Honey Ginger Tofu with Rice and Cucumber Salad

Crispy tofu with a sweet and spicy honey ginger sauce, served with rice and cucumber salad. If you love honey ginger beef, then you’ll love this honey ginger tofu version!

I have about 27 note tabs on my phone with random recipe ideas, along with the two notebooks I keep for jotting down recipe ideas. Sometimes, it’s from meals I’ve had, things I’ve seen on TV, or often, a meat-based version of a recipe that I know I can make plant-based.

This honey ginger tofu is one of those recipes. There is a recipe for honey ginger beef in the new RecipeTin Eats cookbook, and I knew I could make it plant-based using tofu!

Shredded tofu cooked until golden brown and crispy, then tossed with plenty of sweet and slightly spicy honey ginger sauce, served with rice and a cooling cucumber salad. I’ve been on a big cucumber salad kick since posting my Chili Crisp Tofu Bowls and my Gogujang Tofu bowls. If you liked either of those recipes, then you’ll love this honey ginger tofu one!

See below for more details, or scroll down to the full recipe below.

Honey Ginger Tofu Bowls

Ingredient Notes

The dark soy sauce gives the tofu a richer color and flavor but can be substituted with regular soy sauce if desired. If you want to make this recipe gluten-free, use Tamari instead of soy sauce.

For a vegetarian version, make sure to choose a vegan oyster sauce. Lee Kum Kee makes one that I can get at the grocery store, but you can also grab it online.

Persian cucumbers have thinner skin and are less watery. They are my preferred cucumber for this recipe, but you can use another one if you can’t find the Persian variety. English cucumber is a good alternative.

Honey Ginger Tofu Recipe

How to Make this Honey Ginger Tofu with Rice and Cucumber Salad

Make the Cucumber Salad

Combine all of the ingredients for the cucumber salad and set aside to marinate while you make the tofu.

Cucumber Salad

Grate the Tofu

Using a box grater (affiliate), grate the tofu into small shreds. Chop any larger pieces that fall off when grating.

Make the Sauce

Whisk together the ingredients for the sauce and set aside.

Ginger Honey Sauce

Cook the Aromatics

In a large skillet (I use cast-iron) saute the scallions, chili peppers and garlic until tender.

Honey Ginger Tofu 10

Add the Tofu

Add the tofu and cook until very dry and browned on some of the edges. The texture should be like pulled chicken.

Cooked Tofu In A Skillet

Add the Sauce

Add the sauce and cook for a few minutes, stirring often, until absorbed and warmed through.

Honey Ginger Tofu 6

Serve

Serve over cooked rice with the cucumber salad

Honey Ginger Tofu Bowl

More Healthy Tofu Bowls

If you make this honey ginger tofu bowl, make sure to come back to leave a comment and a rating. Your feedback helps other readers, and seeing you make my recipes makes my day.

Delish Knowledge

Honey Ginger Tofu with Rice and Cucumber Salad

Crispy tofu with a sweet and spicy honey ginger sauce, served with rice and cucumber salad. If you love honey ginger beef, then you’ll love this honey ginger tofu version!  Sauce adapted from Delicious Tonight.
Servings: 4 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients 

  • 1 block super firm tofu, drained and pressed
  • 2 tablespoons sesame oil* or other neutral oil
  • 4 scallions, thinly sliced (or 1 cup finely chopped onion), plus more for garnish
  • 1 Thai chili, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • ¼ cup dark soy sauce
  • ¼ cup Shaoxing wine
  • 2 Tablespoons toasted sesame oil*
  • 5 Tablespoons honey
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons grated fresh ginger
  • ¼ cup oyster sauce**
  • 2 cups cooked rice, for serving

Cucumber Salad:

  • 2 Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Instructions

  • Make the cucumber salad. Toss together the sliced cucumber with the rice vinegar, sugar and the toasted sesame oil. Set aside while you make the rest of the items.
  • Grate the tofu using a large hole box grater. If large pieces come off, slice them very thinly. Set aside.
  • Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the scallions, chili, and garlic and cook, stirring often, for 1-2 minutes until it is just fragrant. Add the tofu and cook, stirring often, until the tofu is golden brown and crispy, about 10-12 minutes.
  • While the tofu is cooking, make the sauce. Whisk together the soy sauce, wine, sesame oil, honey, ginger and oyster sauce. Add the sauce to the tofu and cook another minute or two to warm through and coat the tofu.
  • Serve warm over cooked rice and the cucumber salad. Garnish with thinly sliced scallions if desired.

Notes

**I prefer the flavor of toasted sesame oil in the sauce as sesame oil itself doesn’t have much flavor. You can saute the tofu in toasted sesame oil if that’s all you have. The dark soy sauce makes for a richer flavor and darker tofu, but you can sub regular if that’s what you have.
*I use a vegetarian oyster sauce. Lee Kum Kee makes one that I can get at the grocery store, but you can also grab online.

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 425kcalCarbohydrates: 53gProtein: 12gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gSodium: 1274mgPotassium: 333mgFiber: 1gSugar: 25gVitamin A: 158IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 67mgIron: 2mg
Course: bowls, dinner, tofu
Cuisine: American, Chinese-Inspired

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