10 Healthy Tofu Recipes

Raw tofu image via shutterstock

A vegetarian diet doesn’t have to mean living off of side dishes. Tofu is the perfect substitution for meat in a variety of traditional dishes, and you don’t have to be meat-free to enjoy it. Tofu, or pressed soy, is packed with protein and is surprisingly versatile to cook with. There are a couple types of tofu you can buy: Silken tofu is creamy and is good for protein smoothies and vegan cream pies; and firm and soft tofu is best for cooking because it will hold its shape while absorbing flavor. Most tofu recipes will specify what kind to buy, so don’t be afraid to try new varieties until you find your favorite.

1. Miso Soup
via Roti n Rice

All of these ingredients can be found in an Asian grocery store, and this soup is a cinch to make. Thinly sliced mushrooms are a great addition to this soup, and be sure to prepare it in big batches for reheating.

2. Tofu Aloo Galub
via Lorimer Street Kitchen

This one pot meal is tofu with cauliflower, potatoes, peas, and curry.  To drain tofu, simply place on a couple layers of paper towels, cover with more paper towels, and top with a pot. The weight from the pot will press out extra moisture to keep from your meal from being watery.

3. Vegan Tofu Scramble Breakfast Burrito
via Paint and Tofu

Tofu isn’t just for lunch and dinner. This recipe brings extra firm tofu to the breakfast table for a Mexican-inspired meal. Pressing the tofu is extremely important in this recipe, because wet tofu will not crumble properly.

4. Baked Pumpkin and Tofu with Kale
via Oh, Ladycakes

This is a great base recipe that can easily be reworked. Toss the finished product with cooked quinoa or rice for lunch, or warm vegetable broth to poor over the baked veggies and tofu for a quick soup. Whatever you’re in the mood for, pumpkin, tofu, and kale may become a new favorite combination.

5. Tofu and Ground Pork in Black Bean Sauce
via Daily Cooking Quest

It might be a little weird to put pork with tofu, but this recipe pulls it off. If you want to keep the dish strictly vegetarian, then add more tofu (or veggies) and omit the pork. Here are the conversions: 150 grams of pork is a half pound, and 300 grams of tofu is one pound.

6. Vegan Red Thai Curry
via The Corner Kitchen

Curry dishes can be spicy but not necessarily hot. This recipe has a kick, but the addition coconut milk makes the heat palatable. Red curry paste can be found in the Asian section of most grocery stores.

7. Veggie Miso Udon Soup
via Produce on Parade

Udon noodles are made with buckwheat and are a healthy substitute to regular semolina pasta. Try adding your favorite veggies like bell peppers, mushrooms, or snap peas.

8. Tofu Pad Thai
via Rice and Coconut

Making your own take out is easy with this recipe. Rice noodles are gluten-free, traditional in pad thai, and cook very quickly. Instead of frying the tofu, simply brown the cubed tofu in a little peanut oil until it’s brown on all sides.

9. Tofu Summer Rolls
via The Flying Ramekin

Summer rolls are a great option for when the bitter cold is getting into your core and you need a taste of sunshine. The tofu is marinated and then cooked in a dry pan, so the moistness of the marinated tofu will brown itself without extra oil.

10. Spicy Tofu and Lemongrass Stir-Fry
via Self magazine

This is another recipe that is a good base for a lot of different meals. The tofu and lemongrass can be a topper for rice, quinoa, and even a plain salad. Lemongrass is in the produce section of the grocery store and it’s sold in stalks.