Easy Garlic Tofu Stir Fry

This easy garlic tofu stir fry is packed with protein and flavour for the perfect weeknight meal. It's ready in just 30 minutes, and it tastes so much better than takeout!

Garlic tofu stir fry is an incredibly delicious easy dinner that features crispy bits of garlicky tofu tossed in a zesty and bright sauce.

Besides being delicious, this garlic tofu recipe is also super easy to make, and you can have an unbelievably tasty stir fry quicker than it would take to order food in.

This veggie stir fry with noodles is also very easy to customize, and you can add just about any veggies you want. It's an excellent blank canvas for lots of stir-fry variations.

If you're a fan of garlic, you'll love this stir-fry, as it has garlic not only in the sauce but also on the crispy tofu.

The garlic and lime make a smashing combination that pairs great with the soy sauce and sesame oil.

And to make things even easier, you can make this easy garlic tofu stir fry with ready-cooked noodles (just make sure they're suitable for vegans!)

Ingredients and substitutions

Extra-firm tofu — I like to press all my tofu, even if it's the extra firm variety. That's the only way to get the right texture and crispiness, especially when baking tofu in the oven.

Soy sauce — Low-sodium soy sauce is a good idea in most stir-fries, but you can use the regular kind if you want. Just make sure you don't add any extra salt.

Garlic — Only use fresh garlic for this tofu veggie stir fry. Garlic paste or powder just won't taste the same.

Sesame oil — Besides infusing the veggies with a distinctive flavour, sesame oil has a high-level smoking point, which makes it perfect for stir-frying.

Spring onions (scallions) — Only the white and light green parts of the spring onions go in the stir fry, but you can chop the green parts and use them as a garnish.

Lime juice — You'll need the juice of a small lime for this sauce. If your limes are particularly big, you can use just half.

Brown sugar — You can use either light or dark brown sugar for this crispy tofu stir fry.

Noodles — I use ready-cooked noodles for this recipe, but you can use your favourite type. You need to check the package carefully, though, as many noodles are not vegan. The Protein Noodles from Tesco are an excellent choice in the UK — you can find them in the ready-meals aisle, in the Asian section.

How do you make garlic tofu stir fry?

Start by making the crispy tofu. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F) and cover a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Add the cubed tofu to a large bowl and mix with the soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic and salt. Toss gently to cover the tofu in sauce. Arrange the tofu bits in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes until crispy, flipping them halfway through.

Meanwhile, make the stir fry. Heat the sesame oil in a wok or a large, deep pan and fry the red pepper for 1-2 minutes on medium heat. Add the white parts of the spring onions and continue to cook for another minute.

Stir in the mushrooms and cook for 4-5 minutes until they're cooked through. While the mushrooms are cooking, mix the soy sauce, lime juice, crushed garlic, brown sugar and water in a small bowl.Add the soy sauce mix to the pan and allow it to bubble for a minute.

Next, stir in the crispy tofu and noodles and toss well to combine.

Serve immediately topped with chopped spring onion and sesame seeds, if you like.

Recipe notes and tips

• Leftovers will keep well in the fridge for up to three days in an airtight container.
• You can add other veggies to this garlic tofu stir fry. Cauliflower, green beans, snap peas, broccoli and bok choy are all great options.
• You can make the tofu in the air fryer instead of the oven. Prepare the tofu as instructed and set the air fryer to 400°F (200°C). Cook for 10 minutes, shaking the air fryer basket halfway through.

If you liked this garlic tofu stir fry, you might also like some of my other easy vegan recipes with tofu:

• Vegan Tofu Massaman Curry
• Crispy Orange Tofu
• Sweet and Sour Tofu
• Vegan Kung Pao Tofu
• Vegan Malaysian Curry
• Easy Vegan Butter Chicken

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