This takeout-inspired vegan sweet and sour tofu is the perfect weeknight dinner. Sticky homemade sweet and sour sauce coating crispy tofu, peppers, onions, and pineapple? Yes, please.
Sweet and Sour Tofu with Vegetables
One of my favorite things is crispy tofu coated with a thick, sticky sauce. I love my vegan orange tofu recipe so much, I wanted to create another saucy takeout-inspired tofu recipe. If you like sweet and sour chicken, then you’ll also love this sweet and sour tofu recipe.
This recipe is easy to make, packed with veggies, and high in plant based protein. Tofu is baked alongside red and green bell peppers, onions, and pineapple while sweet and sour sauce is simmered on the stove. Mix it all together and you got yourself a delicious meal perfect for a weeknight dinner or meal prep!
Ingredients
- Extra firm tofu: pressed for at least 20 minutes
- Vegetables: red bell pepper, green bell pepper, and yellow onion
- Canned pineapple chunks: we will use both the fruit and the juice from the can
- Cornstarch
- Low sodium soy sauce
- Ketchup
- Coconut sugar: sub brown sugar
- Apple cider vinegar
How to make Sweet and Sour Tofu with Vegetables
This recipe requires minimal prep work and is ready in just under an hour.
Cube the tofu and place in a large bowl. Add the soy sauce and cornstarch and stir until the tofu is coated. Spread tofu on a lined baking tray and bake for 20 minutes. Flip the tofu and add the peppers, onions, and pineapple to the baking tray. Then bake for another 20-25 minutes.
How to make sweet and sour sauce
While the tofu and veggies are cooking, prepare the sauce. Put all sauce ingredients except for the cornstarch + water in a medium pot. Simmer over medium high heat until the sauce has thickened. Then stir in the cornstarch slurry. Remove from heat, stirring frequently for about 1 minute. Then add the tofu and vegetables to the pot and stir until everything is coated.
Serve over rice with chopped green onions and sesame seeds. This recipe is perfect for meal prep and will last for about a week in the fridge.
More vegan asian-inspired recipes
- Vegan Teriyaki “Chicken” Soy Curls
- Easy Vegan Peanut Noodles
- The Best Vegan Orange Tofu
- Vegan Mushroom Cream Cheese Wontons
- Pineapple Fried Rice
- Tahini Pad Thai
Sweet and Sour Tofu with Vegetables
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Mains
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Asian-Inspired
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This takeout-inspired vegan sweet and sour tofu is the perfect weeknight dinner. Sticky homemade sweet and sour sauce coating crispy tofu, peppers, onions, and pineapple? Yes, please.
Ingredients
- 1 (14 oz) block extra firm tofu, pressed
- 1 (20 oz) can pineapple chunks (reserve the pineapple juice for the sauce)
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1” chunks
- 1 green bell pepper, cut into 1” chunks
- 1 yellow onion, cut into 1” chunks
- 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce (sub tamari if gluten free)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Sweet and sour sauce
- Juice from 1 (20 oz) can pineapple chunks
- 1/3 cup ketchup
- 5 tablespoons coconut sugar (sub brown sugar)
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce (sub tamari if gluten free)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed + 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 F.
- Make the crispy tofu and vegetables.
- Cube the tofu into 32 pieces and place in a large bowl. Add the soy sauce and cornstarch. Stir until the tofu is coated. Evenly spread tofu on a lined baking tray.
- Bake for 20 minutes.
- Flip the tofu and add the peppers, onions, and pineapple chunks to the baking tray. Bake for another 20-25 minutes until the tofu is firm and the veggies are softened.
- Make the sweet and sour sauce.
- While the tofu and veggies are cooking, prepare the sauce. Put all sauce ingredients except for the cornstarch and water in a medium pot. Bring to a rolling simmer over medium high heat. Continue to simmer for about 8 minutes until the sauce has thickened a bit.
- Mix the cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl until dissolved. Pour the cornstarch mixture into the pot and stir until incorporated.
- Remove the pot from heat, stirring frequently for about 1 minute. Set aside until the tofu and vegetables are done baking.
- Mix everything together. Add the tofu and vegetables to the pot with the sweet and sour sauce and stir until everything is coated. Serve with rice, chopped green onions, and sesame seeds. Sweet and sour tofu will last for about a week in the fridge.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 307.4 kcal
- Sugar: 35.9 g
- Sodium: 767.6 mg
- Fat: 5.9 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 49.1 g
- Fiber: 4.1 g
- Protein: 14.9 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Keywords: sweet and sour tofu, tofu recipe