Broccoli and Tofu Stir-Fry

I make a variation of this broccoli and tofu stir-fry once a week as it is quick and easy to prepare. It usually takes me 15 minutes from prepping to serving this dish.

When using vegetable or mushroom stock, this dish is vegan-friendly. And if you use tamari instead of soy sauce, this dish will be perfect for those who need a gluten-free diet.

Broccoli and firm tofu are widely available in most grocery stores, so you don’t need an extra trip to your local Asian market.

Arm with this recipe, you learn how to make an easy and authentic Chinese stir-fry. Feel free to use this recipe with other Chinese greens, such as bok choy, gailan, choy sum, or napa cabbage.

Ingredients for broccoli and tofu stir-fry

Broccoli

I use broccoli florets since I regularly stock my fridge with a big bag of broccoli florets from Costco, but you can use the stalks too if you are buying whole broccoli.

Firm/extra-firm tofu

We need the tofu to hold its shape and not fall apart from the cooking process. The best way to achieve this is to use firm or extra-firm tofu.

If your Asian market stocks fried tofu cubes, you can use those too. Please rinse fried tofu cubes in boiling water to remove excess oil before using them.

Garlic

Almost all Chinese vegetables stir-fry use garlic. I find it best if you can buy whole garlic and mince as needed. The pre-peeled ones are second best, and it is best to avoid the jarred minced garlic.

Stock

Stick to vegetable/mushroom stock for a vegan/vegetarian-friendly dish. If it is not necessary to prepare a vegan/vegetarian dish, you can also use chicken stock.

Shaoxing wine

Shaoxing wine is Chinese rice wine. You should be able to find this in most Asian markets.

If you need a substitute, you can use Chinese mi jiu (the one with clear color), Japanese sake, or dry sherry.

(Light) soy sauce

If possible, use Chinese soy sauce. My favorite is Pearl River Bridge light soy sauce and Kimlan soy sauce.

You can use Japanese Kikkoman soy sauce, but the taste is different from Chinese soy sauce.

TIPS: Soy sauce is not gluten-free. Use tamari to make the dish suitable for a gluten-free diet.

Dark soy sauce

The purpose of dark soy sauce is to give the sauce a darker color. If you don’t usually stock dark soy sauce in your pantry, you can omit it in this recipe.

Sugar

Pepper

Chinese and most Asian dishes use white pepper, but feel free to use black pepper if that’s what you have.

Cornstarch

We mix cornstarch with water to create a cornstarch slurry. The purpose of the cornstarch slurry is to thicken the sauce.

You can also use tapioca starch if you don’t have cornstarch.

How to cook broccoli and tofu stir-fry

Heat a wok over medium-high heat. Once the wok feels hot, add oil and swirl to coat the pan.

Add minced garlic and sauté for 30 seconds, or until the color turns golden brown.

Add broccoli florets and cook for 1 minute, stirring often. Add tofu cubes and the sauce, mix well and bring to a boil.

Once the sauce boils, add the cornstarch slurry and cook for another 2 minutes or until the sauce is thick.

Turn off the heat, transfer the dish to a serving plate, and serve immediately.

More easy Chinese stir-fry recipes

If you love this quick and easy broccoli and tofu stir-fry, you will love my other Chinese stir-fry recipes:

• Chinese cabbage stir-fry
• snake bean (Chinese long bean) and egg stir-fry
• green beans and ground beef stir-fry
• tofu, mushroom, and egg stir-fry
• green bean, carrot, and egg stir-fry
• bitter melon and egg stir-fry in black bean sauce