Last updated - ; Published - By Rhian Williams 12 Comments
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
ThisVegan Sweet and Sour Tofu is:
- super easy to make
- packed with veggies
- just as delicious as the restaurant version!
If you're one of those people who's unsure about tofu, this dish is sure to be a game-changer. The sauce is salty-sweet, tangy and fruity, andtransforms the tofu from bland to incredibly flavourful. It also happens to be refined sugar free and much healthier than traditional sweet and sour sauce.
This dish starts off with crispy-yet-tender cubes of battered tofu. Although battered food always seems like a hassle to make, this battered tofu is super easy - all you need to do is coat some cubes of firm tofuwith cornflour (cornstarch), and quickly pan-fry them in just a splash of oil - becareful not to overcook the tofu at this stage, as you don't want it to become too tough.
Not only is this method foolproof, but it's also naturally gluten-free, and much healthier than deep-frying.
Now you have your crispy cubes of fried tofu, it's time to make the sauce!
The recommended cooking time I've given for this recipe means that the vegetables are left slightly crunchy, just like how this dish is served in restaurants. I like the vegetables to have a little bite for contrasting texture, but you can cook them for as little or as long as you like.
The sauce boasts a kaleidoscopic array of flavours and textures, thanks to:
- aromatic garlic and ginger
- sweet onion
- crunchy carrots
- crisp red and green pepper
- juicy tomato
- tangy pineapple
- salty tamari (or soy sauce)
- sharp vinegar
- nectar-like agave syrup
Whilst sweet and sour sauce usually includes tomato ketchup, I decided to make a healthier version by using fresh tomatoes instead, which works in a similar way. You can substitute the agave syrup with any other neutral-flavoured sweetener you like.
Then all you need to do is add some cornflour (cornstarch) to the sauce to thicken it up nicely, and you'll have a beautifully shiny, flavour-packed glaze irresistibly coating each cube of tofu.
I hope you'll love this Vegan Sweet and Sour Tofu! For more flavourful tofu recipes, check out my:
- Tofu Satay Curry
- Tandoori Tofu
- Twice-Cooked Tofu
- Tofu Satay Skewers
For even more tofu recipe inspiration, you can check out the National Tofu Day website!
If you try out this recipe or anything else from my blog,I’d really love to hear anyfeedback! Please give it a rating, leave a comment, or tag a photo #rhiansrecipes onInstagram! Thank you.
Vegan Sweet and Sour Tofu (GF)
This Vegan Sweet and Sour Tofu is super easy to make, packed with veggies and just as delicious as the restaurant version!
5 from 6 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Chinese
Keyword: gluten-free sweet and sour tofu, vegan sweet and sour tofu
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 399kcal
Author: Rhian Williams
Ingredients
For the tofu:
- 400 g (14oz) firm tofu
- 6 tablespoon cornflour (cornstarch)
- 3 tablespoons vegetable or rapeseed oil
For the sauce:
- 1 tablespoon vegetable or rapeseed oil
- 1 onion, roughly chopped
- 1 cm (½ inch) ginger, peeled and minced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 green pepper, cored and roughly chopped
- 1 red pepper, cored and roughly chopped
- 1 carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 medium-sized tomato, peeled and diced
- 225 g (1 cup) chopped pineapple
- 3 tablespoons tamari (or soy sauce if not gluten-free)
- 2 tablespoons apple cider, rice or white vinegar (ensure gluten-free if necessary)
- 2 tablespoons agave syrup (or sub any other sweetener)
- 120 ml (½ cup) water
- 1 tablespoon cornflour (cornstarch)
To serve (optional):
- Cooked brown or white rice
Instructions
For the tofu:
Drain the tofu, pat dry with a paper towel, and cut into small cubes
Place the cornflour in a large bowl, take a cube of tofu, coat it in the flour and place on a plate
Repeat for the rest of the tofu, adding extra cornflour if necessary
Heat up the oil in a frying pan until hot
Once the oil is hot, keep it on a medium heat and add the cornflour-coated tofu
Fry for a few minutes on each side, turning over halfway through (it's easiest to do this using chopsticks). Cook it until it’s crispy and lightly browned, but be careful not to overcook, otherwise it’ll become tough
Transfer the cooked tofu onto a plate lined with kitchen paper (to drain away the excess oil)
For the sauce:
Heat up the oil in a frying pan - you can use the same frying pan you used to fry the tofu, or you can start to cook the sauce in a separate frying pan whilst you cook the tofu
Add the onion, ginger and garlic once hot and fry for a couple of minutes until fragrant
Add the green pepper, red pepper, carrot, tomato and pineapple and fry for about 10 minutes until softened (more or less time depending on how soft or hard you like your vegetables to be)
Add the tamari, vinegar, agave syrup and water
Place the cornflour in a small bowl and dissolve in a tiny splash of water - make sure it has completely dissolved
Keeping the pan on a low heat, carefully add the cornflour mixture, stirring regularly to avoid clumping
Keep heating until the sauce is thickened - add an extra splash of water if it’s too thick
Add the cooked tofu and mix well
Best enjoyed immediately, but leftovers can be kept covered in the fridge for up to a few days, and can be reheated in a frying pan
Nutrition Facts
Vegan Sweet and Sour Tofu (GF)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 399
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Made the recipe?Tag @rhiansrecipes on instagram and use the hashtag #rhiansrecipes!
Disclosure: This posts contains affiliate links to Amazon. If you purchase any of these products, a small percentage will come to me with no extra cost to you! This income will go towards the running of this blog – thank you.
More Lunch & Dinner Recipes
- Gluten-Free Dinner Rolls (Vegan + No Yeast)
- Tofu Burger (Vegan + Gluten-Free)
- Vegan Sausage Rolls (Gluten-Free)
- Gluten-Free Vegan Irish Soda Bread
Reader Interactions
Comments
Lauen
Love this recipe!!!!Reply
Rhian Williams
Thank you so much!
Leave a Reply
« Older Comments
