Tofu Cabbage Stir Fry
When you need a quick and easy weeknight dinner, this Tofu Cabbage Stir Fry is all you need. Spiced and sauteed in a savory sweet sauce and ready in 20 minutes.
I feel I always have cabbage on hand. It’s one of my husband’s favorites and also a vegetable that is cheap and just keeps for a long time in the fridge compared to other greens. And when I’m trying to use most of it up, I find myself often making this Tofu Cabbage Stir Fry.
When the cabbage is sauteed down and then tossed with this sweet and savory sauce, I am even happier to eat it. High protein, easy to make and might be your new favorite quick and easy dinner.
Why You’ll Love This Tofu and Cabbage Stir Fry
- This dish takes 20 minutes to prepare with minimal chopping.
- Super affordable thanks to the use of cabbage and tofu, but also high protein and super nutritious.
- Easy to make and very customizable, so perfect for beginner cooks.
- Vegan, gluten-free and nut-free!
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
- Tofu: For the best texture use super firm tofu or extra firm tofu. If using extra firm tofu, just make sure to press and drain before using.
- Cabbage: I find that green cabbage tends to soften a lot easier when stir fried versus red cabbage, but it’s a great option to use as an alternative. You can also choose other veggies like shaved Brussel sprouts, kale, spinach and even broccoli.
- Scallions: Very easy to swap with regular diced yellow onion.
- Seasoning: We are using a combination of garlic, ginger, smoked paprika and coriander to help elevate and provide some of the taste we often get from the contents found inside of a classic egg roll from Chinese American restaurants I frequented growing up.
- Soy Sauce: I recommend using light (regular) soy sauce and dark soy sauce. You can use all light or regular soy sauce if that is all you have on hand. Or to mimic the dark soy sauce a little better, mix in 1/2 tsp of molasses to the sauce before mixing together.
- Rice Vinegar: Helps add just a little more tang to the dish. You can also replace with apple cider vinegar, lime juice or white wine vinegar.
- Sweetener: You can use maple syrup or regular sugar. Use what you have on hand or even leave it out if you’d like. Totally up to you.
How to Make Tofu Cabbage Stir Fry
Prepare your sauce in a separate bowl by combing the soy sauce, maple syrup, vinegar, sesame oil and bouillon. Mix to combine and set to the side.
To a heated pan add in the scallions and peppers and sauté until the onion has softened. Add in the garlic and ginger and continue to sauté until fragrant. Now add in the crumbled tofu and spices. Mix to combine evenly then stir in the cabbage. You want to sauté the cabbage until it starts to soften a little bit, then add the sauce you prepared earlier.
Stir the tofu and cabbage into the sauce and continue to sauté until the tofu has absorbed all of the sauce. Now serve with some extra scallions for garnish and serve with some rice or noodles.
Expert Tips
- Add more oil if the pan dries up. Since we are replacing meat with tofu, adding a little more fat to the dish will help both amplify flavor and retain moisture throughout the dish as it is cooked.
- Dark soy sauce is a little thicker with a mild sweetness. If you need a quick alternative, replace it with 1 tablespoon regular soy sauce and for that thick/sweetness add 1/2 tsp of molasses. The molasses will help to mimic the thicker notes of the soy sauce to make the dish richer.
- Cut the cabbage thin. This will help it cook down quicker in the pan along with the tofu. If your pieces are too big, it will take a lot longer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Cut the head of cabbage in half and remove the core with your knife. Place the cabbage cut side down and with your knife thinly slice the cabbage starting from one end to the other to make fine ribbons.
Cabbage is a cheap and great veggie option that you can use to bulk up meals. Some of my favorite ways to use is to pickle them, sear and braise, grill, top over flautas or tostadas, or use it to bulk up your smashed chickpea salad sandwiches.
I highly recommend going to your local Asian supermarket and buying it there as they have a great deal of different brands and options to choose from. If you do not have an Asian market near you, definitely check out this link instead.
For the soy sauce, replace with coconut aminos. For the tofu, you can replace with some chickpeas, seitan or your favorite plant-based pork substitute.
Cabbage is part of the cruciferous family (think broccoli, kale, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts). These hearty greens are loaded with minerals and antioxidants associated with reduced chronic disease risk.
The great thing about cabbage is that it is hearty. So when preparing this dish, allow to cool before storing in an airtight container. Then you can place the stir fry in the fridge for up to 5 days and use for meals throughout the week.
How to Serve
I love to serve this dish with some rice or overtop some noodles. We’ve also had success rolling the filling into vegan egg roll wrappers and rice paper wrappers for a fun hand held version. If you’d like some other sides to serve with this dish you can try any of the following:
More Vegan Take Out Inspiration
- 15 Minute Mushroom Fried Rice
- Garlic Sesame Noodles
- Orange Tofu
- Tofu Broccoli Stir Fry
- Sesame Ginger Soy Curls
- Sheet Pan Cashew Tofu
Tofu Cabbage Stir Fry
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: Chinese Inspired
- Diet: Vegan
Description
When you need a quick and easy weeknight dinner, this Tofu Cabbage Stir Fry is all you need. Spiced and sauteed in a savory sweet sauce and ready in 20 minutes.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp light (regular) soy sauce
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce (or an extra tablespoon of regular soy sauce)
- 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 2 tsp maple syrup or sugar
- 1/2 tbsp sesame oil
- 1/2 tsp vegetable bouillon paste or 1/2 a crushed vegetable bouillon cube
- 1–2 tbsp avocado oil
- 4 scallions, sliced with whites and greens separated
- 1 red chili pepper, sliced (optional)
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed or grated
- 1/2 inch ginger, grated or minced
- 1, 450g block of super firm tofu (or extra firm tofu, pressed and drained)
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 2 cups green cabbage, shredded
Instructions
- In a small bowl combine your soy sauce, vinegar, sweetener, sesame oil and vegetable bouillon. Whisk together to combine and set aside.
- Heat up a large skillet and warm up the oil. Add in the white parts of your scallion and chili pepper if using and sauté until the scallions start to soften. Add in the garlic and ginger, sauteing again until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Crumble the tofu into the pan and then add in the paprika and coriander. If the pan is super dry, add a little more oil and sauté the tofu to completely coat in the spices. Continue to sauté and cook the tofu for about 3-5 minutes then add in the shredded cabbage.
- Stir fry the cabbage until it starts to soften, about 4 minutes, then pour in the sauce you prepared earlier over the tofu mixture. Sauté to combine and continue to cook until the tofu and veggies have evenly absorbed the sauce.
- Serve with ice or noodles and garnish with extra scallions if desired.
Notes
Add more oil if the pan dries up. Since we are replacing meat with tofu, adding a little more fat to the dish will help both amplify flavor and retain moisture throughout the dish as it is cooked.
Dark soy sauce is a little thicker with a mild sweetness. If you need a quick alternative, replace it with 1 tablespoon regular soy sauce and for that thick/sweetness add 1/2 tsp of molasses. The molasses will help to mimic the thicker notes of the soy sauce to make the dish richer.
Cut the cabbage thin. This will help it cook down quicker in the pan along with the tofu. If your pieces are too big, it will take a lot longer.
If you tried this recipe or any other recipe on the blog, then let me know what you thought in the comments below! And if you loved it, don’t forget to rate it too. Feel free to follow on Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok for the latest nutrition tips and recipe videos.
★ Catherine
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This was so easy and delicious! My husband is GF so I used all tamari sauce instead of light and dark soy sauce, and I made it even easier by just dumping in some coleslaw mix I needed to use up. Topped with scallions, sliced almonds, and sesame seeds. Definitely will make again!