Lemon and Toasted Garlic Tofu (Vegan Recipe)

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This vegan Lemon and Toasted Garlic recipe is packed full of flavour! I served my lemon garlic tofu with rice but it’s also delicious with noodles. I love garlic so the crispy toasted garlic that I topped this with is perfect for garlic-lovers.

TOASTED GARLIC

I toasted the garlic on a pan before adding it onto the sauce, which helped it release a lot more flavour and also added that crunch!

THE LEMON AND GARLIC SAUCE

You can also use the sauce recipe for other stir-fries and even for noodles!

PREPARING THE TOFU

Drain water from the tofu by wrapping them in paper towels and then placing a heavy flat surface (a board or plate) on top of each. Leave for 15 minutes until water has been absorbed by the towels. You can also opt to use a tofu press.

Once dry, slice tofu into 1-inch cubes.
Sprinkle the salt on the tofu cubes then add the cornstarch. Coat the tofu well.
In the same pan used for the garlic, add more oil. Pan-fry the tofu cubes until crisp and golden. You will need to turn around the tofu cubes to get them crisp on all sides.
Take out the tofu from the pan.

COOKING THE LEMON GARLIC TOFU

I then sautéed some bell peppers and onions in a large pan. Afterwards, I added back in the pan-fried tofu and then poured in the lemon garlic sauce before leaving it to thicken.

SERVE AND ENJOY YOUR TOFU

I enjoyed this tofu with some steamed Japanese rice for a really satisfying meal.

If you make this recipe, please tag me on my Facebook or Instagram and use the hashtag #thefoodietakesflight 🙂

Get the recipe below. Enjoy!

OTHER TOFU RECIPES YOU MIGHT LOVE:

Check out my tips on how to store tofu!

Lemon and Toasted Garlic Tofu

Jeeca

5 from 4 votes

This vegan Lemon and Toasted Garlic recipe is packed full of flavour! They're crispy pieces of tofu coated in a really aromatic and tangy sauce. Perfect served over rice for a hearty meal! Can be prepared in a big batch for meal prep too.

You can also check out the video below for more saucy tofu recipe ideas!

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 20

Total Time 35

Course Main Course

Cuisine Asian, Chinese

Servings

Calories 365 kcal

Ingredients

1 lb extra firm tofu
2 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp salt for tofu
4 tbsp oil for pan-frying
2 tbsp minced garlic –1.5 tbsp for the sauce, the remaining for topping later on
1 small red bell pepper sliced
1 small onion sliced
More lemon for squeezing
Chopped spring onion for topping

Sauce

2 tbsp lemon juice from 1 small lemon
3 tbsp coconut sugar or other sugar adjust depending on desired sweetness
1-2 tbsp soy sauce plus more to taste as needed
1.5 tbsp toasted garlic see cooking steps below
3/4 cup vegetable broth or room temp water
1/4-1/2 tsp salt to taste
1 tbsp cornstarch

For Serving

Cooked rice for serving (I used steamed Japanese rice)

Instructions

Toasted Garlic and Sauce

See photos above.
In a pan, heat 2 tbsp of oil. Add in the minced garlic and cook over medium heat until the garlic is golden brown and crisp. Remove garlic and set aside. Leave to cool for a few minutes. No need to wash this pan, as you'll be using this for the tofu too.
Mix all the ingredients for the sauce in a bowl until sugar is diluted. Set aside.

Preparing the Tofu

Drain water from the tofu by wrapping them in paper towels and then placing a heavy flat surface (a board or plate) on top of each. Leave for 15 minutes until water has been absorbed by the towels. You can also opt to use a tofu press.
Once dry, slice tofu into 1-inch cubes.
Sprinkle the salt on the tofu cubes then add the cornstarch. Coat the tofu well.
In the same pan used for the garlic, add more oil. Pan-fry the tofu cubes until crisp and golden. You will need to turn around the tofu cubes to get them crisp on all sides.
Take out the tofu from the pan.

Cooking the tofu

Add some oil then sauté the onion and bell peppers until tender.
Add in the cooked tofu. Mix the sauce well again (to make sure the cornstarch isn’t sitting at the bottom of the bowl). Pour the sauce in the tofu.
Turn up heat and continue to mix until the sauce starts to thicken. Leave to cook for a few more minutes. Season with more salt, to taste (if desired). Turn off heat and serve with some rice.
Top with more garlic and chopped spring onions + squeeze more lemon juice, if desired. Enjoy while hot! You can also check out the video below for more saucy tofu recipe ideas!

WATCH Video

NUTRITIONAL INFO

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?Please leave a rating or comment and share a photo on Instagram, and tag me @thefoodietakesflight or use #thefoodietakesflight 🙂

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This Post Has 2 Comments

Laura January 13, 2023 Reply

This was my first time making a tofu recipe and we all loved it. The flavors were fantastic together and my tofu was firm. I wrapped it in a clean dish towel on a lipped plate and put a cast iron pan on top for 2 hours. It really worked! I’ll make this again!
1. Jeeca January 13, 2023 Reply
  
  Hi Laura, so happy you liked it. Thanks so much for giving it a try!! ◡̈

5 from 4 votes (3 ratings without comment)

Hello there!

I’m Jeeca, a food content creator and recipe developer passionate about creating easy yet tasty and flavour-packed vegan recipes. I share a lot of Asian recipes inspired by my travels and those I grew up enjoying.