Bland. White. Gelatinous. Tofu is gross, right? No, not really. It’s actually extremely delicious and versatile if you know what you’re doing with it.
In my work as a health coach and cooking teacher, I’ve come across a few people with tofuphobia. I think it comes from not knowing exactly what it is. Tofu is sort of like cheese made with soymilk rather than cows’ milk. It’s made by curdling fresh soymilk with a coagulant, such as nigari, calcium sulfate lemon juice or vinegar. Tofu originated in China, probably sometime between 179 – 122 B.C. , and it was introduced to the people of Japan and Korea sometime in the 700s. It has a soft, subtle flavor, and picks up the tastes of the spices and sauces it’s cooked with.
Different varieties of tofu
Tofu comes in several varieties. Silken is sold in shelf-stable aseptic packages and works well in dips, smoothies, and mousses. I once topped cupcakes with an incredible chocolate mousse frosting and served it to my tofuphobic coworkers who raved about how delicious my baked goods were. After they licked up every last morsel I told them that the main ingredient was tofu and they were all stunned. I hope I made tofu believers out of them that day.
Firm, extra firm, and super firm tofu are all in the firm tofu category, and they usually come packed in water and need to be refrigerated. Firm tofu usually needs to be drained before it’s cooked. There are fancy tofu presses on the market, but you don’t really need one to prepare it. If you know you’re going to make tofu later on, you can take it out of the package, wrap it in a kitchen towel and put it back in the fridge. The towel will soak up all of the water. If you forgot to do that, you can wrap it in a towel and place a heavy object on top of it, such as a cast iron skillet. Honestly, I don’t notice too much for a difference between the firm and extra firm varieties. This type of tofu is extremely versatile though. I fluff it up in my food processor along with lemon juice, garlic and spices to make creamy ricotta “cheese”, mash it and scramble it for breakfast in the way I used to do with eggs in my pre-vegan days, slice it and stir-fry it with veggies for dinner, and chop it up to add to curries and stews. Super firm tofu is… well… super firm. In the summertime I like to cube it, marinate it, and grill it on the barbecue, as it holds up to being grilled better than extra firm does. I also like to slice it, fry it, and have it on an English muffin, the way some people might eat eggs.
Freezing tofu is a great way to give it a slightly “meaty” texture. Simply place entire the package in your freezer, let it freeze completely, and then thaw it in your fridge or on the counter. Then you can crumble it and add to tomato sauce to make a vegan bolognese, mix it with sauce and spices to make sloppy joes, or mix with mayo and spices to make a tasty tofu-tuna salad.
Baked tofu is also readily available in most grocery stores, and it can be eating right out of the package. I like to slice it and make it into a sandwich or cube it to add it to salads. Baked tofu is also a good choice for slow cooker meals because it can stand up to prolonged cooking without falling apart the way other varieties might.
Tofu is good for you!
Being relatively low in calories and high in protein, tofu is a really good option for vegans, but it’s not required eating when you follow a vegan diet. And, yes, omnivores can eat it too! Tofu is also high in calcium, magnesium and iron. There has been a lot of hubbub in the nutrition world as to whether or not soy is healthy. The truth is that most of the studies that show soy being harmful are funding by the meat industry and are done using isolated soy protein, which is as far from the soybean as you can get. There have been plenty of studies that show the benefits of soy, and epidemiological studies have found that soy protein may reduce the risk for cancers including breast, lung, colon and prostate. Soy protein has also been shown to be useful for warding off heart disease, because it has been known to lower cholesterol and enhance coronary artery function. Asian cultures that have been consuming soy for thousands of years have lower instances of diseases such as cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis, and Alzheimer’s. And despite any urban legends you may have heard, eating tofu will not cause men to grow breasts.
My Top 10 Favorite Tofu Recipes:
My Favorite Baked Tofu – This versatile Baked Tofu can be used in salads, sandwiches, Buddha bowls, and even as an appetizer with dip!
Tofu Ricotta – This “cheese” is perfect for lasagna, baked ziti, and pizza!
Sweet and Sour Tofu – Skip the takeout and make dish at home. It cooks up faster than you can drive to the local Chinese restaurant and back!
Tofu and Shirataki Noodle Stir-Fry – Dinner doesn’t get much easier than this dish!
Hajiki Tofu Burgers – These burgers take me make to Greenwich Village in the 1990s, when I was in art school and didn’t have much money to spend on meals.
Tofu Frittata – This recipe is an old favorite, and it’s perfect for Sunday brunch.
Spinach, Mushroom & Leek Scrambled Tofu – This is one of my favorite weekend breakfast dishes, and I make it often.
Tex-Mex Scrambled Tofu – Full of peppers, onion, and spices, this dish is always a hit at the breakfast table.
Spinach Mushroom Quiche – I make this dish often for potlucks, and it’s always a bit hit!
Chocolate-Peanut Butter Truffle Mini Tarts – Satisfy your sweet tooth with these easy-to-make treats!
What are your favorite ways to prepare tofu?
Thank you for writing this! I get so many questions about whether it’s safe for me and my family to eat tofu. We have tofu in our supper 3-4 nights a week, which some people get alarmed about. But my son’s pediatrician told me that he should have two servings of soy per day to get the benefit. Soybeans are just beans! Delicious beans.
They are delicious and nutritious! The myths about soy just aren’t substantiated.
So many myths around soy. I’ve done a lot of research in my nutrition classes and like Dianne said, they’re are not substantiated. I’ve been eating more tofu lately too after finding all that out. It’s so a versatile food and a great source of protein. 🙂
I know so many people with tofuphobia! I’m going to show them this post so they’re less scared and can see all of the tasty meals that can be created with tofu.
Thanks for such an in-depth post!
Thank you, Mary Ellen! And thank you for the nutritionist’s point of view!
I hated tofu before I went vegan. I was vegetarian and thought I could never ever eat it. Of course, that was just because I had never had it actually made properly. I requested vegan at a dinner once and was served steamed veggies and steamed, unseasoned tofu and it was gross. Or silken tofu turning everything to much because they served that instead of firm tofu. Now I know how to use tofu, it is one of my very favourite foods!
(I love it so much now, there is a good chance I would happily eat the steamed unflavoured tofu these days…)
I’ve had unseasoned steamed tofu, too, and I know how terrible that can be! Properly cooked tofu is one of my favorites, too!
It’s amazing and disappointing how fearful people are of soy, even while eating foods that have proven negative health consequences. It shows that the meat industry is doing a pretty successful job at scaring people needlessly, and that people are happy to take them at their word. I think that since they already assume they don’t like foods like tofu, they are happy to dismiss it altogether.
Before I went vegan, I’d had very little exposure to tofu. Now it’s one of my favorite foods. I eat it several times a week in all kinds of different ways. I look forward to trying some of your favorites! That beautiful frittata is calling my name!
That’s a good point. I’ve seen people at the local vegan Chinese restaurant freak out over eat tofu, but they’re okay with all kinds of gross animal foods, and I’m sure it’s from years of brainwashing by the meat industry.
I hope you enjoy that frittata!
Tofu is so misunderstood and misused. It’s so good for you and so delicious if cooked right. You’ve made me want some now!
Enjoy! 🙂
Tofu is one of my favorite foods (there’s something I never thought I would say!). I’m with Becky—we eat it for dinner a couple of times a week, and in lunches too. So many ways to prepare it!
Mine, too! I make it a few times a week as well.