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Szechuan Tofu and Veggies! A flavorful vegan stir-fry with crispy tofu, szechuan sauce, and loaded up with healthy vegetables! Quick, easy and flavorful!!! Not vegan? Make this with shrimp or chicken! Video included. Looking for more? Check out our 50+ Amazing Tofu Recipes!
Remember the Szechuan Sauce from the Szechuan Chicken and Brussels Sprouts Recipe a while back? Well here it is again, but this time used as a stir-fry sauce in this recipe for Szechuan Tofu and Veggies!
The best part is, if you are not a fan of tofu- you absolutely will be, by the time you try this! Haha! 😉 But if you still don’t want to go down the tofu route – feel free to sub shrimp (amazingly good!) chicken or beef, prepared exactly the same way – so simple and easy! A fast and easy dinner.
Szechuan Tofu and Veggies! | 30-second video
This version of Szechuan Sauce has Szechuan Peppercorns in it (but if you don’t have them, don’t fret. Just use black pepper or peppercorns).
The szechuan peppercorns give the sauce a really authentic “zingy-ness” that is hard to replicate, but it also tastes great without.
Pan sear the tofu with oil, salt and pepper. Feel free to use a wok or skillet! Take your time here and get it golden and crispy!
Then saute a bunch of veggies! I like cabbage, carrots, mushrooms and peppers and something green like asparagus or green beans….up to you!
Add a few hot chilies if you like, then finally add the the Szechuan Sauce and cook for couple of minutes, then add the tofu!
Divide over rice, noodles, zucchini noodles or just on its own, then garnish and you are good to go!
Tasty healthy Szechuan Tofu and Veggies! So much flavor here!
xoxo
More recipes you may like!
- 50+ Amazing Tofu Recipes
- Moo Shu Tofu
- Black Garlic Tofu
- Black Pepper Tofu with Bok Choy
- Tofu Green Bean Stir Fry
- Indian Cauliflower, Chickpea & Tofu Bowls
Szechuan Tofu and Veggies
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 15mins
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 2 1x
- Category: vegan, adaptable, tofu, stir-fry
- Method: stir-fry
- Cuisine: Chinese
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Szechuan Tofu and Veggies! A flavorful vegan stir-fry with crispy tofu, szechuan sauce and loaded up with healthy vegetables! Quick, easy and flavorful!!!
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup Szechuan Sauce ( store-bought or make your own- see notes below) and more to taste! (please multiply if doubling or tripling the recipe) See notes.
- 8–12 ounces tofu, patted dry and cubed (or sub shrimp or chicken cubes)
- 2 tablespoons peanut oil or high heat oil
- generous pinch salt and pepper
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced onion
- 4 ounces sliced mushrooms (optional)
- 2 cups shredded cabbage (or shredded brussels, or shredded broccoli)
- 1 cup shredded carrots or matchstick
- 1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 cup asparagus, snap peas, or green beans
- optional: 6-8 small dried red Chinese or Arbol chilies
- garnish: scallions, sesame seeds, chili flakes
Serve this on its own, over rice or over soba noodles or zucchini noodles.
Instructions
- Make the Szechuan sauce, set aside.
- Heat oil in a skillet. Season oil generously with salt and pepper. With tofu, I generally use ½ teaspoon kosher salt per ½ pound of tofu. Swirl the seasoned oil around until spread out uniformly. Add tofu and sear on at least two sides, until crispy and golden. Be patient here. Set aside.
- To the same pan, add a little more oil if needed, onion, and mushrooms and sauté over medium-high heat – stirring constantly, until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the remaining veggies, add the dried red chilies if you like -and lower heat to medium, and sauté, tossing & stirring for 3-5 minutes until just tender or al dente. Tender, but vibrant and still slightly crisp!
- Add the Szechuan Sauce, starting with ¼ cup and adding more to taste. If you are cooking more than one batch, you’ll need to multiply the sauce accordingly. Cook the sauce 2 minutes, letting it thicken a bit. Toss in the crispy tofu ( or shrimp or chicken) right at the end, just to warm it up.
- Divide among bowls. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and scallions. Add chili flakes for more heat.
- Serve this just as it is, or over rice, or noodles… and remember, do not eat the dried chilis!
Notes
Prepare the shrimp and chicken the same way as the tofu ( using less salt for the shrimp), pan searing first, then set aside.
- ½ -1 teaspoon Szechuan Peppercorns (or sub black peppercorns)
- 1/4 cup soy sauce ( of Gluten-Free Liquid Aminos) see notes.
- 3 tablespoons honey (or sub maple syrup, coconut sugar, brown sugar or sugar alternative)
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar (or black vinegar)
- 1 tablespoon Chinese cooking wine (shaoxing) or mirin (both optional)
- 3 garlic cloves, finely minced (use a garlic press)
- 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, finely minced ( or use ginger paste)
- 1 tablespoon garlic chili paste (or sambal oelek) more for more spicy or sub 1 teaspoon chili flakes
- ½ teaspoon Chinese Five Spice
- optional- 2-3 teaspoons cornstarch, to thicken.
Szechuan sauce Instructions
- Toast szechuan peppercorns in a hot dry skillet over medium heat, until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Crush.
- Place all ingredients in a medium bowl or small jar and whisk until well combined.
- Whisk in optional cornstarch.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: - With tofu - Add 2 servings of Szechuan Sauce ( ¼ cup)
- Calories: 307
- Sugar: 11.9 g
- Sodium: 368.4 mg
- Fat: 20.3 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 23.9 g
- Fiber: 7 g
- Protein: 14.2 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Keywords: szechuan stir fry , szechuan vegetable stir fry, szechuan tofu, szechwan sauce, szechuan shrimp, szechuan beef, szechuan stirfry, szechuan recipe, szechuan veggiess recipe
★★★★★
This was easy and delicious, and I loved the Szechuan sauce! It would be much easier if the ingredients and recipe for the sauce were listed on this same page, though! I didn’t realize until starting to cook that I didn’t have all the sauce ingredients and had to do a quick grocery run. But it was worth it!
★★★★★
Thanks for pointing that out Amanda! I added the recipe to the notes! Glad it was worth it. 🙂
Made with tofu, broccoli, red bell pepper, shiitake and oyster mushrooms. Absolute perfection.
★★★★★
Great to hear Andrea!
I forgot to add the stars!
So delicious!
Thank you Sylvia!
★★★★★
Thanks so much!
Very yummy recipe!
I heated it up for leftovers with brown jasmine rice!
I didn’t make the Schezuan sauce. I will next time!
I found an organic one that was good!
Kudos to you!!
Great Suzan!
What a beautiful, healthy, and delicious dinner!! Cooking tofu this way has been a game changer for me. Thank you for another winning recipe!
★★★★★
So happy you enjoyed this!
So delicious – My tofu did not look as pretty as yours, of course, but everything was so good. I will definitely make this again.
★★★★★
Awesome! Thanks CheriDe!
This was a home run! Sylvia, your notes are so helpful. The one about being patient when cooking the tofu was key. Thank you!
Yay! Yes this method of cooking tofu is a game changer!
YUM!
★★★★★
Thanks Heather!
Delicious. The only thing I did differently is I coated the tofu in a bit of corn starch before cooking it. Made it more crispy. Thank you for a great recipe!
★★★★★
Perfect Denise!
Took me much longer than 15 minutes to prep. There’s a lot of slicing, etc! Family loved it, though. Definitely will make again.
★★★★★
Thanks Karisa!
LOVE this recipe. My husband and I have this for dinner at least once or twice a week and load it up with as many veggies as we can. Delicious.
★★★★★
Great to hear!
Just ridiculously fresh, healthy, and so tasty- and such a gorgeous presentation!!
★★★★★
I’m so happy you enjoyed this Lynn!