Real talk: Tofu deserves way, way more credit. If you only think of it as a bland meat alternative with no real advantages beyond its “healthy” reputation, you’re seriously missing out. And we want to change that—starting with this list of 10 high-protein tofu-based meal suggestions that showcase tofu’s full potential.
There are a bunch of reasons why tofu is such a worthy addition to your diet. Up first: Its nutritional value. Not only is this soybean product rich in important minerals like calcium and iron, it’s also “a great source of plant-based protein,” Thanh Thanh Nguyen, MS, RDN, a registered dietitian at Mendinground Nutrition, tells SELF. In fact, it’s one of the few plant-based complete proteins—a.k.a. one that delivers all nine of the amino acids your body can’t make on its own. This makes it an amazing meat substitute for vegans, vegetarians, or simply anyone who’s not feeling especially carnivorous. Protein, of course, is so vital because it plays an integral role in keeping you full after a meal and building muscle, among other benefits.
Putting aside the nutrition stuff, tofu is also extremely versatile, according to Nguyen. Because it doesn’t have much flavor on its own, it’s adept at absorbing flavors from other ingredients, making it super fun and easy to cook with. “You can make it taste like anything you want it to by seasoning it well, so it’s very flexible,” Nguyen says. What’s more, tofu comes in a range of textures, all of which have different culinary uses. “If you’ve been to an Asian grocery store, you will see that there are various degrees of firmness and softness with tofu,” Nguyen says—from the silken type (which is soft and wobbly) to the extra-firm kind (which is tougher and retains its shape even when cut). “There’s just so many different varieties of tofu that you can definitely play around with it and incorporate it in a lot of different recipes,” Vincci Tsui, RD, a certified intuitive eating counselor based in Canada, tells SELF.
To highlight tofu’s impressive protein content and culinary range, we rounded up a bunch of tofu-centric cooking hacks—not actual recipes, to be clear, but suggestions for incorporating the ingredient into your daily meals and snacks that’ll satisfy your palate and your stomach (and hopefully help dispel preconceived notions about this underappreciated food item). Read on for everything you need to know to take a plain block of tofu from boring to exciting.
And just one last note before we dive in: Remember, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. If you don’t see anything to your liking on this list, you can always fall back on tried-and-true tofu recipes and cooking methods. Tofu has been a staple food in East Asia for millennia, so there are plenty of hearty tofu-centric recipes already in existence (putting in a good word for mapo tofu here!).
1. Swap it in for eggs in your morning scramble.
Thanks to its malleable consistency and mild flavor, extra-firm tofu makes a strong egg substitute, so a tofu scramble is a great option for a plant-based spin on the real thing, Nguyen says. To add some extra bulk, mix in veggies (Nguyen prefers spinach, peas, and onions, but you can try garlic, zucchini, and peppers instead for a more Mediterranean flavor profile). Finally, season away to punch up the flavor one last time before digging in. “I put fish sauce in everything that I cook, and tofu is no exception,” Nguyen says. Meanwhile, “Turmeric not only adds a lot of antioxidants, but it also gives a nice golden color.”
2. Make a plant-based burger patty.
If you’re not sold on Impossible Burgers and black bean patties, you can always try a tofu-based alternative. Similar to the scramble tip above, you’ll want to use firm or extra-firm tofu as your base, according to Nguyen. Just crumble it up, mix it with other ingredients (like chopped carrots and peas), form it into that familiar hockey-puck patty shape, and start cookin’. “You can even add shrimp or fish or other kinds of protein in there,” Nguyen says. Or, coat it with a light breading made of flour and egg and fry it up “to add a bit more flavor to the outside of the patty,” she adds.
3. Use it as a filling in a salad roll.
For this meal suggestion, Tsui recommends smoked tofu, which adds some depth and richness to the overall flavor. Cut a block of smoked tofu into strips, layer them with other ingredients like lettuce, vermicelli, and Thai basil (or cilantro if that’s what you have available), and wrap the whole thing in translucent rice paper. If you’re feeling fancy or have a little more time on your hands, quick pickled carrots, in-season mangoes, and microgreens or alfalfa sprouts “can be really nice, too,” Tsui says.
4. Bake it into a crispy topping.
Start by soaking a block of firm or extra-firm tofu in a marinade, according to Tsui. Sometimes, people will do a mix of soy and honey, she says. Once your block has had sufficient time to percolate, cut it into cubes, pop the cubes in the oven until they start to crisp up (here’s a handy guide!), and then sprinkle them on top of salads and other dishes to add some crunch and flavor (and, of course, boost the protein content). Per Tsui, this is an excellent tofu-based starter dish—it’ll help acclimate you to the unique taste and texture nibble by nibble. “For people who are newer to tofu, this is probably the easiest thing to do,” she says.
5. Blend it into a smoothie for a thicker texture…
If your smoothies all too often turn out disappointingly thin and watery, a block or two of tofu can help fix that problem. “Not only are you getting that protein boost, but it also gives it a nice, creamy texture,” Tsui says. The “really soft, silken tofu” is ideal since it’s the perfect happy medium, Nguyen says—thick enough to add some bulk, but not so much that it turns your smoothie chunky (ew!). Just keep in mind that the tofu can confer a slight powdery taste along with the thickened texture, so you might want to add a couple more extras to offset the impact—say, your favorite combination of fruit and maybe even some chocolate, according to Nguyen. Chocolate in particular “can help hide that a little bit,” she notes. And who doesn’t love a cocoa-forward smoothie?!
6. …or a dip instead.
Besides shakes and smoothies, tofu can also be blended into dips and sauces to provide some added thickness (and a protein hit to boot), according to Nguyen. (Likewise, make sure to use silken tofu so the final product doesn’t turn out grainy or chunky!). Per Epicurious, your options range from from peanut sauce to pesto. What’s more, silken tofu also makes an excellent vegan substitute for egg yolks in Caesar dressing, or even sour cream and buttermilk in ranch-style dressings. (Hollandaise and mayo, too.)
7. Beef up some fried rice.
Fried rice is delicious on its own, but a block of extra-firm tofu can make this dish significantly more substantial and filling. Toss it with some tofu cubes and veggies of your choice to turn it into a bona fide meal—and don’t hesitate to check out this sesame vegetable fried rice recipe if you need some inspo!
8. Get to stir-frying.
We know this one might seem obvious, but hey—it’s a classic for a reason. Stir-frying is an Asian-origin cooking technique that involves cooking food over high heat in a small amount of oil. You can stir-fry tofu (you’ll want to spring for a firmer variety) alongside pretty much anything—rice, meat, veggies, noodles, et cetera. In terms of veggies, broccoli, onions, and red bell peppers are especially popular choices, according to Harvard Health. For best results, try sprinkling the tofu with a Japanese form of soy sauce known as “tamari” and tossing it with some cornstarch before throwing it in the pan, Harvard Health reports. Still not sure where to start? Here are a couple stir-fry recipe ideas that should help get the wheels turning.
9. Throw together a basic sheet pan meal.
Sheet pan meals have our heart: so simple, substantial, and satisfying. Season some extra-firm tofu with salt, brown sugar, and various spices for a smoky, barbecue-esque flavor and serve with mashed potatoes or rice; prepare it with soy sauce, sesame oil, and peanut butter and place atop a cold cabbage salad; assemble a Chipotle-inspired vegan burrito bowl from roasted tofu, quinoa, black beans, and peppers; or take it in pretty much any other direction you want. For more ideas, hop on over to this list of veggie-rich 18 sheet pan recipes.
10. Whip up a fluffy chocolate mousse.
Remember what we said about chocolate helping to conceal the powdery texture of tofu in smoothies? For the same reason, tofu lends itself extremely well to chocolate mousse, according to Nguyen. When she made tofu chocolate mousse once while teaching a high school cooking class, she was impressed by how well it turned out. “It was very simple, straightforward, very creamy, very smooth, and it’s a tofu-based dessert, so it’s very high in protein, too,” she says. Simply blend your ingredients together (that’ll be silken tofu, melted dark chocolate, and potentially others like salt, sugar, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and almond milk, depending on the recipe you’re following), transfer the mixture into a container or containers, place in the fridge to firm up, and eat once solidified.
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