Tofu is a no-frills ingredient that anyone can enjoy. It is easy to cook, filling, and nutritious. If you are a kitchen newbie like me, you can still enjoy 5 easy tofu recipes that can be prepared in less than 30 minutes.

These quick and easy tofu recipes require just a handful of ingredients with minimal preparation time. In this article, you can find tofu recipes that are as easy as A-B-C.

Garlic Marinated Tofu

I have always loved this recipe as it is easy to do and it requires less than 10 ingredients, all of which can be found easily in most well-stocked pantries. Moreover, the flavors complement each other so much that the texture of the tofu is highlighted and the flavors are elevated.

Ingredients

• 1 pack extra firm tofu, cubed

• ¼ cup Hoisin sauce

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce

• 1 teaspoon honey

• 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

• 2 teaspoon garlic, minced

• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder

• 2-3 tablespoon olive oil

Directions

1. Press the tofu for 15 minutes by putting some paper towel and a heavy plate on top of the tofu. Cut the tofu into cubes after removing excess moisture.

2. Combine the remaining ingredients, except olive oil and tofu, in a mixing bowl. Mix well until all of the ingredients are combined well.

3. Toss the tofu in the liquid mixture and allow the tofu to absorb the sauce.

4. Use a cling wrap and let the mixture sit in the refrigerator for an hour or two.

5. Heat some olive oil in a pan.

6. Fry the tofu cubes and wait until it is cooked.

7. Serve with your choice of grains or vegetables. Top with leftover sauce if desired.

Tofu Bolognese Pasta

If you are looking to create a dish that even your kids can enjoy, you can try making the no-meat version of the Bolognese pasta. You can choose to use tofu and mushroom instead of ground meat. Here is our meatless version of everyone’s favorite pasta sauce.

Ingredients

• 200 grams extra firm tofu, pressed and crumbled

• 3 tablespoon vegetable oil

• 1 large onion, diced

• 2 tsp garlic, minced

• 1 cup mushroom, sliced

• 28-ounces canned crushed tomatoes

• 28-ounces canned tomato sauce

• 2 tbsp Italian herb seasoning

• Salt and pepper to taste

• Pasta

Directions:

1. Heat vegetable oil in a pot. Saute onion and garlic until fragrant.

2. Add the crumbled tofu and mushroom. Wait until both ingredients are cooked.

3. Stir in the canned tomatoes and Italian herb seasoning. Allow the sauce to boil before turning the heat to low. Make sure that the sauce simmers for an hour or two to allow the sauce to reduce and get a stronger flavor.

4. Season with salt and pepper.

5. Toss in the sauce with some pasta and top it with some parmesan cheese.

Tofu Vegetable Soup – Thai Style

I took a short cooking class in Bangkok and one dish that I particularly loved is their vegetable soup. I have just embraced the vegetarian lifestyle back then and the instructors were kind enough to accommodate my special request. In the recipe below, I will share the vegetarian and non-vegetarian ingredients.

Ingredients

• 3 tsp ground shrimp or fish (omit if you are a vegetarian)

• 6 pcs. black pepper corn

• 6 pcs. Shallot

• Tofu, cut into cubes

• 2 cups Baby corn, Mushroom, Pumpkin, Cucumber (cut into bite-sized pieces)

• 1 cup lime basil

• 3 cups vegetable or chicken stock

• 1 tablespoon fish sauce or soy sauce

• 2 tablespoon coconut milk

Directions

1. Pound ground shrimp or fish, black peppercorns, and shallots in a mortar and pestle. Make sure that the ingredients are well-combined and properly crushed.

2. Boil the stock along with the crushed spices.

3. Add tofu and vegetables to the stock. Allow it to simmer for 5 to 7 minutes.

4. Season with fish sauce or soy sauce.

5. Top with coconut milk to make the soup creamier.

Banana Tofu Smoothie

Nothing sounds easier to me than throwing in some of my favorite fruits into a blender as I wait to enjoy my breakfast smoothie. Since I am trying to stay away from protein powder, I use the best protein alternative that nature can offer… Tofu! So let me share with you one of my go-to tofu smoothie when I need to rush out the door quickly in the morning.

Ingredients

150 grams silken tofu, pressed

1 medium frozen banana, cut into small pieces

1 cup milk (preferably soy or almond)

Honey (measurement depends on the sweetness level that you desire)

A pinch of salt

Optional: Any fruit that you like

Directions:

1. Toss all the ingredients into your blender.

2. Turn on the blender and process the ingredients until the desired smoothness has been reached.

Additional Tips:

Why did I add salt? Adding salt brings out the sweetness of the smoothie even more

Why should I freeze the bananas? So you do not have to use ice cubes.

What fruits can I add to my smoothie? Any! But remember, even if tomato is a fruit, you don’t want to add it to your smoothies unless it suits your taste buds.

Tofu Barbecue

Tofu Skewers

• 1 pack Tofu, pressed

• 1 large zucchini

• 1 red bell pepper

• 1 green bell pepper

• 1 yellow bell pepper

• 2 cups mushroom

Sauce:

• 4 tbsp sriracha

• 1 tbsp honey

• ¼ cup soy sauce

• 1 tbsp fish sauce

• 1 tsp chili flakes

• 1 tsp sesame oil

• Juice of 1 lime

• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preparing the Sauce

1. Combine sriracha, honey, soy sauce, fish sauce, chili flakes, sesame oil, lime juice, and salt and pepper in a mixing bowl.

2. Mix the ingredients together.

Preparing the Skewers

1. Cut the tofu and the vegetables to a similar size.

2. Toss in the sauce and marinate the mixture for at least 4 hours

3. Prepare the stick and thread the tofu and vegetables to the skewer.

Grilling the Skewer

1. Prepare your outdoor grill by setting the heat to medium-high and oiling the grill

2. Grill the skewers for 5 to 7 minutes or until charred lines have appeared.

3. Brush the skewers with the remaining marinade to further enhance the flavor of the kabab.