?
Best Cooked Tofu | Nutrition Stripped
Eat Well Feb. 19. 2019
Mains

The Best Cooked Tofu

Feb. 19. 2019
Mains
McKel Hill Kooienga, MS, RDN, LDN

McKel Hill Kooienga, MS, RDN, LDN

Founder of Nutrition Stripped® and the Mindful Nutrition Method™

Tired of cooking tofu that tastes like blah? Meet the best cooked tofu recipe.

I’ve found this to be my go-to, reliable, and trustworthy tofu recipe that I can always count on making on meal prep day and inevitably will enjoy later in the week.

If you’re looking for a tofu recipe that goes with everything you add it to — from salads, a stir-fry, roasted vegetables, dipped in a sauce or condiment, added to pasta, or your favorite Nourish Bowl — then you’ve found it here!

This best cooked tofu recipe is a mix of sweet, spicy, and savory from the nutritional yeast (hello B vitamins and protein), soy sauce of your choice, a splash of maple syrup, an optional dash of chili sauce, and spices you probably already have in your pantry.

Is Tofu Healthy?

The soybean is one of the most common foods in our diet, primarily because soy is found in most processed foods (1).

Tofu is made from soy and depending on the brand you can purchase tofu that’s organic and/or organic and sprouted. Sprouted means the soybeans have been sprouted before being processed as tofu, which may help increase the nutrient density.

Whole soybeans have many nutrients, and they’re a decent source of plant-based protein. They become unhealthy, however, when they’re processed at high temperatures. They also contain phytates, which affect the absorption of their nutrients. (2)

The soy you can find now isn’t the same as the soy crop from your grandparents’ day and age. Soy-derived products like soybean oil and soy protein are incredibly refined, and over 90% of them in the US have been genetically modified, according to the US Department of Agriculture. (3) Soybean oil also contains an imbalanced amount of Omega-6 polyunsaturated fats, which in excess, that can lead to inflammation and health problems. (4)

Take a deeper look at the health benefits of soy and some things to consider when consuming soy in our NS Society exclusive journal article.

You can make a large batch of this recipe for multiple servings for the week ahead and if you want to use this sauce on other proteins like tempeh, fish, chicken, etc. then you absolutely can and it’ll taste great!

Stripped

Plant-based Protein

Soy-containing foods such as tempeh, tofu, and edamame all offer a complete plant protein containing all amino acids.

It’s one of the strongest, most animal-like protein in terms of chemical makeup. Some research says that soy has a high concentration of BCAAs or branched-chain amino acids, which are beneficial to athletic performance (5). 

Often these soy-based sources of plant protein also carry fiber and healthy fats as well as the protein. Tempeh is the most nutritious out of this bunch, as it contains naturally-occurring healthy bacteria from the fermentation process.

However, read up about what you should know about soy before adding a ton of tempeh, tofu, or edamame to your diet.

 

The Recipe

Serves 2-4

Print

Ingredients

15-ounce organic sprouted firm tofu

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons nutritional yeast

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

1/4 teaspoon chili sauce (Sriracha), optional

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Step 1

In a large mixing bowl, gently toss the sliced tofu with all the ingredients to coat.

Step 2

Lay the tofu evenly on a lined baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, turning the tofu at 15 minutes to make sure the sides are golden brown.

Step 3

Enjoy this baked tofu with a fresh salad, in a sandwich, in a wrap, plain with hummus or another condiment of your choice, stir-fry, the possibilities for the use of this tofu are endless.

Have Leftovers? Here’s What To Do With Them:

As always, store in an airtight glass container that we recommend from the NS Shop, in the fridge for one week.

Reheat upon serving.

Can’t wait to see you try it!

Did you know that you can submit your own photo of whatever recipe you make from NS? Scroll down to the bottom right and you’ll see a section for you to show off your creations from home!

Can’t wait to see how you make these and share your meal with me! Tag us on Instagram @nutritionstripped #nutritionstripped

Reclaim Peace With Food

Break free from dieting and overthinking with our proven 3-part method, designed to help you take charge of your eating habits for life. Be confident, calm, and in control with food for life!

🌿 Feel confident and in control with food
🌱 Break free from food rules
🥑 Enjoy food without stress
🧠 Stop overthinking food choices
🕯️ Reclaim your focus and energy
🔄 Ditch the dieting cycle for good
🫶 Trust yourself with food
💫 Achieve freedom with food
TAKE THE FIRST STEP →