Whenever I crave a savory dish, I think about the sauce first. Since I’m an avid sauce loving, dipping person, I usually plan a meal around the sauce, and then it all comes together. My Peanut Thai Dressing, without a doubt, makes one of the best marinade for tofu. So, tonight, I made tofu with peanut sauce for dinner.
Because I planned on grilling the tofu with peanut sauce, I marinaded it overnight, reserving the rest of the sauce for the vegetables and rice I intended for a bowl. Bowl meals are so easy to throw together in minimal time.
WHAT INGREDIENTS ARE NEEDED FOR THE PEANUT THAI DRESSING?
- Homemade peanut butter, almond butter (or peanut butter of choice) or PBfit Peanut Butter Powder
- Lime juice
- Rice vinegar
- Soy sauce (low sodium) or Tamari
- Pure maple syrup or agave nectar
- Grated fresh ginger root
- Red pepper flakes (optional)
- Water
VARIATIONS FOR HEALTHIER PEANUT SAUCE
- If the peanut sauce feels too thick, thin it with water until you reach your preferred consistency.
- In order to add a spicier kick to the peanut Thai dressing, add more red chili flakes to taste.
- For a healthy peanut Thai dressing, use all-natural peanut butter with no added sugar.
- And, if you want a lower-fat peanut Thai dressing, use PBfit Peanut Butter Powder.
HOW TO PRESS TOFU
First, carefully remove the tofu from the package, discarding the fluid from the package.
Then, place the tofu in the middle of the tofu press and turn both knobs equally about four turns. I usually place the tofu press in the sink on its side, but for this visual post, I placed it on a plate to drain.
- Turn the knobs every two minutes, equally until you have the end result (the last picture).
- Most people stop here…NOT YET. Keep turning until the knobs are screwed as far as they can to almost touch the end like this:
- Now, remove the press from the plate, and I give it another press with some paper towel for excess fluid removal.
MARINATING THE TOFU WITH PEANUT SAUCE
Once the peanut sauce is blended, the extra-firm tofu should be pressed before marinating. To avoid this step, chose sprouted tofu which doesn’t require pressing. However, make sure to dry the sprouted tofu and cut into 4 equal-sized pieces prior to marinating.
Although I prefer to grill my tofu, baking and air-frying are also an option.
GRILLING INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the grill to low
- Place a grill mat on the grill (you can also use a grill pan, or if you are careful, you can place the tofu directly on the grill.
- Cook for about 8 minutes on each side
- Remove from the grill and place back in the marinade until ready to use.
- Then, cut it into strips or cubes
BAKING TOFU IS JUST AS EASY
- Simply follow the same pressing and marinating process.
- Then, preheat oven to 400 degrees
- Place cut or uncut tofu on a silicone baking mat or parchment paper
- Cook for 15 minutes
- Remove from oven and flip tofu over; cook for an additional 15 minutes.
AIR-FRYING TOFU
- Simply follow the same pressing and marinating process.
- Set air fryer temperature at 375 degrees
- Cook 10-15 minutes, shaking the basket a couple of times through the cooking process
WHAT TO SERVE TOFU WITH PEANUT SAUCE
Even though tofu with peanut sauce can be eaten with a fork and knife, I decided to make a bowl instead.
Regardless of my love for grilled tofu, nothing tastes better in a bowl than a ton of vegetables and some brown rice.
- Onion
- Garlic
- Mushrooms
- Broccoli
- Red Bell Pepper
- Asparagus
- Brown Rice
As a general rule, I always make brown rice in advance and reheat it for s variety of recipes for the week. Using my wok , I stir fried the vegetables in a little vegetable broth (no oil). Then, I built my tofu with peanut sauce bowl.
Next, I drizzled additional peanut sauce over the vegetables and rice and topped with Thai Basil leaves (one of my favorite garnishes).
IF YOU LOVE TOFU, GIVE THESE RECIPES A TRY!
- Korean Tofu
- Tofu Salad
- Tofu Burger
- Orange Tofu Recipe
- Tofu Skewers
- Tofu Tacos
- Jerk Tofu
- BBQ Tofu
- Tofu Banh Mi
- Tofu Feta Cheese
Tofu with Peanut Sauce
Tofu with peanut sauce is marinated in a Thai peanut dressing and grilled to perfection. Perfect for a bowl, stir fry, sandwich or as a meal on its own, tofu with peanut sauce is savory and delicious.
Ingredients
Peanut Sauce and Marinade
Tofu
- 1 14 ounce package extra-firm or sprouted tofu (pressed and cut into 4 equal sized pieces)
Bowl Ingredients
- 1 white onions, cut into thin slivers
- 2 cloves garlic
- 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced thin
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
- 1/2 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 head broccoli, cut into florets
- 3 cups brown rice, cooked
Instructions
Peanut Sauce/Tofu
- Combine the ingredients in a high-speed blender
- Press tofu and cut into 4 equal-sized pieces.
- Add a small amount of peanut sauce in the base of a refrigerator safe container.
- Add two slabs of tofu, a little more sauce, and more tofu, topped with more sauce.
- Reserve the rest of the sauce for later use.
- Cover and marinate tofu overnight
GRILLING INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the grill to low
- Place a grill mat on the grill (you can also use a grill pan, or if you are careful, you can place the tofu directly on the grill.
- Cook for about 8 minutes on each side
- Remove from the grill and place back in the marinade until ready to use.
- Then, cut it into strips or cubes
BAKING TOFU IS JUST AS EASY
- Simply follow the same pressing and marinating process.
- Then, preheat oven to 400 degrees
- Place cut or uncut tofu on a silicone baking mat or parchment paper
- Cook for 15 minutes
- Remove from oven and flip tofu over; cook for an additional 15 minutes.
AIR-FRYING TOFU
- Simply follow the same pressing and marinating process.
- Set air fryer temperature at 375 degrees
- Cook 10-15 minutes, shaking the basket a couple of times through the cooking process
MAKING THE BOWL
- In a wok, using a little vegetable broth, saute the garlic and onions until the onions are translucent.
- Then, add the mushrooms and cook until brown.
- Turn the heat up to medium high.
- Next, add the asparagus and red bell peppers
- Stir fry for a few minutes, and then add the broccoli florets
- Cook for severals minutes until the broccoli is cooked.
- Reheat brown rice and place a 1/2 cup in the bottom of each bowl.
- Add a generous portion of stir fried vegetables.
- Now, add 1/6 of the tofu and drizzle with additional peanut sauce.
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Nutrition Information
Yield
6 servingsServing Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 225Total Fat 4gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 3gCholesterol 0mgSodium 51mgCarbohydrates 36gFiber 7gSugar 5gProtein 13g
Nutrition facts may not be 100% accurate.
