Tofu - Recipe Ideas

Soups:
Miso soup - dashi stock base, add mushrooms and green onion, works best with silken tofu, for a vegan/vegetarian version use the soaking water from dried shiitake plus kombu instead of traditional dashi
Kenchin jiru - dashi stock base, add any root vegetables you want plus silken tofu, I usually make it with pumpkin/sweet potato, daikon radish, mushrooms, green onion, and tofu
Nabe/Hot pot - dashi stock base, add pretty much any vegetables you want plus tofu then dip in ponzu sauce when removing individual ingredients from the pot, I generally use tofu, mushrooms, cabbage, carrots, and whole green onion
Soondubu jjigae - kimchi and tofu soup with optional meat/mushrooms, spicy

Stuff in sauce:
Green curry tofu - use extra firm tofu, add any veggies you want, serve with rice
Teriyaki tofu - stir-fry tofu first then add any veggies you want, once everything is almost cooked add teriyaki sauce (homemade preferably, if store-bought make sure it has rice wine/mirin in it), let reduce, serve with rice
Tofu stir-fry - get adventurous and try some chinese cooking sauces like black bean sauce or lao gan ma, add any veg/meat you want, serve with rice

Other preparations:
Age dashi tofu - fried tofu served with a dashi sauce and grated daikon radish, very refreshing but mainly a side dish/snack

There are a bunch more ideas on Just One Cookbook https://www.justonecookbook.com/tags/tofu/ and at The Woks of Life https://thewoksoflife.com/category/recipes/tofu/

I have never tried tofu, what does it actually taste like?

cherylhammani70 wrote: »

I have never tried tofu, what does it actually taste like?

You know plain egg whites? Kind of like that. If you've ever had edamame, it tastes like that but less "green". It doesn't have a very strong flavor, which is why it's usually prepared with strong-tasting ingredients/sauces. Texture-wise it varies greatly depending on the type and firmness. There are two main types: silken and regular. Silken tofu is very smooth and silky, kind of like a flan. Regular tofu is a bit more crumbly textured, like scrambled eggs but firmer. Also, the firmness determines how it will work in a recipe. Silken tofu, even "extra firm", will fall apart relatively easily and is best suited for soups or blended into sauces/mousse. Firm or extra firm regular tofu keeps its shape more easily, with extra firm being the best for frying or stir-frying because it won't crumble readily.

Tofu is a great, cheap source of protein and fiber so I'd highly recommend trying it out!

I slice mine relatively thin and bake it with a little garlic powder on it. I like it that way. I gotta get it a little crispy too. you could make tofu chips too iM sure

An air fryer is a must if you have the counter space. I sprinkle tofu with corn starch, seasonings and chickpea flour and spray with Pam. I air fry it at 400 for 20 min, shaking twice.