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Square photo of a plate of sweet and sour tofu
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4.87 from 66 votes

Easy Sweet and Sour Tofu

Love Chinese takeout? Try this Easy Sweet and Sour Tofu! In just 30 minutes, you'll have a healthier, vegan version of this classic dish. It's tasty and perfect for satisfying those takeout cravings!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Main Dish, Tofu
Cuisine: Chinese
Diet: Vegan
Servings: 2
Calories: 473kcal
Author: Iosune

Ingredients

For the sweet and sour tofu:

  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon vinegar I used rice vinegar
  • 10 ounces firm tofu cubed
  • 6 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoon oil I used extra virgin olive oil, divided
  • 1 carrot chopped
  • ½ red bell pepper chopped
  • ½ green bell pepper chopped
  • ½ onion chopped

For the sweet and sour sauce:

  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon vinegar I used rice vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon soy sauce
  • 6 tablespoons water
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch

Instructions

  • Mix the soy sauce or tamari and apple cider vinegar in a bowl until well combined.
  • Incorporate the tofu cubes and let marinate for at least 5 minutes.
  • Drain the tofu and transfer ⅓ of the tofu cubes to a freezer bag with 2 tablespoon of cornstarch and toss to coat. Repeat this step with all the remaining tofu and cornstarch. Add more cornstarch if needed.
  • Heat half of the oil in a skillet and when it’s hot, add the tofu cubes. Cook over medium-high heat until all sides are golden brown. Remove the tofu from the skillet and set it aside.
  • Heat the other half of the oil in the skillet and when it’s hot, incorporate the veggies (carrot, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, and onion). Cook over medium-high heat until golden brown. Set aside.
  • To make the sauce just mix all the ingredients until well combined.
  • Pour the sauce into the skillet and cook until it thickens, stirring frequently.
  • Mix the tofu, veggies, and the sauce in the skillet, stir, and cook for about 5 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
  • Serve your sweet and sour tofu immediately with some sesame seeds on top (optional).
  • Keep the leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Notes

  • Some people add pineapple to this sweet and sour tofu recipe, but I don’t. If you want to enjoy this dish with pineapple, just sautée it with the veggies.
  • Feel free to use any type of vinegar, starch, oil, veggies, or sweetener you have on hand.
  • Tomato paste can be replaced by tomato puree, ketchup, or tomato sauce.
  • The amount of sodium is not a real measurement because you’d need to marinate the tofu for hours for it to absorb all the soy sauce.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 473kcal | Carbohydrates: 63.8g | Protein: 14.6g | Fat: 20.1g | Saturated Fat: 3.2g | Sodium: 1114mg | Fiber: 4.7g | Sugar: 31.6g