Name: Thai Basil Tofu
Ingredients: 1/2 onion; 1 red bell pepper; 4 tsp sugar; 4 tbsp soy sauce; 2 tbsp fish sauce ((vegan if you prefer)); 1/2 cup vegetable broth; 2 lb firm tofu; 2 bunches Thai basil; 6 tbsp olive oil; 2-3 cups short grain white rice

Thai Basil Tofu

I’m sure you’ve played the game, “If you could eat just one food for the rest of your life what would it be?” I bet Thai Basil Tofu isn’t your response. It’s typical to go with some extravagant answer to this question. But every time we sit down to a bowl of this Thai basil tofu and take a bite a little sigh escapes and I find myself with a satisfied smile on my face.

Hands down this Thai basil tofu is one of our favorite go to meals. The combination of savory, sweet, umami flavor with fresh basil hits the spot. To top it all of it’s super quick and easy to put together for a quick weeknight meal. Somehow that makes it even more satisfying. It pairs easily with a quick side dish of roasted broccoli or sautéed green beans.

5 from 1 vote

Thai Basil Tofu

Ingredients

1/2 onion
1 red bell pepper
4 tsp sugar
4 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp fish sauce (vegan if you prefer)
1/2 cup vegetable broth
2 lb firm tofu
2 bunches Thai basil
6 tbsp olive oil
2-3 cups short grain white rice

Instructions

Slice the onion into curved slivers and the bell pepper into 1-2 inch strips.
Mix the sauce ingredients (sugar, soy sauce, fish sauce, vegetable broth) together in a small bowl and set aside.
To prepare the tofu remove it from it's packaging. Break it into 4 quarters. Grab a quarter and press it between your hands over the sink to drain and squeeze out as much water as you can. Put the squished crumbled tofu into a bowl and repeat until it's all drained. You should end up with a bowl full of crumbled tofu.
Heat a skillet on medium high, add 3 T olive oil to the pan. Add half of the crumbled drained tofu to the pan and sauté until the tofu crumbles are golden. Repeat with the second half of the tofu. Remove from heat and put tofu back in the bowl.
Add the sauce ingredients to the bowl of hot tofu.
Remove the basil leaves from the stems and roughly chop. Add the basil to the tofu and stir to combine.
Using the same skillet on medium high, add 1 tbsp of olive oil. Sauté the onion slivers with a little salt and pepper until they start to pick up a little golden brown color but are still firm and crisp. When done remove from heat and set aside.
Using the same skillet on medium high, add 1 tbsp of olive oil. Sauté the bell peppers with a little salt and pepper until they start to pick up a little golden brown color but are still firm and crisp. When done remove from heat and set aside.
Cook rice as instructed. I typically use 1 cup of white rice to one cup of water and use a rice cooker that makes it perfect every time with the push of a button.
To serve add rice to a bowl, top with the tofu mixture along with the sautéed onion and bell peppers. This is also great with roasted broccoli or sautéed green beans.