Cooking With Tofu

Tofu is an often maligned food product; seen as suitable only for health nuts and vegetarians. However, if prepared correctly it can be amazingly versatile and delicious. It comes in a wide range of types, and can be prepared in a variety of ways. This is meant to be a helpful guide to cooking with tofu.

Tofu is made like cheese, by coagulating soy milk into curds, which are pressed to remove moisture. The two main types of tofu are silken tofu and normal tofu (the "normal" tofu is not labeled as such, the silken tofu is). Silken tofu is not pressed nearly as much as normal tofu, and its higher water content make it very fragile, and sort of slimy. There is also both refrigerated silken tofu, and a special kind of silken tofu (Mori-Nu) which is kept at room temperature, and they are very different products. Both silken and normal tofus come in a few degrees of firmness: usually soft, firm, and extra firm. There is no one "best" kind of tofu; the type you want depends on what you’re cooking. Keep in mind that firmer tofu has had more water pressed out, and will absorb more fluid if you put it in a marinade or sauce. It's usually a good idea to press tofu before you use it, no matter how firm it is, to remove the water that it has been soaking in and increase absorbency. To do this, slice it into maybe 4 half-inch thick slices, wrap them in a towel, and put a cutting board topped with a heavy weight on it. If you're in a hurry, just press for a few minutes; otherwise leave it for a half hour or so for maximum firmness. When using soft tofu (for something like miso soup) avoid pressing it, as it will probably crumble.

Why is firmer sometimes better? Aside from being more absorbent, it will also fry easier. Soft tofu will take much longer to form a "skin" while frying than firm tofu. The brand of tofu is also crucial; you'll have to experiment to find one you like. Some tofu tends to be more slippery, and holds together well (like Morimoto), some are crumbly (like Hinoichi), others are very firm and solid (like White Wave). The firmest tofu I've found is White Wave extra-firm (available in bulk from some co-ops), and does not really need to be pressed before using (unlike other brands). Beware! Do not buy Mori-nu silken tofu (it's the non-refrigerated one) unless you plan to blend it! Mori-Nu is the best choice of tofu for desserts when you want creaminess (like chocolate mousse), but sliced (to bake or fry) it is slimy and gross. In general, I find the brands available at typical grocery stores (e.g. Nasoya) to be inferior to the ones available at health food stores and Asian markets, both in texture and flavor.

So, overall I recommend Mori-nu when you want to blend it to a creamy texture (mousse, vegan sour cream, etc.), and White Wave extra-firm for baking or frying (which covers about 90% of my tofu use). For something like miso soup, you want a very soft and delicate, mild-flavored tofu. For some recipes (like the coconut tofu on the recipes page) you want the tofu to be firm, but not as firm as white wave so I usually use a different brand. The most important thing is just to experiment for yourself. If you plan on eating tofu on a regular basis, get a few different types/brands and compare them. You'll be amazed how much variety there is, especially if you're used to eating Nasoya!

Don't have time to marinate tofu for an hour or more? One helpful technique is to freeze tofu in advance. Freezing tofu completely changes its texture; it will become chewy, spongy, and VERY absorbent. Once you have thawed frozen tofu, you can usually just pour marinade onto it and it will be sucked right up. It can be very handy to keep tofu in the freezer if you're pressed for time, or if you just want more variety in your tofu. However, the new tougher texture is definitely not for everyone, and I rarely use this technique because unfrozen tofu tends to be appealing to a wider range of people.

The key to making good tofu is to remember that it is very absorbent; it will taste like whatever you soak it in or cook it with. If you soak it overnight in a strong marinade (e.g. pure soy sauce), it will probably be overly intense and salty. On the other hand, if you don't make a sauce a bit saltier than you would prefer it to taste, the blandness of the tofu can overwhelm it. Look at the recipe page to get some ideas of the right balance of salt, vinegar, and other flavors. Usually if you want to add flavor to your dish soaking the tofu for at least an hour is best, longer if the sauce has a delicate flavor or isn't very salty. Alternatively, if you don't soak it in anything, it will help to neutralize strong flavors or spiciness in the dish (as in a strong red Thai curry, where mild tofu provides relief).

When frying tofu, remember to press it well first. One method is to put a bit of oil in a pan, and fry small cubes of tofu until they have a golden-brown skin. Then add whatever sauce you like and cook until it absorbs most of it, and the rest is thick enough to use as a sauce. Another alternative is to use more oil, slice the tofu into bigger slices, and coat it before deep-frying. The most common coatings are flour (mix in some spices for a tasty breading), or cornstarch. Cornstarch will yield a very crispy tofu; mixing it with a bit of water before coating yields a slightly different texture. I don't recommend using other starches or gluten-free flour for frying, the texture and taste will be a bit off.

Baking tofu is probably about the easiest way to cook it. Just marinate it in some sauce for a while (in slices, maybe a half-inch thick), then bake at 350F until you're happy with the texture (flipping it over halfway through cooking). I like it after maybe 20 minutes; the longer you cook it the tougher the outside will be. Cutting soy sauce with vinegar works well (the vinegar becomes sweeter as it cooks), see the recipes page for some tasty examples (orange-ginger tofu is my favorite). Add some oil to the marinade as well before baking to help the surface of the tofu crisp a bit as it bakes.

You can also scramble tofu like an omelet; cook with peppers, onions, garlic, some nutritional yeast, margarine, salt, spices, and a bit of turmeric for color (see scrambled tofu on the recipe page). This also makes a good sandwich filling. Another good use of crumbled firm tofu is making a ricotta-like cheese substitute (add lemon, onion, etc.). Experiment!

For desserts, I really recommend you find a good recipe rather than just trying to wing it, but silken Mori-nu tofu works well in mousse, "cheesecake," pudding, and more. The filling for "chocolate almond midnight" on the recipe page is incredible, and people never believe it's vegan. Details will vary, but usually they involve blending silken tofu.

Finally, nutrition will also vary by brand (mainly due to water content and the type of coagulant used), but an average 8-oz piece of firm tofu has about 330 Calories, 36g protein, 20g fat, and 465mg calcium.

Have suggestions or comments on this guide? Email Jon