Chili Lime Tofu

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What is tofu?

Tofu is a soft, white food made from soybeans. It’s created by curdling fresh soy milk then pressing the curds into solid blocks.  It’s a process similar to how cheese is made. Tofu is also known as bean curd.

We have a few standard tofu recipes that we eat every month.  One of those is Korean BBQ Tofu bowls that we eat either with quinoa or rice.    Another good one is Fried Tofu with dipping sauce that we often serve with sauteed vegetables and rice.  For a quick and easy meal I like the Egg Roll in a Bowl with Tofu.

I began scouring recipes looking for something a little bit different for our tofu.  After searching I decided to use several different ideas and make a sweet and spicy Chili Lime Tofu.

While I usually put my tofu over top of rice with a side of sauteed vegetables this time I wanted to make my vegetable a little different.  I sauteed spinach and zucchini in sesame oil and served that along with this tofu.

Can I use other vegetables in this recipe?

Sure!   I originally only used spinach when I started making this but then I added in the zucchini.  You can feel free to use carrots, squash, mushrooms, broccoli, or onions as well.  Any of those would work well with the sesame oil and this tofu.

The sauce for the tofu is made with soy sauce, sugar, lime juice, and chili garlic sauce.  If you can’t find chili garlic sauce you can use Sriracha and minced garlic together instead.

Ingredients:

• jasmine rice (or your favorite type of rice)
• salt
• limes (or you can use bottle lime juice)
• granulated sugar
• soy sauce (I prefer using the low sodium version)
• rice vinegar
• garlic chili pepper sauce (or Sriracha with minced garlic)
• garlic cloves
• extra firm tofu (you can also use firm tofu)
• fresh spinach
• zucchini (or squash)
• sesame oil

Begin by making the jasmine rice according to the package directions.  In a small bowl combine the soy sauce, rice vinegar, garlic chili pepper sauce, garlic cloves, and lime juice.   Mix well and set aside.

Add olive oil to a skillet and heat over medium high heat.   Sprinkle the tofu with salt and pepper and add to the pan.  Cook for 6-8 minutes per side or until the tofu is golden brown. Remove from heat and pour the sauce over top of the tofu.  It will bubble and form a glaze over top of the tofu.

Meanwhile, heat the sesame oil in a small skillet over medium heat.   Add the zucchini, spinach, and sesame oil and saute for 5-7 minutes.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

I like that the tofu is cooked with just a touch of olive oil to keep down the calories in this dish.  The tofu gets nice and crispy and stays that way even with the sauce on top of it.

The sauce smells amazing as it glazes the tofu.  It’s spicy, flavorful, and has hints of lime, garlic, and soy sauce.  I served it over a bed of the jasmine rice and vegetables.

How do I store Chili LIme TOfu?

I tend to store the rice, vegetables, and tofu all in separate air tight containers in the refrigerator because it takes different amounts of time to reheat each one.  You can put them all in one container if desired.  When reheating the tofu you may want to make a little more of the sauce to pour over top of it.

My husband loved this dish and asked if I could double the recipe so that he could have leftovers next time!  The only thing I would change is that I would double the sauce recipe and save some to pour over top of the rice next time. 

This dish will be making it onto our menu at least once a month from now on!

Chili Lime Tofu

Chili Lime Tofu takes firm tofu covered in a sweet and spicy sauce that is served with sesame wilted spinach over top of rice.

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Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 22 minutes minutes

Total Time: 32 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Author: Hezzi-D

Equipment

• 1 large skillet
• 1 small mixing bowl
• 1 small saute pan

Ingredients

For the rice:

• 1 cup jasmine rice
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 lime

For the Sauce:

• 1 Tablespoon sugar
• 3 Tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
• 2 teaspoons garlic chili pepper sauce
• 2 cloves garlic minced

For the tofu and vegetables:

• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 (15 ounce) package extra-firm tofu pressed and drained
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 cups fresh spinach
• 1 zucchini diced
• 1 Tablespoon sesame oil
• 2 garlic cloves minced

Instructions

• In a medium sized saucepan combine the jasmine rice, water, salt, and zest of one lime. Cook according to the package directions.
• In a small bowl combine the sugar, soy sauce, rice vinegar garlic chili pepper sauce, garlic cloves, and juice of one lime. Mix well and set aside.
• Slice the tofu into 5 slices. Cut each rectangle in half then each square into two triangles. Sprinkle the tofu with salt and pepper.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the tofu and cook for 6-8 minutes on each side or until it is golden brown.
• Remove the skillet from heat and pour the chili lime sauce over top of the tofu. The sauce will bubble up , reduce, and form a glaze.
• In a medium saute pan saute the spinach, zucchini, sesame oil, and garlic. Cook for 5-7 minutes or until the spinach is wilted and the zucchini has softened.
• Serve the rice topped with spinach with the tofu on top.

Notes

A Hezzi-D Original recipe