This crispy Chinese-inspired orange ginger tofu is made by smothering crispy pan-fried tofu chunks in a sweet, gingery orange sauce.

Often I find the best source of vegetarian cooking inspiration stuffed into my kitchen junk drawer. That would be a Chinese take-out-menu, or rather, one of a half dozen Chinese takeout menus that I’ve acquired in the nearly four years since moving into my current home.

See, while living at my last home, in Philadelphia, I fell in love with the phenomenon known as the Chinese vegetarian restaurant. We had a bunch of these in Philly, and at most of them you could walk in, sit down and be handed what looked like a normal Chinese restaurant menu.

It wasn’t though: everything was vegetarian! So if the menu listed, say, Peking duck, what you’d actually get was some vegetarian version of Peking duck, which could be made from soy, seitan, veggies, beans, or some combination of the foregoing.

I was a little freaked out the first time I tried one of these places, repeatedly confirming with the server that “I would not be served meat…no, there was absolutely no meat in the place…not to worry, this is not meat that I’m eating, despite what my eyes and taste buds might be telling me…”

Eventually I got used to the idea, and eventually I became a regular at my favorite of the Chinese vegetarian places, to the point where they knew to bring the hot sauce to my table right away and not bother asking if I wanted white or brown rice.

I learned a bit from that experience. If they could veganize an entire Chinese menu, I could certainly handle a dish at a time when I was looking for something new to try in the kitchen. There are lots of ways of going about this, but you can generally get away with subbing tofu or seitan in most beef, pork or chicken based dishes. Crispy tofu is probably my favorite approach.

This particular dish is one that I tried out way back when I first started this blog, but initially I wasn’t happy with the sauce. With the beautiful arrays of citrus I’ve been seeing in the markets lately I decided to give it a go again. This time it was awesome.

Tips for Making Awesome Crispy Orange Ginger Tofu

This dish is best served right away. Leftovers will taste good, but the tofu won’t retain its crispness.

Leftovers will taste good, but the tofu won’t retain its crispness. Feel free to substitute your favorite veggies (steamed or stir-fried) for the broccoli.

(steamed or stir-fried) for the broccoli. Want to cut back on the oil? Try cooking the tofu using this method instead.

Try cooking the tofu using this method instead. Want to make this recipe gluten-free? Substitute gluten-free tamari for the soy sauce.

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5 from 4 votes Print Crispy Orange Ginger Tofu with Broccoli This crispy Chinese-inspired orange ginger tofu is made by smothering crispy pan-fried tofu chunks in a sweet, gingery orange sauce. Prep Time 10 minutes Cook Time 20 minutes Total Time 30 minutes Servings 4 Calories 343 kcal Author Alissa Ingredients 1 lb. extra firm tofu

1 cup orange juice

1/4-1/3 cup cornstarch divided

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tbsp. soy sauce

1 tbsp. fresh grated ginger

2 garlic cloves minced

1 tsp. orange zest

1/4 cup vegetable oil (plus more as needed)

2 small broccoli crowns or 1 large broken into florets

2 scallions

sesame seeds

red pepper flakes optional Instructions Drain and then press tofu for 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, in small bowl or cup, dissolve 1 1/2 tbsp. cornstarch in a few tablespoons of your orange juice. Set aside. Place remaining orange juice in a small saucepan, along with brown sugar, soy sauce, ginger, garlic and orange zest. Bring to a low simmer and allow to cook for about 15 minutes. Stir in cornstarch mixture until completely blended. Remove from heat and set aside. Cut tofu into cubes and roll in remaining cornstarch to coat. Coat the bottom of a large skillet with vegetable oil and place over medium-high heat. Add tofu cubes and cook a few minutes on each side, until browned and crispy. Transfer to paper towel to drain. Steam broccoli florets to desired tenderness. Return tofu to skillet, along with broccoli and sauce. Toss everything to coat. Serve over rice, topped with scallions, sesame seeds, and red pepper flakes Recipe Notes Wondering where the broccoli is in the photos? It's on the kitchen counter. Oops! I added it in just before serving and it was delicious as ever, but I wasn't up for retaking the photos at that point. Nutrition Facts Crispy Orange Ginger Tofu with Broccoli Amount Per Serving Calories 343 Calories from Fat 171 % Daily Value* Fat 19g 29% Saturated Fat 3.7g 19% Sodium 282mg 12% Potassium 719mg 21% Carbohydrates 34.6g 12% Fiber 4.7g 19% Sugar 16.9g 19% Protein 13.6g 27% Calcium 230mg 23% Iron 4mg 22% * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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