Stir Fried Tofu with Mixed Vegetables in Ginger-Soy Sauce

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You don’t have to follow a completely plant-based diet to benefit from adding more plant foods to your meals. We encourage women over 50 to build a way of eating around nourishing foods they actually enjoy—and that can include everything from chicken and fish to beans, lentils, edamame, and tofu. Having more options makes healthy eating easier, more interesting, and much more sustainable.

If tofu isn’t something you normally cook, this stir-fry is an easy place to experiment with it. Tofu is made from soybeans and provides complete plant protein, meaning it contains all nine essential amino acids. That’s particularly useful when we’re intentionally looking for ways to include adequate protein throughout the day to help preserve muscle as we get older.

But I don’t want you looking only at the tofu. Look at the whole meal. That’s one of the skills I teach women because a healthy lifestyle isn’t built by labeling individual foods “good” or “bad.” Here we have tofu providing protein, a generous mixture of colorful vegetables providing fiber and nutrients, a flavorful ginger-soy sauce, and brown rice providing a satisfying whole-grain carbohydrate. Each ingredient contributes something different.

This is also exactly the kind of meal that can help you get out of a healthy-eating rut. Bell peppers, broccoli, carrots, snap peas, garlic, and fresh ginger create plenty of flavor and texture, and you can change the vegetables based on what you have in the refrigerator. Healthy eating shouldn’t mean eating grilled chicken and broccoli every night for the rest of your life! The goal is to build a collection of meals you genuinely look forward to eating.

Ingredients:

For the Stir-Fry:

14 oz (400g) firm tofu, drained and cubed
4 cups mixed vegetables (such as bell peppers, broccoli, carrots, snap peas), sliced
1 tablespoon avocado or olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
Salt and pepper to taste

For the Ginger-Soy Sauce:

3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup (optional, for sweetness)
1 teaspoon cornstarch (for thickening)

For Serving:

1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice

Directions:

In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, water, minced ginger, honey or maple syrup (if using), and cornstarch. Set aside.
Heat a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add 1/2 tablespoon oil and swirl to coat the pan.
Add the cubed tofu to the pan and cook until it’s lightly browned on all sides. Remove the tofu from the pan and set it aside.
In the same pan, add the remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil. Add the minced garlic and minced ginger, and sauté for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
Add the sliced mixed vegetables to the pan and stir-fry for 3-4 minutes until they’re slightly tender but still crisp.
Return the cooked tofu to the pan with the vegetables. Pour the prepared ginger-soy sauce over the tofu and vegetables.
Toss everything together in the pan to coat the tofu and vegetables evenly with the sauce. Allow the sauce to simmer and thicken for 1-2 minutes.
Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper if needed.
Divide the cooked brown rice among serving plates. Top with the stir-fried tofu and mixed vegetables.