Kimchi Tofu Stir Fry

Kimchi Tofu Stir Fry

Kimchi tofu stir fry is a delicious opportunity to apply two very important things that I learned in Korea:

  1. 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.
  2. SautΓ©ing that kimchi in butter is an even better way.

Kimchi Tofu Stir Fry

Recipe by Legume LadyCourse: MealsCuisine: Korean-ishDifficulty: Easy
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

5

minutes
Cooking time

15

minutes

Kimchi 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.Kimchi Tofu Stir Fry
  • 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!

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