Meat lovers will argue that being a vegan may not be the tastiest choice. Others even believe that vegan dishes are dull, lifeless, and tasteless. However, tofu is one dish that vegans can enjoy.

Hold up!

I know what you’re thinking. Tofu isn’t the most exciting dish out there. These five recipes may show you otherwise! Read below and take a second look at how we can make tofu even more exciting for vegans.

Orange No-Chicken Recipe

Orange chicken is a dish that we all know and love. Vegans can still enjoy the familiar taste of this dish by substituting chicken with tofu. This way, you can take pleasure in the familiar flavor that we all enjoy. It is even easy to create within the comforts of your own home with ingredients that are easy to find.

Ingredients:

1 pack extra-firm Tofu, cut into ½-inch cubes

Cornstarch (to drench tofu)

2 tsp Salt

Oil, for frying

1 cup Orange Juice (Freshly Squeezed or Carton Juice)

½ tsp. Ginger, Grated

1 tsp. Garlic, Grated

2 tsp. Agave Nectar

4 tbsp. Soy Sauce

2 tbsp. Rice Vinegar

Cornstarch Mixture (2 tsp Cold Water and 1 tsp Cornstarch)

Garnish:

Spring Onion, Chopped

Red Pepper Flakes

Sesame Seeds

Directions:

Preparing the Fried Tofu

1. Press the tofu to remove any excess moisture present. Use a paper towel and place a heavy plate on top for 15 minutes.

2. Drench the tofu in the cornstarch and salt mixture before deep frying the tofu. Wait until the tofu has turned golden brown before removing it from the pan. Drain the excess oil.

Making the Orange Glaze

1. Heat a saucepan. Combine soy sauce, orange juice, rice vinegar, ginger, garlic, and agave nectar in the pan. You can also choose to add red pepper flakes if you wish to make the orange glaze spicier.

2. Once the mixture has simmered, you can add the cornstarch mixture to thicken the sauce. Make sure that the fire is on medium heat and continue stirring to make the sauce thicker.

3. When the desired consistency has been achieved, put in the fried tofu and coat it with the sauce. Serve this dish with hot steaming rice and garnish with spring onions and sesame seeds.

Tofu Pad Thai

You don’t have to request your Thai restaurant for a vegan-friendly version of your favorite take-out meal because it is surprisingly easy to make. You can even adjust the seasonings based on how you want your pad Thai to taste. This recipe details how to enjoy your pad Thai as a vegan,

Ingredients:

100 grams Pad Thai Noodles (Soaked in water for 30 minutes)

Tofu, cut into ½-inch cubes

2 tbsp Vegetable Oil

1/8 cup Green Onions or Chives

1 tablespoon coconut palm sugar

2 tbsp soy sauce

½ cup bean sprouts

1 tbsp minced Garlic

1 tbsp tamarind paste or white vinegar

1 tbsp pickled white radish

1 tbsp ground nuts

½ tbsp red chili flakes

Lime (for garnish)

Directions:

1. Heat the oil over low-flame and fry the garlic until brown.

2. Cook the tofu with the bean sprouts and chives.

3. Once the tofu is cooked, add in the noodles and season with soy sauce, sugar, peanut, chili flakes, tamarind paste, and pickled white radish. Stir rapidly to fold everything.

4. Turn off the heat once the noodles are cooked. Top with lime and additional peanuts as needed.

Vegan Chicken Noodle Soup

Chicken Noodle Soup is the kind of food that will turn any bad days to good. This is why I consider it as one of my comfort food. Vegans can also enjoy chicken noodle soup by doing away with the meat and just using tofu as the main source of protein.

Ingredients:

• 6 cups vegetable broth or water

• ½ cup of soy sauce

• 200 grams noodles of your choice

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 tbsp ginger, minced

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil

• Sesame oil

• Salt and pepper to taste

Toppings

• 1 cup tofu, cut into ½ inch thickness

• Green onion, chopped

• 1 cup shiitake mushrooms, sliced ½ inch thick

• 1 cup spinach, sliced ½ inch thick

• 1 cup carrots, sliced ½ inch thick

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil

Directions:

Prepare the Toppings

1. Press the tofu to squeeze out extra moisture. Cut tofu into blocks that are ½ inch thick.

2. Fry the tofu until brown. Set aside

3. Heat a pan with oil. Stir fry shiitake mushroom until cooked. Set aside

4. Repeat process for spinach and carrots.

Prepare the Noodle Soup

1. Heat a soup pot and put in vegetable oil.

2. Saute garlic and ginger until fragrant

3. Add the water or vegetable broth and bring to a slight boil. Once the liquid has boiled, add soy sauce and sesame oil.

4. Add the noodles to the mixture and bring to a boil. Drizzle with the remaining sesame oil.

5. Once noodles are cooked, turn off the heat. Arrange the noodles and toppings neatly in a bowl to allow for proper presentation.

Chili con Tofu

Enjoy Chili con Carne minus the carne by replacing it with tofu. You get all the spicy goodness in one dish without breaking the vegan lifestyle.

Ingredients:

1 pack extra firm tofu

3 tbsp. vegetable oil

1 tbsp. garlic, minced

1 tbsp. onion, diced

1 medium green bell pepper, diced

1 cup mushrooms, sliced

4 tbsp. chili powder

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp. cumin

2 cups canned kidney beans, drained

1 cup canned tomato sauce

2 cups canned diced tomatoes

Directions:

1. Press tofu for 15 minutes to drain out moisture and crumble the tofu to smaller pieces.

2. Saute the garlic and onion in oil until fragrant. Add the mushroom and bell pepper and stir for 2 minutes.

3. Add the tofu and beans to the pan along with the chili powder, cayenne pepper, and cumin.

4. Put in the rest of the ingredients and allow the mixture to simmer for an hour or until the flavors have combined fully.

Sweet and Sour Tofu

Sweet and sour dishes provide a perfect blend. The mixture of the sweet and sour on our tongue allows it to complement the otherwise boring taste of tofu. This is why this sweet and sour tofu recipe is the perfect vegan tofu dish for people that are looking to bring something comforting to the table.

Ingredients

• 2 packs tofu, cubed

• 1 cup flour

• Salt and pepper to taste

• Vegetable oil

• Slurry mixture (1/4 cup of water and 1 tablespoon cornstarch, mixed together)

• 2 tbsp ketchup

• 2 tbsp tamari

• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

• ½ cup pineapple juice

• Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Press tofu for 15 minutes to drain off excess water. Cut the tofu into cubes with each slice being 1 inch thick.

2. Combine and mix flour, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Drench tofu in flour mixture

3. Heat up enough oil to deep fry the tofu. Once the oil is bubbling, put in tofu and wait for the tofu to become golden brown and crispy. Set aside the cooked tofu and prepare the sweet and sour sauce.

4. In a small pot, mix ketchup, tamari, ACV, and pineapple juice. Once the mixture is boiling, set the heat to low and add the slurry mixture.

5. When the mixture has thickened, season the mixture with salt and pepper. Turn off the heat.

6. Toss in the fried tofu and coat the tofu with the sauce.