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This Steamed Tofu with Soy Garlic Sauce is simple but packed full of flavour from the delicious aromatic sauce. Steaming tofu is one of our go-to ways to prepare tofu at home whenever we’re having congee or just want a hearty side to enjoy with rice and other viands. The sauce is easily customisable and you can of course adjust everything depending on your preferred taste.
PREPARING THE TOFU
- Drain any excess water form the package of tofu. Carefully remove the tofu from the packaging by flipping it over to a plate. I recommend to use a footed heat proof plate or dish that can withstand high temperatures (oven/microwave-safe).
- Slice the tofu into 1/2 to 1-inch (1.25 to 2.5 cm) thick pieces. Allow it to sit while you prepare the sauce.
SOY GARLIC SAUCE
For the sauce, I mixed together the following:
- 2-3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp black vinegar
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp vegetarian oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp sugar adjust depending one desired sweetness
- 1/2 tbsp chili oil optional for spice
Feel free to adjust to your taste. You can see the full recipe in the card below!
STEAMING THE SILKEN TOFU
- Drain any excess liquid that can seep out from the tofu.
- Prepare your steamer or a pan. I simply used a pan, added some water, and placed my footed serving dish over the water on the pan. I covered the pan and left the water to boil until it creates a good steam.
- Leave the tofu to steam for 8-10 minutes.
- Afterwards, carefully remove the dish from the pan. Be sure to use kitchen mittens since the plate will be hot. Remove excess water from the tofu.
POUR THE SAUCE AND ENJOY YOUR TOFU! 🙂
You can also check out my other vegan tofu recipes here or down below:
Check out my tips on how to store tofu!
- Baked Peanut and Lime Tofu
- Kung Pao Tofu
- Maple Hoisin Tofu
- Pineapple Cashew Tofu Stir-Fry
- Crispy Salt and Pepper Tofu
- Black Pepper Tofu Steaks
- Tofu “Chicken” Teriyaki
- Korean Spicy Braised Tofu
- Fried ‘Chicken’ and Gravy
- Tofu Katsu
Steamed Silken Tofu with Soy Garlic Sauce
This Steamed Silken Tofu with Soy Garlic Sauce is simple but packed full of flavour from the delicious aromatic sauce. Steaming tofu is one of our go-to ways to prepare tofu at home whenever we’re having congee or just want a hearty side to enjoy with rice and other viands. The sauce is easily customisable and you can of course adjust everything depending on your preferred taste.
Ingredients
Silken Tofu
- 1 lb block silken tofu 450 g (see notes)
Soy Garlic Sauce
- 2-3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp black vinegar
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp vegetarian oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp sugar adjust depending one desired sweetness
- 1/2 tbsp chili oil optional for spice
For Garnish
- Chopped spring onions or green onions
- Chopped coriander/cilantro
Instructions
- Drain any excess water form the package of tofu. Carefully remove the tofu from the packaging by flipping it over to a plate. I recommend to use a footed heat proof plate or dish that can withstand high temperatures (oven/microwave-safe).
- Slice the tofu into 1/2 to 1-inch (1.25 to 2.5 cm) thick pieces. Allow it to sit while you prepare the sauce.
- For the sauce, simply mix everything into a bowl. The sauce will be quite generous because you want it to soak the tofu.
- Drain any excess liquid that can seep out from the tofu.
- Prepare your steamer or a pan. I simply used a pan, added some water, and placed my footed serving dish over the water on the pan. I covered the pan and left the water to boil until it creates a good steam.
- Leave the tofu to steam for 8-10 minutes.
- Afterwards, carefully remove the dish from the pan. Be sure to use kitchen mittens since the plate will be hot. Remove excess water from the tofu.
- Pour over the sauce, garnish the tofu, and enjoy your tofu while it’s hot. You can enjoy this as a hearty side/starter, with rice, congee/porridge, with noodles, or even as-is.
WATCH Video
Notes
Silken Tofu
- If you’re using silken tofu in a tube, simply remove the tofu from the tube and slice it into thick 1” (2.5 cm) pieces.
NUTRITIONAL INFO
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 264kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Sodium: 1264mg | Potassium: 464mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 83mg | Iron: 2mg
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This Post Has 23 Comments
Beautiful recipe. Love the steaming technique.
Thanks Lucie 🙂
This was so good, I almost can’t believe it. Definitely going to be making it again asap. I added a bit of minced ginger as well.
Nice and simple recipe ! Can we try this with firm tofu ? Thanks
You can but of course the texture will be different ◡̈
So yummy ! It’s so difficult to choose which recipes of yours to try because they all look delicious! I think I’ll try one new recipe of yours each week.
Thanks so much Thishka! Let me know which ones you try next time!! ◡̈
I love your recipes but I have never steamed silken tofu in the past. My tofu didn’t hold up after I sliced so I’m wondering if I did something wrong or if this is what to expect? Loved the flavor of your sauce and I could ret they all day long. I actually made a double portion and used the leftover as stir-fry sauce. Perfect flavors!
Hi Ida! Some silken tofu brands really don’t hold up well unfortunately 🙁 it’s usually a hit or miss for me too. I have better luck with some and I take note of which brand I get and get that one in the future. I find that korean silken tofu/sundubu holds up really well but it really depends too. If you’re having trouble with broken silken tofu during steaming, you can steam the whole block and just pour the sauce over. I hope this helps! ◡̈
Looks amazing! Is there a way to steam the tofu in the microwave?
The tofu already has water so you can just cover the plate/bowl and microwave for 1-2 minutes. The tofu will most likely release excess water so you can drain that before pouring the sauce. ◡̈
I have made this recipe almost 10 times now. It is absolutely phenomenal and I highly recommend giving it a try!
Yay thank you Rachel! ◡̈
Thank you for this satisfying dish. It’s a winner! Will definitely cook again and again as we transition into a more plant-based diet. Thanks, Jeeca and keep cooking!!
Aw thank you so much Felichi! Hope you liked it!! ◡̈
Yum! I honestly have made this at least once every few weeks since you posted it, so yummy. Thank you from England x
Thank you so much Katie! So happy you like it ◡̈
Do you leave the minced garlic raw in the sauce?
Yes I do 🙂
could I sub the black vinegar for rice wine vinegar instead?
Hi Sara, yes you can! Flavor will be a bit different but should add a nice acidity too 🙂
Hi Jeeca, I haven’t made this recipe yet but I’m really looking forward to trying it. Is it okay to make a larger batch of the sauce for later use? If so, how long can you store it in the fridge? Also, can you replace the soy sauce with liquid aminos?
Thank you,
Patti
Hi Patti, yes you can make a big batch of the sauce for future use. I’d store it in the fridge for 3-5 days and leave it at room temp when ready to use. And yes liquid aminos works too. I’d taste accordingly since you may need to add more to taste. Hope this helps and let me know when you get to try it 🙂