68 Delicious Ways to Use Tofu

There's no food that strikes fear into the hearts of new vegetarians like tofu does. Tofu! It comes swimming in a plastic container full of water, it's strange and springy and white and incredibly bland out of the package. So many of the questions we get at Oh My Veggies involve tofu cooking and preparation, so I've rounded up some of our favorite ways to use tofu—both from Oh My Veggies and from other food blogs.

Use Tofu in Asian (and Asian-Inspired) Dishes

This is pretty much fool-proof, so if you're not quite comfortable with using tofu in your cooking, adding it to stir-fries and pairing it with Asian flavors is a great place to start. Extra-firm and firm tofu will work best in a stir-fry or curry—just be sure to press it first, which will allow the tofu to absorb the sauce.

Korean Barbecue Tofu Bowls with Stir-Fried Veggies and Quinoa
Grilled Teriyaki Tofu Lettuce Wraps with Creamy Sesame Dressing
Thai Red Curry with Asparagus and Tofu
Veggie Pad Thai
Crispy Sweet and Sour Tofu [Running to the Kitchen]
Sesame-Crusted Tofu [An Edible Mosaic]
Miso Mustard Tofu Over Asian Greens [Borrowed Salt]
Vietnamese Noodle Salad [Simple Healthy Kitchen]
Sesame Tofu Noodle Bowl with Peanut Sauce [Aggie's Kitchen]

Whip Tofu into Smoothies and Desserts

When blended, silken tofu adds a rich, creamy texture to desserts and smoothies. Toss a few cubes into a smoothie to give it a boost of protein or whip a block of silken tofu with melted chocolate and your sweetener of choice for an easy vegan mousse.

Green Apple Pie Smoothie
Orange Cardamom Chocolate Mousse
Dark Chocolate Pomegranate Mousse
Vegan Mango Lassi [Connoisseurus Veg]
Strawberry Pudding [Tia's Kitchen]
Mango Pineapple Mousse [Healthy Nibbles and Bits]
Little Lemon Pots [Coconut and Berries]

Replace Meat with Tofu

Tofu doesn't really replicate the flavor of meat, but it does replace the protein in meat-based dishes. When I'm making a dish meatless, I usually replace the meat ounce-for-ounce with extra-firm tofu.

Tofu Vindaloo
Smoked Cheddar Mac & Cheese with Baked BBQ Tofu
Pineapple Jerk Tofu
Sweet Potato and Tofu Enchiladas
Cauliflower and Tofu Lasagna with Butternut Squash Sauce
Buffalo Tofu Wings with Creamy Ranch Dip
Tofu Taco Filling [Apron Strings]
Tofu Tostadas [Two Peas and Their Pod]
Barbecue Tofu Pizza [Kitchen Treaty]

Make Tofu Scrambles and Quiches

And meat isn't the only thing tofu can replace! It's also a great stand-in for eggs. You're probably already familiar with tofu scrambles, which involve breaking tofu into small pieces and sautéing it with herbs and spices, but you can make vegan quiches with tofu too.

Freezer-Friendly Greens and Tofu Scramble Wraps
Edamame "Egg" Salad [Spabettie]
Spinach Artichoke Tofu Quiche [Yup, It's Vegan]
Tofu Scramble with Cauliflower Rice [Food Faith Fitness]
Tofu Scramble Masala [Connoisseurus Veg]
Turmeric Tofu Scramble [The Muffin Myth]
Curried Tofu Scramble Tacos [Eats Well With Others]
Southwestern Tofu Scramble [The Garden Grazer]
Vegan Asparagus Fennel Quiche with Quinoa Crust [Coconut and Berries]

Use Tofu to Make Creamy Sauces

Blended tofu can replace heavy cream, cream cheese, sour cream and other dairy-based ingredients to make creamy sauces, dressings and dips. Typically, you'd used silken tofu for this, although some recipes call for soft tofu too.

Fettuccine Kalefredo
Roasted Vegetable Sandwiches with Creamy Chimichurri Spread
Sweet Potato Tacos with Spicy Cream Sauce [The Tomato Tart]
Silken Tofu Ranch Dressing [Connoisseurus Veg]
Penne with Chard and Lemon Bechamel [Yummy Beet]
Vegan Mayo [Dear Kitchen]
Warm Spinach and Artichoke Dip [Taste Space]

Make Sandwiches With Tofu

Everything tastes better on a sandwich! Baked and pan-fried slabs of tofu are a great alternative to frozen veggie burgers—either add sauce after cooking or marinate the tofu first, then pile on your favorite toppings.

Crispy Tofu Sandwiches with Ginger Peanut Sauce
Balsamic Tofu Sandwiches with Sun-Dried Tomato [Connoisseurus Veg]
Smoky Baked Tofu Sandwiches with Wasabi Mayo [Connoisseurus Veg]
Korean BBQ Tofu Sliders [Eats Well With Others]
Asian Tofu Salad Sandwiches [She Likes Food]
Sesame Tofu Sandwiches with Spicy Basil Tahini [The Kitchen Paper]
Baked Tofu Banh Mi [The Pancake Princess]
Pineapple Teriyaki Tofu Sandwiches [Connoisseurus Veg]

Bake Tofu in the Oven

If the soft texture of tofu squicks you out, try baking it. The tofu will get firmer and chewier in the oven, giving it an almost meat-like texture. Baked tofu is best when marinated first—I like to take it out once or twice during the cooking process and baste it with extra marinade and with thicker sauces, like barbecue, I'll toss it in extra sauce after cooking too.

Peanutty Quinoa Bowls with Baked Tofu
Baked Barbecue Tofu
Baked Italian Herb Tofu
Crispy Baked Tofu Fingers [Hummusapien]
Sweet Chili Baked Tofu [Clean Eating Veggie Girl]
Tequila Lime Baked Tofu with Chipotle Crema [Yup, It's Vegan]
Baked Sesame Tofu Sticks [Kalyn's Kitchen]
Roasted Broccoli Crispy Tofu Bowls [With Food and Love]

Add Protein to Soups and Salads with Tofu

Without the meat, vegetarian soups and salads are delicious, but not always a complete and filling meal. Enter: tofu. Keep some baked tofu on hand in the fridge for adding to salads to make them meal-worthy. As for soups, well, it couldn't be easier—just press your tofu, cube it, and stir it into your soup.

Vegetarian Chicken Noodle Soup
Coconut Lime Tofu Soup
Thai Tofu and Noodle Salad
Thai Red Curry Soup
Chopped Power Salad with Baked Tofu and Almond-Miso Dressing
Kale Caesar Salad with Tofu Croutons [Kitchen Treaty]
Tofu, Kale and Shiitake Mushroom Ramen Noodle Soup [The Little Kitchen]
Vegan Greek Salad [Simple Vegan Blog]

More About Tofu

Need some more Tofu 101 resources? We've got you covered! Our Guide to Tofu goes over all the different types of tofu and how to use them and our Baked Barbecue Tofu post includes common reasons why people don't like tofu and how to overcome them. Do you see recipes that call for pressing tofu and wonder what that means? This post explains it. And if you're feeling bold, you can try your hand at making your own tofu too.