Glazed Lemon Tofu

5 from 7 votes

This sticky Glazed Lemon Tofu is tangy with fresh lemon and zest, spicy with ginger and red pepper flakes, sweet with maple syrup and salty with a dash of soy sauce or tamari. It is ready in under 30 minutes, you don't have to turn on the oven, and you can even make it in one pot!

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Chinese fusion

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings: servings

Calories: 240kcal

Author: Vaishali · Holy Cow Vegan

Ingredients

16 oz super firm tofu (cut into 4 slices lengthwise, then each of those slices cut into 3 for a total of 12 pieces)

For the marinade:

2 tablespoon lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
1 teaspoon avocado oil or any neutral oil
Salt to taste
Zest of two lemons (divided. Half for the marinade, other half for the sauce)

For the sauce:

¼ cup lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
¼ cup maple syrup
¾ cup vegetable stock
1 teaspoon ginger (finely grated)
1 teaspoon garlic (about 1 clove, also finely grated or crushed)
2 teaspoon tamari (or soy sauce)
½ to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 teaspoon tapioca starch (or corn starch)
Salt to taste
1-2 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Place the skillet on medium heat. Place the slices of tofu on it and pour on the marinade, ingredients (with half the lemon zest). Dredge the tofu through the marinade using a fork or a pair of tongs to make sure each slice is coated on all sides. Continue browning the tofu over medium-high heat until each side turns golden-brown. Remove and set aside. When cool enough to handle, cut into cubes.
In the same skillet, mix the lemon juice, the remaining half of the zest, ½ cup of vegetable stock, maple syrup, ginger, garlic, tamari and red pepper flakes. Cook over medium heat until it comes to a boil.
Whisk the tapioca starch or cornstarch with the remaining ¼ cup of vegetable stock and add it to the sauce, stirring rapidly as you mix. The sauce should thicken almost immediately. Let it come to a boil, then add the cubed tofu back to the pan and continue cooking another 3-5 minutes until the sticky sauce glazes the tofu but you still have enough sauce left over to spoon over your rice. Check if you need salt, stir in the sesame seeds and turn off the heat.
Serve.

Nutrition