Vegan Sweet and Sour Tofu (GF) - Rhian's Recipes (2024)

5 from 6 votes

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Chinese

Keyword: gluten-free sweet and sour tofu, vegan sweet and sour tofu

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes minutes

Author: Rhian Williams

For the tofu:

• ▢ 400 g (14oz) firm tofu
• ▢ 6 tablespoon cornflour (cornstarch)
• ▢ 3 tablespoons vegetable or rapeseed oil

For the sauce:

• ▢ 1 tablespoon vegetable or rapeseed oil
• ▢ 1 onion, roughly chopped
• ▢ 1 cm (½ inch) ginger, peeled and minced
• ▢ 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ▢ 1 green pepper, cored and roughly chopped
• ▢ 1 red pepper, cored and roughly chopped
• ▢ 1 carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
• ▢ 1 medium-sized tomato, peeled and diced
• ▢ 225 g (1 cup) chopped pineapple
• ▢ 3 tablespoons tamari (or soy sauce if not gluten-free)
• ▢ 2 tablespoons apple cider, rice or white vinegar (ensure gluten-free if necessary)
• ▢ 2 tablespoons agave syrup (or sub any other sweetener)
• ▢ 120 ml (½ cup) water
• ▢ 1 tablespoon cornflour (cornstarch)

To serve (optional):

• ▢ Cooked brown or white rice

For the tofu:

• Drain the tofu, pat dry with a paper towel, and cut into small cubes

• Place the cornflour in a large bowl, take a cube of tofu, coat it in the flour and place on a plate

• Repeat for the rest of the tofu, adding extra cornflour if necessary

• Heat up the oil in a frying pan until hot

• Once the oil is hot, keep it on a medium heat and add the cornflour-coated tofu

• Fry for a few minutes on each side, turning over halfway through (it's easiest to do this using chopsticks). Cook it until it’s crispy and lightly browned, but be careful not to overcook, otherwise it’ll become tough

• Transfer the cooked tofu onto a plate lined with kitchen paper (to drain away the excess oil)

For the sauce:

• Heat up the oil in a frying pan - you can use the same frying pan you used to fry the tofu, or you can start to cook the sauce in a separate frying pan whilst you cook the tofu

• Add the onion, ginger and garlic once hot and fry for a couple of minutes until fragrant

• Add the green pepper, red pepper, carrot, tomato and pineapple and fry for about 10 minutes until softened (more or less time depending on how soft or hard you like your vegetables to be)

• Add the tamari, vinegar, agave syrup and water

• Place the cornflour in a small bowl and dissolve in a tiny splash of water - make sure it has completely dissolved

• Keeping the pan on a low heat, carefully add the cornflour mixture, stirring regularly to avoid clumping

• Keep heating until the sauce is thickened - add an extra splash of water if it’s too thick

• Add the cooked tofu and mix well

• Best enjoyed immediately, but leftovers can be kept covered in the fridge for up to a few days, and can be reheated in a frying pan

Nutrition Facts

Vegan Sweet and Sour Tofu (GF)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 399

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.