5 minutes before rinsing it off.
Splash some rice vinegar in with the veggies and cook for 3 more minutes.
Whisk up the hoisin sauce (peanut butter! soy sauce! delicious!) and pour it over the veggies. Add the tofu and cook for another minute.
Serve.
Lettuce Wraps with Hoisin-Mustard Tofu
Adapted from Appetite for Reduction
Ingredients:
1 block (16 oz) extra firm tofu, diced in 1/2 inch pieces (I froze mine first so it was chewy)
2 tsp reduced sodium soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 cup frozen peas
1 small onion, diced small
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 tsp powdered ginger
a few dashes of cayenne pepper
3 tbsp rice vinegar
[Hoison Sauce]
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon peanut butter
1 teaspoon molasses or honey
1/2 teaspoon rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tsp mustard
Romaine lettuce leaves (can also use iceberg)
Prepare the tofu: Preheat a cast-iron or heavy-bottomed nonstick skillet over medium heat.
Add the tofu and cook for about 10 minutes, flipping it once in a while, until it is browned on most sides. About midway through, drizzle with the soy sauce and toss to coat.
Prepare the sauce: Preheat a separate large pan over medium heat with the sesame oil. Saute the peas, onion, garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes. Cook for about 10 minutes. The veggies should be soft and browned. Add the rice vinegar and let cook for about 3 minutes. Meanwhile, mix the hoisin sauce in a small bowl and add mustard, whisking until it’s smooth.
Add the tofu to the sauce and toss to coat. Serve alongside lettuce leaves, to stuff like tacos.
Yum, these looks good! Time to pin this recipe :)
I’ve had mixed feelings about tofu for awhile, but have ultimately decided that if it’s cooked right, I’m a fan. My latest favorite is to slice it thin, dry-fry it up in a skillet, and top with avocado, tomato, and Sriracha. I adapted that ever so slightly from a suggestion I got from a friend of mine (who says that tofu is a great vehicle for avocado).
Can’t wait to try this — and love the peanut butter part of that Hoisin sauce!
These look awesome! I made tofu lettuce wraps from a recipe I pinned awhile back & totally botched them. They were awful! Maybe I’ll try again with your much-easier-looking recipe.
It’s even easier if you have bottled hoisin sauce on hand (just use 2 tablespoons of it)!
I’m excited to try this recipe! I love making tofu, and we just got a wok for Christmas which makes cooking it almost fool-proof. Hoisin sauce is the best! It’s the perfect way to add just a bit of flavor :)