This delicious Weight Watchers-friendly recipe sweet and spicy Asian tofu is a fast and satisfying lunch or dinner.
Today I’m sharing a delicious, vegetarian Weight Watchers recipe. This Sweet and Spicy Asian tofu has been an obsession of mine lately, and since I love it so much I figured it was worth sharing.
I swear I’ve been eating it almost every day. I crave it. It has everything I want in a weekday recipe: flavor, texture and it’s incredibly fast and easy to make. I can have a home cooked lunch ready in less than 10 minutes, and it scales up very easily for two when making dinner.
I typically buy fresh, pre-cut stir fry veggie mixes to save time. However, fresh vegetables work great as well, though! I use whatever I happen to have on hand. Green beans, onions, bell peppers, and broccoli work especially well here.
If you’re not sure how you feel about tofu, give this a try. It’s pan-fried and I honestly feel like I’m eating fried cheese. It soaks up the delicious sauce and is filling without being overly heavy. It’s also very budget friendly! Swapping out meat dishes for tofu is a great way to save on the grocery bill.
Tips for Cooking Tofu
- There are numerous types of tofu available, including silken, soft, firm, and extra firm. Extra firm is what you want for sautéing and pan-frying, though firm tofu will work as well. Avoid anything labeled silken or soft. Those are good for pureeing into sauces, desserts, dips, and various dairy replacements. Firm tofus have a spongey texture and are great at absorbing flavors.
- Because extra firm tofu is stored in water, you want to press as much liquid out as possible before using it. The easiest way to do this is to wrap it the tofu block in a few layers of paper towels and then press it between two dinner plates for 20-40 minutes. You can add a weight (something like a can of beans) on top of the plate to assist with pressing the water out. After that, you’re ready to go!
Looking for more tofu recipes? Be sure to check out my Sesame Crusted Tofu Salad with Spicy Peanut Dressing and Crispy Baked Tofu with Broccoli!
Sweet and Spicy Asian Tofu
Ingredients
- 7 ounces extra firm tofu
- 1 tablespoon high-heat cooking oil (I use regular olive oil)
- cooking spray
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 3 cups assorted stir-fry vegetables
- 3 tablespoons sweet chili sauce (I recommend Mae Ploy)
- 2 tablespoons Sriracha hot sauce
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- optional: a few drops of fish sauce
- 2/3 cup brown rice, cooked
Instructions
- An hour before cooking, wrap the tofu in paper towels and place between two plates to help press out the liquid. I like to change the paper towels once during this process. Slice the tofu into even cubes.
- Heat the oil in a non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Once it's hot, add the tofu cubes and allow them to pan fry until golden on one side and then use tongs to turn the pieces. Brown at least 4 sides for the best texture.
- Set the tofu aside and if the pan is no longer oily, add some cooking spray. Saute the garlic and vegetables over medium-high heat with a bit of salt. I prefer my veggies slightly crunchy.
- While the tofu and vegetables are cooking, stir together the sauce ingredients.
- Serve the tofu and vegetables with the sauce over brown rice.
Notes
Please read my full post for additional recipe notes, tips, and serving suggestions!
Nutrition
Recipe Troubleshooting
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Bashar A. says
I have noticed that you’re not posting as usual and I’m not happy about that :) This single guy sometimes depends on your recipes to get creative in the kitchen… I lack that very much when it comes to cooking.. I’m such a basic eater!!!
Anyway for time management I just tell myself one thing at a time… the less I multi-task the more productive I get. Science backs this up no matter how much we like to claim that we are good at multi-tasking. Once I started doing that, I found that I did have quite a bit of time for myself… I really think it helped me calm down too… I seemed panicked most of the time because I was trying to do everything at once and now I’d like to think I’m more composed :)
Hope you’re not feeling stressed… it the holiday season… enjoy the festivities :)
Dixya @ Food, Pleasure and Health says
the whole winter thing has thrown off my schedule completely. by the time i get home, its so dark and i have no time for workout, cooking, or anything. I have been struggling a little bit as well. but lately I have tried to make a schedule on things- although it may not work 100% of the time. I try to post once on the weekends (using natural light) and if i have enough motivation- post once more on weekdays using a light box. I started making weekly menu plans so that i know exactly what to cook, how long it takes and such. To-do list works great for me. Also, I have tried to get workout done in the morning as much as I can. I hope these tips help. and btw the tofu recipe looks amazing- i have a slight obsession with tofu too.
claire @ the realistic nutritionist says
I looooooooove tofu. And yes. I’m overly stressed. I actually hate christmsa right now.
Savory Simple says
Sigh, so do I. And it’s supposed to be overcast and rainy for the next week!
Ashton says
This sounds amazing. I am a huge fan of asian food, especially when it is spicy and has tofu in it! Thanks for the recipe!
Ash @ Limo Services Denver
Mad Dog says
Well I’m not big on tofu, but your photo is good enough to eat :-)
Katie @ Blonde Ambition says
I love Mae Ploy sweet chili sauce. My boyfriend and I put it on pretty much most stir fry vegetables we eat, haha. So basically this recipe *really* appeals to me!
Rose says
I wish I could give you a tip on time management but it is one of my areas of struggle as well. I can say that this dish caught my eye on foodgawker and it looks very tasty. It is always nice to see food that is healthy without quotation marks. Good Luck!
Savory Simple says
Thank you so much for stopping by, Rose!
Whitney @ The Newlywed Chefs says
This recipe sounds great! I feel like people turn up their noses at tofu, but if they just try a recipe like THIS delicious one, I’m sure they’d change their minds.
Laura says
I have no advice, alas. I am barely treading water myself–the influenza last week and strep throat this week. So I just wanted to say hugs.
Laura Dembowski says
I wish I had good time management skills. The more immersed in the blog world I get, the more things spiral out of control. I try to set daily goals and meet them. Not that I always do.
Laura (Tutti Dolci) says
i’m with you, I’m not used to the shorter days yet either! I’ve finished my last 2 shoots in the dark… luckily it worked out, but it’s forced me to speed the process along!
I’m not a tofu lover but I love the sound the sweet & spicy flavors here!
Debra says
Time management is my elusive friend, also. I think it’s hard to say “creative” and “time management” in the same sentence! I love a good tofu recipe…thank you! Sounds delicious!
Daniela says
Tofu,spicy and sweet, that’s the combination I love! And it’s very healthy,too.
sally @ sallys baking addiction says
office job deadlines, freelance deadlines, my blog, family, friends, etc etc – I need time management help right now as well. I am struggling! I also have a hard time saying no to things, so I always over clutter my calendar. Everyday. Need help with this!
I adore tofu – even though I am not a vegetarian, I eat it all the time. Your sweet + spicy version is on my tofu list now. I’ve been making crispy tofu lately, so this is a nice switch up!
Savory Simple says
How do you do crispy tofu?
spree says
Jen, I really love the sounds of this simple lite delicious nutritious meal. I plan to fix it this coming week. As for the whole time-management thing, I struggle with it too…sometimes more than others. Too many interests, too many things calling my name, too easily pulled off course. I’m reading a book you may appreciate, “The War of Art.” Really very clarifying insights onto the whole subject of Resistance, Distraction, Procrastination and how they pull us from our unique & artful purpose. You might find it interesting. See what others have to say about it on Amazon. My eyes are widening as to what’s required. :) best of luck to you – and to me! :)