Kimchi tofu stir fry is a delicious opportunity to apply two very important things that I learned in Korea:
- SautΓ©ing ripe kimchi (which is more fermented, giving it a tart and more flavorful profile) is a good way to start almost any meal.
- SautΓ©ing that kimchi in butter is an even better way.
Kimchi Tofu Stir Fry
Course: MealsCuisine: Korean-ishDifficulty: EasyServings
4
servingsPrep time
5
minutesCooking time
15
minutesKimchi tofu stir fry comes together so quickly, and it packs a ton of flavor even though there are only a few ingredients.
Ingredients
1 onion
1 block (16-oz.) firm or extra firm tofu
1 Tbs neutral oil (like vegetable oil)
1-2 Tbs butter
1/2 – 2/3 cup kimchi – I highly recommend using ripe (i.e., more fermented, older) kimchi
Soy sauce, to taste (optional)
Garlic, minced, to taste (optional)
Rice, to serve (optional)
Directions
- If you want to serve with rice, you probably want to start cooking that first.
- Chunk or slice an onion, according to your preference. Add the onion and oil to a medium-large pan and begin to sautΓ© over medium to medium-high heat. You can add in garlic too, your call. Depending on how garlicky your kimchi is, this may not be necessary.
- While the onion is sautΓ©ing, cut a block of tofu into chunks and roughly chop the kimchi. Depending on your kimchi and taste preferences, you may want to use more or less. I love kimchi so generally go for ~2/3 cup. Tip: Do not use a cutting board that you care about it being completely white ever again.
- Add the butter (2 Tbs is good, but you can add less if butter isn’t your thing) and kimchi to the onion and sautΓ© for a couple minutes. You will notice the kimchi change color. Then, add the tofu and sautΓ© to heat through, stirring to help coat the tofu with buttery kimchi-y goodness.
- Taste for seasoning. Some kimchi is saltier than others, which is why I did not list salt in the ingredients and said soy sauce is optional – because once you over-salt there isn’t really a way to fix it. But now is the time to taste your dish and follow your heart to decide if you want to add a touch of soy sauce. Our kimchi is pretty salty, so we didn’t need it.
- Serve warm, with rice if desired.
Notes
- You can skip the butter and use oil, but…that might be kind of sad. I really do highly recommend at least trying the combo of kimchi and butter.
Did you just buy a 4-pack of tofu from a food warehouse club store like Costco, too? Or maybe even 2 4-packs, because who can resist when they have sales on tofu…? Well then, how about trying out these tofu waffles!
