Salt & Pepper Tofu

I came up with this salt & pepper tofu recipe after eating something very similar at my local Thai restaurant. The tofu has a crispy exterior and soft middle – and the lemon and salt pair so well with the fresh coriander (cilantro) and red bell peppers (capsicum).

I submitted this salt & pepper tofu recipe to VegWeb.com back in April and just realized that they finally posted it earlier this month. I guess there’s a bit of a back-log over there, which is understandable considering the massive amount of recipes and info that they publish. I’m excited to have my first recipe on VegWeb and hopefully the feedback there is good. Of course, I also look forward to reading your comments below!

Recipe Notes – Salt & Pepper Tofu

  • As per the recipe notes below, it’s really important to use the right kind of tofu for this recipe. You want it to be “silken” and “extra-firm” (simply “firm” is too flimsy). It usually comes in a molded plastic container.
  • I usually just eat this as-is, but you could bulk it up with rice to make it stretch further.
  • Cut the tofu into larger squares, and use them as awesome sandwich fillings.
  • Cut the tofu into strips, and use them to fill tacos or wraps.
  • If you enjoy this recipe and/or these flavours, be sure try my deconstructed version of this dish: Elegant Salt & Pepper Tofu with Cilantro Pesto and Red Pepper Coulis.
Salt & Pepper Tofu (Vegan & Gluten-Free)

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Salt & Pepper Tofu

This salt & pepper tofu recipe features red bell peppers (capsicum) and cilantro (fresh coriander). It’s vegan and naturally gluten-free!

  • Author: Angela @ Vegangela.com
  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 10 mins
  • Total Time: 20 mins
  • Yield: 2 1x
  • Category: Main
  • Cuisine: Asian

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1/2 cup cornstarch
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp Ener-G Egg Replacer
  • 2 tbsp water
  • 1 lemon
  • 1 pound silken extra firm tofu*, cut into triangles or small rectangles
  • 1 red bell pepper (capsicum), cut into long strips
  • 1 large white onion, sliced
  • 1 green onion, chopped
  • 1 bunch fresh coriander (cilantro), chopped
  • Vegetable oil, for frying

Instructions

  1. In a medium-sized bowl, mix the cornstarch, salt, pepper and garlic powder.
  2. In another bowl, mix the vegan egg, water and juice of 1/2 the lemon.
  3. Dip the tofu in the vegan egg mixture and then into the cornstarch mixture. Set on a plate and set aside.
  4. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Sauté the red bell pepper, white and green onions until cooked but still crunchy, a few minutes.
  5. While the veggies are cooking,heat 2 tbsp of oil over medium-high heat in another frying pan. Fry tofu until golden brown on both sides.
  6. Divide the veggies onto 2 plates, top with tofu and sprinkle generously with cilantro. Serve with lemon wedges.

Notes

It’s really important to use the right kind of tofu for this recipe. You want it to be “silken” and “extra-firm” (simply “firm” is too flimsy). It usually comes in a molded plastic container.

Keywords: salt, pepper, tofu

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9 thoughts on “Salt & Pepper Tofu”

  1. THANK YOU for sharing this recipe! Whenever I see this on a menu, I order it. But now I make it at home all the time. It’s perfect with an extra squeeze of fresh lemon. Mmm!

    Reply
  2. I can finally make my favorite Thai takeaway dish at home. Thank you! I made this last night and it was perfect — even better than the restaurant!

    Reply
  3. I attempted to make this as I LOVE Salt and Pepper tofu but it all stuck together in the pan and turned into a ball of mush! The flavours were perfect nonetheless but it was just bit difficult to eat.

    I am new to using tofu in receipts, should I drain/squeeze it before hand?

    Reply
    • Hi Maddison – Thanks for taking the time to comment. I’m really sorry to hear that this didn’t work out for you.

      You definitely can’t drain or squeeze silken tofu. It’s too mushy (not like regular firm tofu).

      Having said that, did you use firm AND silken tofu? Was there enough oil in the pan when you were frying the tofu? I guess because it’s silken tofu, you have to be more gentle with it than you would be with regular tofu. You should just fry one side, then the other, and not try to move the pieces around too much. But if you did all that, then I’m thinking that you didn’t have enough oil in the pan..?

      Another option would be to use A LOT of oil and drop the tofu into it so you’re deep-frying the whole thing and it is suspended in oil and has no chance of sticking to anything. You may only be able to do a few pieces at a time this way, but it would ensure even cooking and no sticking. You could drain the tofu on paper towels before serving.

      Anyway, let me know if you try it again and if it works out for you. It’s one of my favorite recipes so I hope it works out for you!!

      Reply
    • I figured it out! You need to use extra-firm silken tofu – not just firm. I made the same mistake tonight and it was all mush. I’m updating the post now. SO sorry about that!!

      Reply
  4. Made this for our anniversary dinner last week. Served it after a deconstructed Thai tomato soup. Your tofu was a hit; my soup-turned-salad was needs work.

    (p.s. This is Rik’s wife Kim—who suggested the Sarah Kramer mushroom soup recipe, AND who found your site for Easter dinner ideas. I cook; he eats. We’re both happy with that arrangement.)

    Reply
    • Hi Kim!

      First off… “YAY”, I’m so happy to hear that someone has made this (or taken the time to let me know). I was pretty proud when I cracked this recipe. Well,it wasn’t that tough to crack but you know what I mean.

      Thanks SO MUCH for the mushroom soup recommendation. I can’t tell you how many nasty vegan mushroom soups I’ve endured. This is now my new favorite, and I’ll be posting all about it very soon! 🙂

      I have the same arrangement here… it works but I can’t lie, I wouldn’t mind the opposite arrangement now and then, haha! 🙂

      Thanks again for all the support~

      Reply
  5. The same Thai restaurant near me serves theres with other veggies (carrots, onions, etc). Haven’t had your one yet, but boy oh boy is it good!!!!

    Reply

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