This Asparagus and Tofu Stir Fry is a quick and easy, vegan side dish, that takes only 10 minutes to make. Perfect spring time recipe, with asparagus season lasting only about 2 months or so here in the UK.
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
Asparagus are always at their best when in season, packed with vitamins A and C, potassium, calcium and iron. With a crisp, delicate flavour, I think they are best when given the gentlest of cooking treatments.
Vegetable stir fry dishes like today’s asparagus and tofu stir fry, are a very, very common side dish in many parts of Asia, and something I grew up eating. Depending on my mood, I use some form of green beans, cabbage, broccoli or carrots. With or without tofu, with tempeh, with minced meat, with seafood, spicy, mild, all kinds!
Call this a lazy, healthy, vegan side dish!
When is Asparagus Season?
Traditionally, the British asparagus season runs from St George’s Day on the 23rd of April to the summer solstice in June. However, these days, that season is a little bit more fluid. Locally grown asparagus can be available as early as March, depending on the weather.
Did you know?
With its subtle, mild mannered and a touch sweet flavour, the British asparagus is considered to be the best in the world.
Asparagus and Tofu Stir Fry Recipe
This is a super easy recipe, as mentioned above, and very adaptable too. Use more asparagus, more tofu, make it spicy, or not, that’s completely up to you.
Another thing worth mentioning here is whether to chop up the asparagus or not. In these pictures, I’ve left the asparagus whole, as I think they are prettier to look at. However, if truth be told, chopping up the asparagus into 2″-3″ (5cm-7cm) long pieces will make for easier eating.
Soy Sauce
We are using light soy sauce in this recipe, the sort used in much of Chinese cooking. Click here to read up on different soy sauces.
Use a Non Stick Pan
A non stick frying pan will be very helpful here. This is because we are only using 1 tablespoon of oil to cook this recipe, keeping it on the medium-lean side. For that reason, the final drizzle of chilli oil is completely optional, but if you do want it, we are only going to use about 1 teaspoon of it, no more.
Chinese Chilli Oil
These can be bought at any Oriental store, in supermarkets and most certainly on Amazon! However, if you do want to make your own, I have a couple of recipes on this site for it. You’ll find them here:
How to Serve this Asparagus and Tofu Stir Fry
It’s perfect as a side dish in any East and South East Asian meal. You can head on over to World Cuisines to check out the Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Thai, Singaporean and Malaysian recipes. Here are just some examples, then it’s time to get your aprons on!
If you like the recipe, don’t forget to leave me a comment and that all important, 5-star rating! Thank you!
And if you make the recipe, share it on any platform and tag me @azlinbloor, and hashtag it #linsfood
Lin xx
Asparagus and Tofu Stir Fry (Easy Vegan Side Dish)
Ingredients
- 200 g asparagus
- 100 g firm tofu
- 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 small onion
- 2 clove garlic
- 2.5 cm ginger
- 1 red chilli
- 1 Tbsp light soy sauce
- pinch of salt
To Finish
- a little fresh coriander leaves cilantro, chopped
- a drizzle of any Chinese chilli oil optional
Instructions
- Clean and break off the very ends of the asparagus, at the first segment. Chop them up into 2-3″ lengths, if you like.
- Rinse the tofu and cut into little cubes, about 1" big.
- Halve the onion, then slice thinly. Chop the garlic widthwise. Slice the ginger up thinly. Slice the chilli.
- Heat ½ a tablespoon of the oil in a non stick frying pan on high heat and fry the tofu cubes for 2 minutes, flipping the pan a couple of times, to brown the tofu all over. Tip out onto a plate and set aside.
- Heat the other half of the oil on medium heat an fry the onion slices for 1 minute.
- Add the garlic, ginger and chilli and fry for 30 seconds.
- Add the asparagus, soy sauce and salt and stir to coat. Cook for 30 seconds, then add the tofu and fry for another minute, stirring everything together, but being careful not to break the tofu up.
- Dish up, top with coriander leaves (cilantro) and chilli oil and serve immediately.
So Delicious! I wanna Test first I have to try it Home! Thanks for the amazing post
A pleasure, thank you.
You know, it’s a shame that products available such as asparagus, you don’t see international ones. It makes sense from economical sense, why pay premium, but I’d love to taste the difference!
When it comes to the potential benefits, some argue that asparagus contains anti-anxiety properties, as well.
Thanks Kenta. Sure, all green vegetables have varying degrees of of benefits. If truth be told, I’m not too bothered about the nitty gritty parts!
I’d assume all potential benefits depend on how veggies are raised and also how our bodies absorb them, so I would not be shocked at all if they can vary.
At the same time, it doesn’t hurt us to be aware, so, kudos to you mentioning them!
Thanks, and yes, I totally agree with that. I certainly believe that we all react differently to different foods, which is why so many diets don’t work for so many people. For eg, my husband can’t eat fruit after any food, it gives him severe indigestion. And while I only tend to eat fruit on an empty stomach too, eating them after fruit is still perfectly fine for me. The logic here is that fruit typically only takes 15-20 minutes to be digested. So when it is eaten on the back of anything else, it starts going putrid in your body.
Thanks for this recipe I’m trying to eat more greens this year! And I love tofu, so this is just up my street.
Awesome, and it’s a pleasure.
luv that it’s veggie girl
Cheers.
i haven’t seen this recipe before. is this your own recipe? it looks yummy
It’s a variation of stir fries I grew up eating.
Awesome! this looks so tasty, Azlin. Any tips on how to pick the best asparagus?
Thanks Cynthia. Standard advice: look for a vibrant green colour. And make sure that the asparagus isn’t limp, the tips shouldn’t be drooping.