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    Home » Comfort Food Recipes

    Sweet Sour Tofu Veggie Stir Fry

    Published: Apr 26, 2021 by Richa 54 Comments

    Jump to Recipe   Print Recipe

    Sweet and Sour Tofu Veggie Stir Fry is as simple and easy as it gets! The tofu is baked to crisp perfection with a perfect meaty texture and the sweet and sour Asian stir-fry sauce is so delicious! A quick vegan dinner that comes together in a cinch whenever that craving for takeout hits. 

    overhead shot of a bowl with rice topped with sweet and sour tofu

    Be prepared to convert tofu haters into lovers with this sweet and sour tofu stir fry! Crispy tofu coated in a sweet and sticky sauce along with crisp colorful veggies!

    Oh yes, I love me a good tofu dish! Have you tried my Tofu Katsu Curry? A reader favorite! Tofu can be so delicious when prepared right. And in this quick sweet and sour stir-fry we really give it the treatment it deserves!

    As with many tofu recipes, the trick for this dish is to rid the tofu of excess moisture. Because no one likes soggy tofu! Then we fry it up real nice or bake it in the oven.

    overhead shot of a skillet with sweet and sour tofu

    Once fried or baked crispy,  we toss the tofu cubes in a super irresistible sweet and sour sauce and some sauteed veggies. DONE! Serve it up on a fresh bed of rice like I did, on quinoa or mashed potatoes, or on top of some cooked veggies or cauliflower rice!

    sweet and sour tofu stir-fry with rice served in a white bowl with a fork on the side

    MORE DELICIOUS TOFU RECIPES FROM THE BLOG:

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    • Peanut Butter Tofu

     PAN FRIED TOFU

    • Curried Tofu for Banh Mi
    • Sticky Sesame tofu
    • Palak Tofu Paneer
    • Tofu Lalabdar – Tofu with Creamy Tomato ginger sauce

    Print Recipe
    5 from 26 votes

    Sweet and Sour Tofu Veggie Stir Fry

    Sweet and Sour Tofu Veggie Stir Fry is as simple and easy as it gets! The tofu is baked to crisp perfection with a perfect meaty texture and the sweet and sour Asian stir-fry sauce is so delicious! A quick vegan dinner that comes together quickly whenever that craving for takeout hits. 
    Prep Time5 mins
    Cook Time30 mins
    Total Time35 mins
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Asian
    Keyword: sweet and sour tofu
    Servings: 2
    Calories: 410kcal
    Author: Vegan Richa

    Ingredients

    For the Tofu

    • 14 oz (397 g) extra firm or firm tofu, pressed for 15 minutes, then cubed
    • 2 tsp (tsp) soy sauce
    • 1 tsp oil or use sesame oil
    • 2 tbsp cornstarch
    • 1 tsp rice flour
    • 1/2 tsp garlic powder

    For the Sauce

    • 1 tsp oil
    • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
    • 1/2 cup (80 g) sliced red or white onion sliced into 3/4-1 inch pieces
    • 1 cup (150 g) sliced red bell pepper sliced into 3/4-1 inch pieces
    • 1/2 cup (75 g) sliced green bell pepper also sliced into 3/4-1 inch pieces
    • 1/2 cup (50 g) chopped celery
    • 3 cloves minced garlic
    • 4 tbsp apple cider vinegar
    • 1/4 cup (59.15 ml) maple syrup
    • 1-2 tbsp sugar optional, add if you like your sauce to be sweeter
    • 2 tbsp soy sauce
    • 2 tbsp ketchup
    • 1 tsp cornstarch mixed in 1/2 cup of water

    Instructions

    • Add the pressed and cubed tofu to a bowl, add in the soy sauce and oil and mix well, and let it sit for a minute, then add in the corn starch, rice flour, and garlic powder, and toss well to coat. You can bake this tofu or pan fry it.
    • To bake, transfer the tofu to a parchment lined baking sheet, and bake at 400 degrees F (200c) for 20-25 minutes.
    • To pan fry, transfer this tofu to a skillet over medium high heat, add in 2 tsp oil, and add in the tofu, and cook until crisp and golden on most of the edges, then set aside.

    To make the sauce

    • Heat oil in a skillet or wok over medium high heat. When hot, add in the red pepper flakes, give it a quick stir, then add in the onion, bell peppers, and celery, and mix well. Continue to cook until the bell peppers start to get golden brown on the edges, then add the garlic and mix in. then add in the vinegar, maple syrup, sugar, soy sauce, and ketchup, and mix well. Bring to a boil.
    • In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch into the water and add that mixture into the skillet, and bring to a boil.
    • Add in the baked or pan fried tofu, and toss well to coat. If the sauce hasn’t thickened to preference add in 1 tsp cornstarch mixed in 1 the water and bring to a boil. then take off heat.
    • Serve over rice, or cooked grains.

    Video

    Notes

    • In lieu of tofu, you could use seitan.
    • Use any veggies you like, corn, snow peas, green asparagus, zucchini, or carrots are all great additions. 
    • You can serve this on steamed rice, quinoa, cauliflower rice or use the stir-fry as a filling for lettuce wraps. 
    • the sugar added to the sauce is optional - the maple syrup and ketchup already add some sweetness. You could also swap. sugar for coconut sugar if you are not having any refined sugar. 

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Facts
    Sweet and Sour Tofu Veggie Stir Fry
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 410 Calories from Fat 72
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 8g12%
    Saturated Fat 1g6%
    Sodium 882mg38%
    Potassium 887mg25%
    Carbohydrates 65g22%
    Fiber 4g17%
    Sugar 42g47%
    Protein 18g36%
    Vitamin A 2810IU56%
    Vitamin C 131mg159%
    Calcium 152mg15%
    Iron 4mg22%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    Ingredients:

    • tofu – for this recipe we need extra firm, or firm tofu, pressed for 15 minutes, then cubed.
    • red pepper flakes and garlic up the heat flavor in this takeout-classic.
    • as for the veggies, I add in celery, onion, and bell peppers. Red and green look very attractive in this dish.
    • the stir-fry sauce is made using vinegar, maple syrup, sugar, soy sauce, and ketchup to get that perfect balance of sweet and tangy.
    • The sauce is thickened using a classic cornstarch slurry but you could use arrowroot instead.

    ingredients needed for making vegan sweet and sour tofu

     

    Tips & Substitutions:

    • In lieu of tofu, you could use seitan.
    • Use any veggies you like, corn, snow peas, green asparagus, zucchini, or carrots are all great additions.
    • You can serve this on steamed rice, quinoa, cauliflower rice or use the stir-fry as a filling for lettuce wraps.
    • the sugar added to the sauce is optional – the maple syrup and ketchup already add some sweetness. You could also swap. sugar for coconut sugar if you are not having any refined sugar.
    • To make this vegan tofu stir-fry spicy, use sriracha instead of ketchup.

    tofu cubes being tossed with soy sauce

    Add the pressed and cubed tofu to a bowl, add in the soy sauce and oil and mix well, and let it sit for a minute, then add in the corn starch, rice flour, and garlic powder, and toss well to coat.

    marinated tofu cubes being tossed with cornflour in a bowl

    You can bake this tofu or pan fry it.

    overhead shot of tofu cubes coated in cornstarch on a baking sheet

    To bake, transfer the tofu to a parchment-lined baking sheet, and bake at 400 degrees f for 20-25 minutes. To pan-fry, transfer this tofu to a skillet over medium high heat, add in 2 tsp oil, and add in the tofu, and cook until crisp and golden on most of the edges, then set aside.


    garlic, mustard seeds and sliced celery in a frying pan

    Heat oil in a skillet or wok over medium high heat. When hot, add in the red pepper flakes, give it a quick stir, then add in the onion, bell peppers, and celery, and mix well.

    chopped onion and bell pepper in a frying pan

     

    Continue to cook until the bell peppers start to get golden brown on the edges, then add in the vinegar, maple syrup, sugar, soy sauce, and ketchup, and mix well. Bring to a boil.

    overhead shot of a frying pan with with sauteed vegetables

    In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch into the water and add that mixture into the skillet, and bring to a boil.

    stir-fry sauce being added to a frying pan with vegetables to make sweet and sour tofy

    vegetables tossed in sweet and sour stir-fry sauce to make stir-fry

    baked crispy tofu in being added to a frying pan

    Add in the baked or pan-fried tofu, and toss well to coat, then take off the heat.

    A sauteeing pan with sweet and sour tofu stir-fry

    Serve over rice, or cooked grains.

    a serving of vegan sweet and sour tofu stir fry served with rice

     

     

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    ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ If you Love the Recipe, Please consider rating it using stars in comments! It helps readers and helps more people find the recipe online! I love hearing from you all! ⭐⭐⭐⭐

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

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    1. Linds

      March 15, 2023 at 3:23 am

      5 stars
      Absolutely delicious!!

      Reply
      • Vegan Richa Support

        March 15, 2023 at 8:07 pm

        thank you!

        Reply
    2. Denise

      March 14, 2023 at 4:23 pm

      5 stars
      So easy to make and so delicious. While eating I thought that next time I may add some pineapple chunks for another flavor. Thanks for a great recipe!

      Reply
      • Vegan Richa Support

        March 15, 2023 at 8:08 pm

        oh, good idea! yum!

        Reply
    3. Kayte

      March 12, 2023 at 3:13 pm

      5 stars
      This dish is fabulous. Honestly, this tastes better then what I have ordered in resturants. I ommitted the celery because I did not have any and replaced it with more of the bell pepper. Thank you for another winner recipe!

      Reply
      • Vegan Richa Support

        March 15, 2023 at 8:18 pm

        thank you for that compliment! so glad you enjoyed!

        Reply
    4. Leslie LAM

      October 10, 2022 at 8:07 am

      5 stars
      Loved it! Added broccoli near the end-perfection.

      Reply
      • Vegan Richa Support

        October 11, 2022 at 7:45 pm

        You’re too kind.

        Reply
    5. Barb

      June 11, 2022 at 4:12 pm

      5 stars
      We loved it! Thanks for your inspiration. Hubs said it was amazing. Yup, it took care of our take-out craving.

      Reply
      • Vegan Richa Support

        June 14, 2022 at 6:26 pm

        even better than take ouut!

        Reply
    6. Sue

      February 20, 2022 at 11:23 am

      5 stars
      Super yummy Richa! Hubby asked me to make it again later in the week. Thanks for continually creating phenomenal recipes Richa.

      Reply
      • Richa

        February 20, 2022 at 6:45 pm

        Awesome! ❤️❤️

        Reply
    7. Kerri

      February 16, 2022 at 3:37 pm

      5 stars
      So delicious! Exactly that sweet and sour takeout vibe I was craving. For my own tastes I did not add the additional sugar and left out the celery. I found it to still be satisfyingly sweet (I could probably experiment with reducing the sweetness even further for myself). I served it over brown rice for a lovely meal. Thank you for this recipe!

      Reply
      • Vegan Richa Support

        February 17, 2022 at 5:06 pm

        s&s vibe – love it, thank YOU

        Reply
    8. Kathy Nuss

      December 16, 2021 at 4:52 pm

      5 stars
      Absolutely delicious! I added peanuts before serving. My husband wants this more often!

      Reply
      • Vegan Richa Support

        December 17, 2021 at 10:02 am

        woo hoo! go nuts

        Reply
    9. Kathy

      December 16, 2021 at 10:03 am

      5 stars
      So easy and delicious! My husband requested that we have this often! I topped it with peanuts before serving.

      Reply
      • Vegan Richa Support

        December 17, 2021 at 10:00 am

        yum

        Reply
    10. Cate Fiorillo

      November 08, 2021 at 5:02 am

      Excellent!

      Reply
      • Vegan Richa Support

        November 08, 2021 at 11:41 am

        Awesome!! Do leave a rating too if you feel so!

        Reply
    11. keli lieberman

      October 27, 2021 at 7:25 pm

      Hi Vegan Richa,
      I making this now , looks and smells amazing
      mouth watering Im sure ..
      Thank you finding you has been a game changer ..

      Reply
      • Vegan Richa Support

        October 29, 2021 at 1:20 pm

        I’m so glad that you found me!

        Reply
    12. Sue

      September 22, 2021 at 5:20 pm

      5 stars
      We just love this recipe – so good!

      Reply
      • Vegan Richa Support

        September 23, 2021 at 11:19 am

        Thanks & feel free to leave ratings if you like

        Reply
    13. Ren

      July 22, 2021 at 1:37 am

      5 stars
      Delicious! Such a great recipe. I caramelized some fresh pineapple pieces to add, because I had some to use up, and with the tofu I froze and defrosted it before pressing for extra crispiness. So good.

      Reply
    14. Marlyse Benitah

      June 16, 2021 at 4:56 pm

      5 stars
      Very good. Next time I might make it a tad less spicy and also cut the veggies smaller

      Reply
      • Richa

        June 16, 2021 at 5:14 pm

        Awesome

        Reply
    15. Keriann

      June 13, 2021 at 7:50 pm

      5 stars
      Just made this and it was so easy and delicious!! Love that the sauce wasn’t overbearing . It was just the right balance. As always, your recipes are the best!

      Reply
      • Richa

        June 14, 2021 at 1:00 am

        Awesome

        Reply
    16. Janette

      June 13, 2021 at 6:47 am

      5 stars
      Love this recipe so much . Was thinking I could double the recipe and freeze half for an easy meal on busy days. Do you think it would freeze well.

      Reply
      • Vegan Richa Support

        June 13, 2021 at 6:19 pm

        Yay! you could freeze it – I suggest seitan instead of tofu if you do.

        Reply
    17. Liz

      May 20, 2021 at 11:57 am

      5 stars
      I loved this! It really does taste just like it’s from a restaurant. Thank you for another great recipe. Every time you post a new one I get excited, because they always turn out awesome.

      Reply
    18. Joyce

      May 08, 2021 at 2:32 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious!! Packed full of flavor!! The recipe is a keeper!!

      Reply
      • Richa

        May 08, 2021 at 2:46 pm

        Thanks!

        Reply
    19. Daina Z. Green

      April 30, 2021 at 3:27 pm

      5 stars
      I made this tonight and it came out just right. Thank you for this delicious recipe.

      Reply
      • Vegan Richa Support

        May 04, 2021 at 9:04 am

        ❤️❤️

        Reply
    20. Chris Voci-Nam

      April 29, 2021 at 11:55 am

      5 stars
      Hi Richa – this was a HIT!!!! Both hubby and I loved it and ate the whole thing between the 2 of us! Incredibly satisfying!

      Thanks!
      Chris-

      Reply
      • Richa

        April 30, 2021 at 6:26 am

        Yay!

        Reply
    21. Eileen Nolan

      April 29, 2021 at 9:38 am

      5 stars
      So much flavour, yet so easy to make! Thanks!

      Reply
      • Richa

        April 30, 2021 at 6:26 am

        Yay

        Reply
    22. Stef

      April 28, 2021 at 3:09 pm

      5 stars
      Absolutely delicious! For veggies I used red and yellow bell pepper, mushroom and edamame. Will definitely make again!

      Reply
      • Richa

        April 28, 2021 at 6:00 pm

        Awesome

        Reply
    23. Simon

      April 27, 2021 at 10:20 pm

      5 stars
      Looks so amazing and delicious, curious about it’s taste.

      Reply
      • Vegan Richa Support

        April 29, 2021 at 7:55 pm

        let me know how you like it

        Reply
    24. GiGi

      April 27, 2021 at 4:14 pm

      5 stars
      Absolutely fabulous! Had been looking for a way to begin using tofu and this was so tasty and filling. I didn’t even eat it over rice. Just needed a light supper. Thank you! As always spicing is perfect.

      Reply
      • Richa

        April 27, 2021 at 8:15 pm

        Awesome

        Reply
    25. Stef

      April 27, 2021 at 7:57 am

      Do you recommend a flour substitute for rice flour? Not driving after foot surgery and would love to make this with what I have on hand .
      Thanks ! Love your recipes !

      Reply
      • Richa

        April 27, 2021 at 7:07 pm

        Use a mix of regular flour and cornstarch. Or use just cornstarch

        Reply
    26. Marina

      April 26, 2021 at 8:40 pm

      Love sweet and sour, but my husband doesn’t so I think I will do a small conversion and make it teriyaki sauce instead of sweet and sour. Hope it will turn out edible!

      Reply
      • Richa

        April 27, 2021 at 12:16 am

        Use my teriyaki sauce from teriyaki fried. Rice recipe.

        Reply
        • Marina

          April 27, 2021 at 12:43 am

          Thanks, your recipe looks good. I will give it a try this weekend.

          Reply
    27. Cheryl

      April 26, 2021 at 4:19 pm

      5 stars
      Best sweet and sour I have ever had. Definitely doesn’t need the optional sugar.

      Reply
    28. Tina

      April 26, 2021 at 3:00 pm

      5 stars
      Made this tonight and it tasted just like what you’d get in a restaurant!

      Reply
      • Richa

        April 26, 2021 at 3:12 pm

        Awesome !!

        Reply

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