Tofu and Bok Choy Stir-Fry

Make this easy tofu and bok choy stir-fry for a quick, healthy, and delcious meal! The tofu is super flavourful and perfectly crispy, then tossed with tender bok choy in a sticky-sweet, salty sauce. Absolutely delcious served over coconut rice.

Are you an anti-tofu-er? Or maybe you aren’t thaaat anti but never had any that made you crave it? Tofu has a bad reputation for being bland and having a weird texture but when done right, it is downright addictive.

This tofu stir fry with bok choy, is a huge reader favorite. You get substance from the tofu, freshness from the bok choy, a touch of heat from the red peppers, and some crunch from the cashews and sesame seeds. It is absolutely delicious and I love that it makes you feel very satisfied and full but not heavy.

The tofu is perfectly crispy on the outside, but remains tender and soft on the inside. Drenched in a salty-spicy-sweet sauce, it is the one that converted me, and all the tofu-haters I have served it to fall in love with tofu. So good, I would serve it to company. So good, I could honestly eat it every day.

If, like me, you under-appreciated this Asian ingredient for years, it’s time to run to your nearest health food store and grab a package, or two. This recipe is about to change your life.

Why You Will Love This Recipe

• Ultra-crispy tofu! Just look at those crispy edges on the tofu cubes—I could eat them up like candy.
• Easy and uncomplicated: Here the tofu gets crispy in the oven to avoid the dreaded frying and splattering. Once the tofu is crispy, the stir-fry comes together really fast.
• Meal prep: The stir-fry will reheat beautifully so go ahead and make a large batch to enjoy lunches for days.
• Super flavorful: Sweet, sour, salty, spicy—aka the best flavour combo in the world and this dish has it in spades.

Recipe Ingredients

Most of the ingredients in this easy recipe are pantry staples, or can be found at well-stocked supermarkets.

• Tofu: Extra-firm tofu will get really crispy so it is best for this stir fry.
• Cornstarch: Tofu has a lot of moisture so the cornstarch helps it get crispy. You can also use arrowroot powder if you prefer.
• Fresh ginger, garlic, and scallions (green onions): These ingredients will make the stir fry explode with flavour. If you don’t have scallions, shallots are a great substitute.
• Small red chili: I don’t like this stir fry to numb my mouth with heat but I do like a bit of a spicy sauce. Thai red chilis add great flavour and heat. 2 thinly sliced give me the perfect amount of heat. Use as little or as much as you’d like. You can also use a 1/2 a tablespoon of chili sauce such as sambal oelek, if you wish.
• Baby Bok Choy: I love using baby bok choy in stir-fries. They are very tender and juicy without the bitterness of some dark green leafy vegetables. Also known as Chinese cabbage, bok choy is low in calories and rich in good-for-you vitamins. The white parts are super crunchy which add great texture to the dish. Any variety of bok choy works. If you use a large variety of bok choy, be sure to chop it smaller so it cooks faster.
• Soy sauce: I always use a low-sodium soy sauce, or Tamari. I also like Shoyu which is a Japanese-style soy sauce. If you happen to have dark soy sauce, add 1/2 a teaspoon. It doesn’t not have much flavour but gives a lovely deep colour to the stir fry.
• Rice Vinegar: For a bit of tang.
• Shaoxing wine: This is a Chinese rice wine. It is a key ingredient that helps add that authentic restaurant flavour you may have found difficult to replicate at home. If you can’t find it, or prefer not to use it, you can replace it with mirin, dry sherry, fish sauce, or simply use water.
• Sweetener: For the sweet component I use coconut sugar. Feel free to use cane sugar, brown sugar, honey, maple syrup, or any other sweetener of your choice.
• Toasted cashews and sesame seeds: These are optional but I love the bit of crunch. You can use peanuts, if you prefer.

Variations

• Add more veggies: This book choy tofu stir fry would be great with the addition of more veggies. Try adding shiitake mushrooms, bell peppers, bean sprouts, and/or snow peas.

• Replace the bok choy: Napa cabbage, chard, or kale, would be a great alternatives to bok choy.

• Use a different protein. I love that his recipe is plant-based but if you wish you could use chicken instead of tofu.
• Add shallots: It’s a little more work, but I love shallots in a stir-fry. Add two shallots sliced thinly, and sauté with the garlic and ginger.

How to Make Tofu And Bok Choy Stir-Fry

TIP: As with most stir-fry recipes, make sure to prep all the ingredients beforehand. The cooking part goes very quickly so you need to have everything ready to go. If you’re serving with a side dish, such as rice, you can make it while the tofu bakes.

Cooking the tofu and bok choy str-fry is super simple. Here is how:

1. Bake the cubed, marinated tofu.
2. Sauté the bok choy for 3 minutes, then transfer to a plate .
3. Add the crispy tofu to the pan along with ginger, garlic, scallions, and thai chilis.
4. Pour in the sauce and give everything a good stir.
5. Add the bok choy and toss until warmed through and coated in sauce.
6. Serve topped with toasted cashews and sesame seeds, if using.

Frequently Asked Questions

Serving Suggestions

We love this tofu and bok choy stir-fry served over coconut rice. It would also be delicious with plain white rice, brown rice, noodles or quinoa.

For a low carb option, you can serve the stir-fry with cauliflower rice.

Storing Suggestions

This tofu and bok choy stir-fry will have the best texture and flavours when served immediately. That said, I am giddy when there are leftovers for lunch the next day.

• To store: Place leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
• To reheat: For best results, reheat in a saucepan over medium heat, until just warmed through.

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