Tofu Quinoa Stir Fry is a quick and healthy meal that's ready in a little over 30 minutes. With crispy marinated tofu, quinoa, mixed vegetables and a simple tasty sauce to bring it all together, this is a protein-packed vegan dinner the whole family will love.
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Cozy, yet fresh and healthy is how we'll describe this Tofu Quinoa Stir Fry. It cooks up real quick, and can even be prepped in advance, so is perfect for midweek dinners and it's filling and protein-packed. Hello tofu AND quinoa!
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Ingredient notes
Here's what you'll be needing to make this super yum tofu quinoa stir fry:
A few notes on the main players:
- Tofu - You want extra-firm or super-firm tofu so it holds its shape nicely. And yes, we're giving it a quick marinade for lots of flavour and cooking it up until golden and crispy!
- Veggies - Feel free to switch these up. I used my own personal favourite stir fry veggies but you do you. Use your favourites, or use this as an opportunity to clear out the fridge before your next grocery shopping trip. You can't beat the quinoa broccoli tofu combo though so I highly recommend keeping some broccoli in there.
- Sauce - Basically a combo of soy sauce, maple syrup, toasted sesame oil, black pepper and Chinese five spice. We use a little of this to quickly marinate the tofu and then put the remainder in the stir fry. You can pick up Chinese Five Spice at most grocery stores in the spice section. It's a combination of Chinese cinnamon, fennel seed, star anise, and cloves and it's such a fragrant and delicious blend. Once you've made this recipe check out my Five Spice Tofu recipe!
- Quinoa - Stir fried quinoa might at first sound odd, I get it. We are used to stir frying rice and noodles. But it totally works and is so delicious. Tofu, quinoa and vegetables are perfect for each other! The recipe calls for uncooked quinoa which we will cook then stir fry, but if you have some leftover cooked quinoa you can use that instead.
Tip - Make this recipe super speedy by buying prepared stir fry veggies from the grocery store!
How to make Tofu Quinoa Stir Fry
First up we'll prep the tofu:
- Give it a quick press with a tofu press or wrap it in a clean dish cloth/paper towels and place something heavy on the top like a skillet and a couple of cookbooks.
- While it's pressing whisk up the sauce/marinade ingredients.
- Cube the tofu and pour over the marinade. Leave to sit while you prep the veggies etc.
- Cook until crispy and golden then set aside.
Then it's time to make the stir fry:
- Cook the quinoa. It only takes a few minutes.
- Prep your veggies.
- Stir fry the veggies until just tender, starting with the ones that take longest to cook.
- Add in the quinoa, tofu and sauce and give it all a good toss around then serve as soon as it's nice and hot.
Tip - You can easily make this recipe feed more people by simply adding more veggies.
Success tip - Don't overcook the veggies. They should be just tender. Add them in order, starting with the hardest (e.g broccoli), working down to the softest (e.g mushrooms).
Prepping in advance
All of the components of this quinoa broccoli tofu stir fry can be prepped in advance and stored in sealed containers in the fridge for up to 3 days. We're talking quinoa, tofu and vegetables. That way you can get a meal on the table even quicker after a busy day. To do this:
- Wash and chop the veggies.
- Press the tofu and cube it. You can even marinate and cook it in advance if you want to.
- Cook and cool the quinoa.
Then when you want to eat, simply pick up where you left off and stir fry it all. The sauce/marinade literally takes 30 seconds to mix up so just do that when you're putting it all together.
Serving suggestions
Everything you need is included, but a drizzle of toasted sesame oil or chili oil, a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds, cashews or peanuts, a few chili flakes, sliced green onions, and a big splash of soy sauce or sriracha will serve you well!
Storing leftovers
Store leftover quinoa stir fry in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in a hot skillet or in the microwave.
A Delicious Variation
Make the quinoa stir fry without the tofu then serve some of my crispy-crunchy nutritional yeast tofu with it instead! We had this combo for dinner last night and it was so good!
Recipe FAQs
Yes. The tofu cooks up great in an air fryer. I recommend cooking on 370°F for about 15 to 20 minutes and giving it a shake once or twice throughout. Once done, add it to the wok/pan with your stir fry.
Yes. Spread the marinated cubes out on a line baking tray and bake on 400°F for about 25 to 30 minutes, tossing halfway, until golden. Once done, add it to the wok/pan with your stir fry.
Yes. See my tips in the recipe notes.
More Stir Fries
Recipe
Tofu Quinoa Stir Fry
Author:Ingredients
- 1 cup (170 grams) uncooked quinoa , or 3 cups of already cooked quinoa
- 1 package extra firm tofu , (around 350 - 400g / 12 to 14 oz depending on brand)
- 1 tablespoons (15 mls) toasted sesame oil , see recipe notes for oil-free suggestions
- 6 tablespoons (90 mls) soy sauce , or GF Tamari
- 2 tablespoons (30 mls) maple syrup , or vegan honey
- 1 slightly heaped teaspoon Chinese 5 spice
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 head broccoli
- 1 large carrot , or 2 medium
- 1 large bell pepper
- 2 large cloves garlic
- 1½ cups (150 grams) sugar snap peas , or mangetout
- 8 oz (226 grams) white or brown/cremini mushrooms
- 1 bunch green/salad onions , sliced into small rounds (divided)
- 3 tablespoons oil , any oil suitable for high heat cooking (divided).
RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT
INSTRUCTIONS
- Cook the quinoa. Add the quinoa to a pan. Cover with 2 cups (480 mls) cold water. Cook uncovered on medium heat for about 10-15 minutes until the water has been mostly absorbed. Then turn off the heat, cover tightly, and leave to steam for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and set aside.To cook in an Instant Pot: Put the quinoa and 1 cup of water into the pot. Put the lid on and seal the vent. Set to 2 minutes high pressure and leave the pressure to naturally release. Remove the lid, fluff with a fork and set aside.
- Meanwhile prep the tofu. Open the tofu, drain off any liquid, then press with a tofu press for 10 to 15 minutes. Or wrap in a cloth/paper towel and put something heavy on top like a cast iron skillet and a few cans or cookbooks.
- While the tofu is pressing, in a small bowl mix together the toasted sesame oil, soy sauce, maple syrup, Chinese five spice and black pepper.
- Remove the tofu from the press, cut into bite-sized cubes (I like mine about ¾ inch), place in a medium bowl and drizzle over 3 tablespoons of the sauce you just mixed. Give it a toss to coat then set aside.
- Prep the veggies. Break the broccoli into small florets, (I slice the stalks up too), deseed and slice the bell peppers, peel the carrot and cut into matchsticks, slice or quarter the mushrooms, peel and chop the garlic finely and cut the green onions into rounds.
- Cook the tofu. Heat a large wok or saute pan over medium high heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the tofu, reserving any liquid left in the bowl for later. Cook on all sides until golden brown. Remove from the pan and set aside. (details for air frying or oven baking the tofu are included in the Recipe FAQS in the post above).
- Make the stir fry. Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the same pan and place over high heat. Add the broccoli and carrot and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently until slightly softened.
- Add the bell peppers and garlic, cook for one minute stirring frequently, then add the snow peas, ¾ of the green onions, the cooked quinoa, cooked tofu and the sauce, including any that was left in the bowl when you marinated the tofu. Toss it all together really well and cook for a few minutes until the quinoa is heated through.
- Serve sprinkled with the remaining green onions.
NOTES
- Replace the toasted sesame oil in the sauce/marinade with the same amount of tahini.
- Air fry or oven bake the tofu (instructions are in the Recipe FAQs in the post above)
- Stir fry the veggies in a large non-stick pan with a few tablespoons of water instead of the oil, adding more as necessary to prevent sticking.
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NUTRITION
This recipe was originally published on September 11th 2015. I've since updated it with more helpful information and new photographs and am now republishing it for you. I hope you enjoy it. Thank you for following A Virtual Vegan!
Denise says
Amazing! I’d never used Chinese 5-spice and was able to make some in my coffee grinder. I love the depth and flavor profile of this recipe. Thanks for your tip to garnish with sesame oil. tamari and toasted sesame seeds in addition to the scallion. That put it over the top!
Melanie McDonald says
So pleased you enjoyed it Denise!
Kathleen says
WOW WOW WOW
What a great recipe. Fantastic flavours, so easy to put together. Will definitely be putting this in my rotation!
Melanie McDonald says
I'm so pleased you enjoyed it! Thank you for coming back to leave a review. It's much appreciated!
Signe says
What are the components of Chineses 5 Spice? I don't have that.
Melanie McDonald says
I talk about that in the Ingredient notes in the post: https://avirtualvegan.com/tofu-quinoa-stir-fry/#ingredient-notes
Abby says
This was so so delicious, healthy & flavorful!
I didn’t have all the ingredients, so I substituted other vegetables - but the base remained the same.
Thanks so much for this recipe! My husband, my teenage daughters & myself really enjoyed it, even though we’re not even vegetarian (yet?).
A Virtual Vegan says
I'm so glad you all enjoyed it!
dcclark13 says
Love everything about this meal - YUM!!!!
Sheila Yamin says
Looks fantastic. Can't wait to make it, even if it will be just for me.
A Virtual Vegan says
Thanks Sheila! It actually reheats ok too although the vegetables obviously don't stay as nice when you do this.