Tofu with Tomato Sauce is a quick and easy-to-make Vietnamese dish. It is flavorful, saucy, and only requires 5 main ingredients.
When I first went vegan, the first recipe I knew how to make is Vietnamese Tofu with Tomato Sauce. Back home in Vietnam, my family has this dish almost weekly. It's a simple and easy-to-make dish, but so flavorful and comforting. This tofu recipe shows how versatile tofu is and how sometimes the best meals are easy and simple.
This dish holds special memories for me, as it was also one of the first recipes I learned to make. I have this dish with me all the time during my university days, as it is also affordable and requires only a few, accessible ingredients. For a similar recipe to this, check out Tomato Tofu Noodle Soup.
Check out my other tofu dishes!
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Ingredients of this Vietnamese Tofu with Tomato Sauce dish
For this recipe, we only need 5 main ingredients:
- Tofu
- Shallot (or white onion)
- Tomatoes
- Green onions (scallions)
- Oil for frying
For the seasonings, you will need:
- Soy sauce
- Sugar
- Salt & pepper
See recipe card for quantities.
How to make this Vietnamese Tofu with Tomato Sauce
First, cut your tofu into bite-sized pieces. Deep or shallow fry in oil until both sides are golden and crispy, then remove from heat.
First, pat dry and cut your tofu into cubes.
Shallow or deep fry the tofu cubes, then remove the tofu to a plate.
Thinly slice the shallot and cut the tomatoes into cubes. Add the minced shallots and tomato cubes back to the pan. Stir fry until softened.
Stir fry the minced shallot and tomatoes until the tomatoes are softened. Add the water.
Add in the fried tofu pieces, and season with soy sauce, sugar, salt and pepper to taste.
Remove from heat and transfer to a plate, top with chopped scallions and sesame seeds (optional). Serve with a bowl of rice!
Hint: if deep frying the tofu, remove some of the oil from the pan before adding in the minced shallots and tomatoes. Leave about 2 tablespoon of oil left in the pan.
Substitutions
This dish can be easily made gluten-free. Simply swap out the soy sauce for gluten-free soy sauce or tamari.
If you cannot access fresh tomatoes, you can use 1 can of chopped tomatoes instead.
Storage
The recipe keeps well in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Top tip
If you like your tofu more saucy, you can add more water (+¼ cup of water at a time) and adjust the seasoning to your liking.
FAQ
At home, we typically have this with a bowl of rice and a side of vegetables or soup.
No, this is not necessary. I'd recommend draining the tofu from the package and patting it dry with some paper towels.
For frying tofu, I recommend plant oil (canola or sunflower), peanut oil, avocado oil, or any oil with a high smoking point.
📖 Recipe
Vietnamese Tofu with Tomato Sauce
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Vietnamese Tofu with Tomato Sauce is a simple & easy side dish to serve with rice, ready in only 20 minutes with only a few accessible ingredients. It's an affordable meal to make!
Ingredients
- 400g (14 oz.) firm tofu
- Oil for frying (~3 tbsp)
- 2 shallots (or 1 yellow onion)
- 3 tomatoes
- 60ml water
- 2 tbsp soy sauce (or GF soy sauce/tamari)
- 1 tsp sugar
- Salt and pepper
- Chopped scallions
- Sesame seeds
Instructions
- Cut the tofu into bite-sized pieces. Deep or shallow fry in oil until both sides are golden and crispy, then remove from heat.
- Thinly slice the shallot or yellow onion and cut the tomatoes into cubes.
- Back in the oil, add the minced shallot, and tomato cubes, and stir-fry until the tomato cubes are softened. Add in the water.
- Add in the fried tofu pieces, and season with soy sauce, sugar, salt and pepper to taste. Toss to combine.
- Remove from heat and transfer to a plate, top with green onion slices and sesame seeds.
- Serve with a bowl of warm rice.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Meal, Side Dish
- Method: stovetop, frying
- Cuisine: Vietnamese
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 174 kcal
- Sugar: 4.3g
- Sodium: 470mg
- Fat: 12.3g
- Saturated Fat: 1.9g
- Carbohydrates: 9g
- Fiber: 2.5g
- Protein: 10.2g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
Related
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Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with this Vietnamese Tofu with Tomato Sauce:
Sarah says
Wow, this turned out very good when I made it. I only had half the amount of tofu on me, so I added some broccoli and cabbage. Seemed like that fit in with the other flavors. I served it with a side of steamed brown rice. My family loved it! I will definitely be making this again : )
Veggie Anh says
Hi Sarah, thanks so much for your comment! I'm so glad you and your family loved it, and great idea with using the additional veggies.
Sachin Raje says
I made this dish today, especially for guests at home. Everyone loved it with Rice.
This dish is easy to cook and turns out tangy and tasty.
Keep it up Anh...
Veggie Anh says
Thank you so much for your comment!
Allison T says
This is a great dish for any level of cook, great flavor, very convenient ingredients, and great as a side dish or a main course on days where I don’t have a lot of time. Really good!
Roman says
This is my favorite Vietnamese dish (at the moment). So fruity and I love all the different textures. Perfect with some fresh chili and coriander.