Vietnamese Tomato Tofu Greenbowl2Soul

Vegetarian and vegan food in Vietnam

Finding vegan or vegetarian food in Vietnam is not very tough as most restaurants have a couple of vegan and vegetarian options on their menu. Today I am sharing a simple recipe for Vietnamese tofu in tomato sauce. It’s one of the few dishes that we ate the most during our Vietnam trip. But the dish was so delicious that we didn’t mind eating it almost every second day. Even after returning, I didn’t stop making it in my kitchen and still frequently make tomato tofu.

Because of Buddhism, most people understand the meaning of vegetarian food. However, only a few main ingredients are served in different forms if you want a meat-free meal in Vietnam. These ingredients were tofu, eggplant, pumpkin, and Vietnamese morning glory. To communicate your vegetarian food preference, you just need to remember the word ‘Chay’ with the correct tone (the Vietnamese language has 6 tones, more than Mandarin which has 4 tones).

What goes in Vietnamese tomato tofu?

To make Vietnamese tofu, you will need the simple ingredients shown below:

Ingredient notes and substitute suggestions

Tofu: Use firm or extra firm tofu in this recipe. Silken tofu is too delicate for tomato tofu. In Vietnam, we were always served this dish with deep-fried tofu cubes. However, when I make it at home, I prefer baking them. You can choose whichever way you like. These days a lot of stores also sell fried tofu in packets. To save time you can use that too. However, it won’t be a healthy option. Spring onion (Green onion): Instead of spring onions, you can also use fresh basil or chives. Tomatoes: Fresh tomatoes are the best for an authentic taste of tomato tofu. However, if you want to use canned tomatoes, you can do that too. Cherry tomatoes can also be used in this Vietnamese dish. Onion: Use red onion to make this tofu recipe. Garlic: I used fresh garlic in the sauce and garlic powder to flavor tofu cubes. You can use only fresh garlic too. Thai red chili: If you don’t have Thai red chilies, use any hot chili pepper. You can also add red pepper flakes to add heat. Skip chilies if your heat tolerance is low. Sugar: The sweetness of sugar balances the acidity of the tomatoes. However, if you don’t want to add sugar, skip it. Cooking oil: Use any neutral flavored oil like canola oil or vegetable oil. Olive oil can be used too. Water: For more flavor, you can use vegetable broth instead of water.

Other ingredient details and nutritional information are shared in the recipe card.

How to make (step-by-step process)?

Making Vietnamese tofu in tomato sauce is very easy, just follow the easy step-by-step instructions shared below: Step 1: Put tofu cubes, oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder in a bowl. Gently toss until all the cubes get evenly coated with the seasonings and oil. Step 2: Spread tofu cubes on a baking tray lined with a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C (or, 400℉) for 12-15 minutes or until tofu starts turning brown. Step 3: While the tofu is getting baked, heat oil in a pan. Add chopped garlic and saute until it starts turning brown. Step 4: Add chopped red chili and the white part of spring onion. Saute for a few seconds. Step 5: Add sliced onion. Step 6: Cook until the onion turns translucent. Step 7: Add chopped tomatoes, salt, sugar, soy sauce, and pepper. Step 8: Mix and cook on medium heat for 7-8 minutes or until the tomatoes turn mushy. You can cover the pan to fasten this step. Step 9: Pour a cup of water into the pan. Step 10: Cook for another 3-4 minutes on medium-high heat. Step 11: Add baked tofu cubes, chopped green onions, and cilantro. Step 12: Cover the pan and turn off the heat. Don’t remove the lid for 5 minutes. Your delicious Vietnamese tofu in tomato sauce is ready to be served.

Serving tomato tofu

Serve this tofu dish hot or warm. In Vietnam, we were always served this simple dish with some steamed jasmine rice and I think it tastes the best with it. You can serve some finely chopped chili peppers, calamansi/ lime wedges, salt, and ground black pepper on the side. If you don’t have jasmine rice, serve any white rice, preferably a starchy variety of rice with it. Brown rice can also be served with Vietnamese tofu. You can also have it with stir-fried noodles.

Storing the leftovers

Store the leftover tomato tofu in an airtight container and refrigerate. It will be fine for 3-4 days. To reheat, either microwave until evenly heated. Or, reheat on the stovetop. Add a splash of water while reheating if the sauce has thickened.

Recipe tips, tricks, and variation suggestions

Use firm or extra-firm tofu to make this recipe. To get rid of the excess water from tofu, press the tofu block using a tofu press. Or, wrap the block of tofu in kitchen paper towels and press it with something heavy like a jar of beans, for at least 15 minutes. When you remove excess moisture from the tofu, it absorbs the flavors of the dish in a better way. Instead of baking, you can also shallow or deep-fry the tofu cubes until their edges start turning golden brown. Don’t overcook tofu, it will turn chewy. Mix tofu cubes with the seasonings and oil gently otherwise, the cubes will break. Fresh tomatoes are the best for this recipe but if you don’t have that canned diced tomatoes can be used too. Use juicy tomatoes otherwise the sauce won’t get the right consistency. You can add a tablespoon of tomato paste for a richer tomato flavor. I have thinly sliced the onion to use in this recipe but you can use chopped onion too, if you prefer smaller pieces of onion in the sauce. Adding sugar is optional, if your tomatoes are already sweet you can skip it.

More easy tofu recipes

Tofu is one of my favorite things to eat and I cook it in a lot of different ways. If you are looking for ideas to start adding tofu to your diet, don’t miss to check out the following recipes: