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–+ servings
Tofu planks with grill marks on a white oval dish covered with a brown sauce and green herbs.
5 from 1 vote

Soy Sauce Marinated Tofu

This soy sauce-marinated tofu is sweet, salty, zingy, and spicy, all at the same time. It tastes amazing over plain white rice with a side of veggies.
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Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 2
Author: Eloïse

Ingredients
 

  • 14 ounces (400 g) firm tofu
  • ¼ cup (60 ml) dark soy sauce gluten-free if needed or use tamari
  • ¼ cup (60 ml) water
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice NOT lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons cane sugar
  • 1-2 tablespoon olive oil or preferred cooking oil

For the sauce

  • 1 small shallot
  • 1 green onion
  • 4-6 sprigs of fresh mint
  • 4-6 sprigs of fresh cilantro
  • ½-1 teaspoon red pepper flakes or use Thai chili flakes

Instructions
 

  • Hand cutting a tofu block into smaller tofu rectangles.
    Prep the tofu. Start by pressing the tofu in a tofu press or weigh it down with heavy objects for 15-30 minutes. Pat it dry. Slice it lengthwise in half through the long edge and into 6 small tofu planks (see video or step-by-step pictures).
  • 12 tofu planks in a soy sauce mixture in a white rectangular baking dish.
    Marinade the tofu. Whisk the soy sauce, water, lime juice, and sugar in a rectangular baking dish. Arrange the tofu planks in a single layer and flip them a few times until covered in marinade. Place in the refrigerator to rest for a minimum of 30 minutes or preferably overnight.
  • Flipped tofu planks with grill marks in a black cast-iron grill pan.
    Cook the tofu. Heat a skillet or grill pan with a little oil. Once it's very hot, add the tofu planks and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side over medium-high heat. Save the marinade. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook the tofu for another 5-7 minutes per side until crispy.
  • Brown sauce with herbs and small pieces of green onion in a rectangular white baking dish.
    Make the sauce. Mince the shallot and the green part of the green onion very thinly. Wash the mint and cilantro and remove the thick stems. Chop them very finely. Combine everything with the rest of the marinade and red pepper flakes.
  • Serve. Pour the sauce over the tofu and serve right away.

Notes

  1. Serving size: You can use 14 ounces (400 g) of tofu for 2 if serving it as a main course. If it's part of a larger meal, 14 ounces can be sufficient for 4 people.
  2. Don't use sweet or low-sodium soy sauce.
  3. Make a double batch of marinade and sauce, if you like it saucy.

Nutrition

Calories: 279kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g

Equipment

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