My gooey, glossy, fire-red vegan mapo tofu is brimming with authentic Sichuan heat. I use dried shiitake mushrooms to ratchet up the umami levels to 11 (out of 10). And the delicate cubes of silken tofu provide the perfect smooth textural counterpoint to my otherwise in-your-face sauce.
I’m a mapo tofu super fan. There is something seriously addictive about silky tofu cubes coated in a fiery red hot sauce so glossy and thick that it’s begging to be poured over fluffy steamed Jasmine rice. I order regional versions anytime I visit Taiwan, China, Singapore, or Japan – and it’s my go-to dish whenever I order dinner from my favorite Sichuan restaurant in Chinatown. I’ve eaten countless versions – both with and without meat – and this vegan mapo tofu wins on every level. Now, before you shake your head or roll your eyes at me, let me explain exactly why.
It comes down to dried and fresh mushrooms. I soak dried shiitakes in water to create a mushroom stock that is so full of umami, it’s meatier than meat-stock. And I chop those rehydrated mushrooms (along with fresh mushrooms) into a mince that mimics ground meat. Once I’ve cooked that mushroom mixture with ginger, garlic and leeks – and introduce fiery gochujang, chili crisp and dried chili peppers – I’m ready to dig into a gooey, aromatic and spicy mapo tofu that slaps on every level (just minus the traditional minced pork or beef).
Table of Contents
Ingredients
Scroll to the bottom of this page for the full recipe steps and measurements.
- Dried Shiitake Mushrooms: These pull double duty. As I rehydrate the dry mushrooms, I get a super savory stock from the remaindered water. Then I finely chop the mushrooms and use instead of ground meat.
- Button Mushrooms: I finely dice these and add to my shiitakes.
- Oil: Any neutral cooking oil works here. I use vegetable or grapeseed oil.
- Garlic and Ginger: These are my aromatics. Mince both finely.
- Leeks: Mild and sweet. I slice mine down the center, then thinly slice each half on the bias (diagonally). Be sure to rinse leeks well – as grit might be hiding between the layers.
- Silken Tofu: This is the soft, pillowy stuff. Since it’s somewhat fragile, I cube and add it last, and always stir gently.
Sauce Ingredients
- Gochujang: While most recipes call for Chinese doubanjiang (a paste made from fermented broad beans), I prefer using Korean gochujang. It has plenty of savory, funky heat – but there’s an added element of smoky sweetness in gochujang that works perfectly with the cooked mushrooms.
- Soy Sauce: I use Japanese soy sauce. But feel free to use whatever is handy in the pantry.
- Chili Crisp: This is one of my favorite pantry ingredients for subtle heat and TONS of flavor. Chili crisp is an iconic mash up of things like garlic, fried chiles, onions and fermented soybeans.
- Kosher Salt: I use kosher salt when I can. The larger salt crystals make it unlikely that I’ll over-salt my food (as I might with an equal amount of table salt).
- Gochugaru: These are sun dried Korean chili pepper flakes. They’re smoky hot rather than full on volcanic.
- Cornstarch: I mix equal parts cornstarch and cold water to create a slurry – and stir it into the sauce near the end. This is the simple secret Chinese restaurants use to thicken sauces without sacrificing flavor.
How to Make It
- Prep the mushrooms. Soak the dried shiitakes in water for at least 30 minutes (longer is ok too). After soaking, remove the shiitakes but keep the water. Finely chop both the shiitake and button mushrooms.
- Cook mushrooms and aromatics in a large pan over medium high heat. Mushrooms first. Garlic, ginger and leeks second.
- Mix the sauce. Add gochujang, soy sauce, spicy chili crisp, salt and gochugaru to the pan and stir until bubbling.
- Add veggies and mushroom water. Boil then simmer.
- Add the cornstarch slurry. Stir until the sauce thickens.
- Finally add tofu, season and serve. Gently stir until the tofu cubes are coated.
Expert Tip
Allow the tofu to drain properly. Tofu is loaded with water. It’s best to get rid of some of that water so it doesn’t dilute the flavors of the mapo sauce. I wrap firm tofu in paper towels to absorb water – but silken tofu is too soft for that. Luckily, all I have to do is place the soft tofu block on a plate for 15-20 minutes. When water pools on the plate, pour it out. The tofu is ready to slice into cubes when water no longer pools on the plate.
Recipe Variations
While the flavors of my mapo tofu are fairly dialed in, here are a couple of simple additions and ingredient swaps.
- Make it spicier. Add more gochugaru or chili crisp to ratchet up the heat. Purists will love using ground Sichuan peppercorns – or even Japanese sansho pepper. And I love adding a few teaspoons of my homemade hot Sichuan chili oil for even more deep heat.
- Add a protein. Use textured vegetable protein (TVP), or a bit of pan-fried plant based ground beef for a texture that mimics the ground pork typically used in mapo tofu.
- Serve over pasta instead of rice. My husband does this all the time. Sure, rice is the gold standard, but pasta is pretty great too!
Storage and Reheating
Store leftovers in the refrigerator (covered) for up to 2 days.
That said, vegan mapo tofu is best eaten the day of. That’s because sauces thickened with cornstarch don’t hold that glossy, gooey, silky texture for long.
Reheat leftovers in the microwave – or in a pot on the stovetop. To re-thicken, add a teaspoon of cornstarch mixed with a teaspoon of cold water and stir well. If the flavors have weakened in the fridge, splash with soy sauce or salt and add a bit of chili crisp to taste.
What I Serve With Mapo Tofu
This is such a full flavored dish, I usually make it the star of the show when I cook dinner for my husband and me. Simple bowl of steamed white rice: done. Maybe I’ll toss in my Szechuan potatoes with vinegar and chili for good measure and call it a day. But when I’m making a full-on Chinese feast for family and friends, here are some of my favorites.
- Wood Ear Mushroom Salad
- Classic Egg Drop Soup
- Egg Fried Rice
- Vegetable Egg Rolls
- Chinese Broccoli with Garlic Sauce
And check out these other Sichuan recipes: spicy vegan Sichuan noodles, smacked cucumber with chili oil, vegan dan dan noodles, garlic shrimp with chili crisp, Szechuan chicken, the best Szechuan sauce
Frequently Asked Questions
When I’m running low on cornstarch, I reach for potato starch. Same thickening properties. Other good alternatives are arrowroot powder and tapioca starch.
Unfortunately, no. The main reason is that sauces thickened with cornstarch don’t hold their gooey texture for long. It’s best to make mapo tofu right before serving it. That way it’s hot, thick and rich in color. If you have leftovers, you can save them for a day or two – but the texture reverts.
This is how I prep for vegan mapo tofu whenever I make it:
About an hour before I start cooking, I soak the dried shiitake mushrooms (since it takes them at least 30 minutes to rehydrate). I chop all my veggies and have the sauces and spices measured and ready to add to the wok. If I’m feeling extra motivated, I will also make some rice in the rice cooker so everything is ready to be served at the same time.
Did you like this recipe? Are there changes you made that you would like to share? Share your tips and recommendations in the comments section below!
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The Best Vegan Mapo Tofu
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 60 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Tofu
- Method: Stove top
- Cuisine: Chinese
- Diet: Vegan
Description
My vegan mapo tofu is packed with savory and pungent Szechuan flavors. One of my favorite recipes of all time (I always go back for seconds).
Ingredients
- 1 ounce dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in 3 1/2 cup water for at least 30 minutes
- 7 ounces button mushrooms, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 tablespoon ginger, peeled and minced
- 1 large leek, sliced in half lengthwise – and then thinly sliced on the bias (diagonally)
- 1 pound silken tofu, drained and sliced into 1-inch cubes
For the sauce:
- 2 tablespoons gochujang
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons spicy chili crisp
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon gochugaru
- 2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 2 1/2 tablespoons water
Instructions
- Prepare the mushrooms. Soak dried shiitakes in water for at least 30 minutes. Then take rehydrated shiitake mushrooms out of the water and set the water aside. You will need the mushroom water for the sauce. Squeeze the shiitake mushrooms to remove excess water and finely chop them. Add them to the bowl with the chopped button mushrooms.
- Cook mushrooms, then aromatics. In a wok or large pan over medium high heat, add oil and mushrooms. Stir and cook for 8 minutes. Then add garlic, ginger and leeks, stir and cook for 4 additional minutes. Transfer vegetables to a bowl and set aside. Return the pan to the stovetop.
- Heat the sauce. Add gochujang, soy sauce, spicy chili crisp, salt and gochugaru to the pan and stir until the ingredients are mixed and heated through and beginning to bubble (about 1 minute).
- Add veggies and mushroom water. Return vegetables to the pan and add mushroom water. Stir well and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat to a simmer.
- Thicken the sauce. Give the cornstarch mixture a quick stir and add to the sauce while stirring. The mapo tofu should thicken up in 20-30 seconds
- Add tofu, season and serve. Add tofu cubes, Szechuan peppercorns and stir well to coat the cubes. Cook for 1 final minute. Serve with white rice.
Notes
Mapo tofu is best eaten the day of. But leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 2 days. The texture won’t be gooey anymore but the flavors will still be delicious.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 159
- Sugar: 3.9g
- Sodium: 758mg
- Fat: 9.5g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1.6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 13.4g
- Fiber: 1.3g
- Protein: 5.6g
- Cholesterol: 2.3mg
Questions and Reviews
Kids approved. Another winner!
I loved this recipe so much!
My partner and I made this and it’s by far the best vegan mapo tofu recipe we’ve found. 11/10
Thank you so much Josh! 🙂
I have a particular seething hatred for mushrooms (it’s a texture thing, the flavour is okay), are there any other possible alternatives? (I assume I could substitute in soy meat, but I’d be curious if anyone has any other ideas).
Side note: I live in Japan, so some stuff is easier / harder for me to get my hands on, depending.
Hi Crono! Can you find Beyond Beef in Japan? It’s plant based ground beef that I love using as a substitute for the real thing. If not, I would suggest trying TVP (textured vegetable protein – you can probably order some from Amazon) which also has a pretty good texture. 🙂
So so good. I missed this one a lot since I had stopped eating meat. I used a fresh package of shitake , firm tofu and a bunch of scallions instead of the leeks. Really good. Thank you so much for sharing Caroline.
I hear you John, I felt the same way when I quit eating meat as well. I like this one better than the classic version anyway so that was a win win for me! 🙂
I know this sounds nuts, but I improvised the sauce using siracha, ketchup and fermented black beans, and also did not have dried mushrooms to hand so just used white ones chopped fine. I did have all the other ingredients. It was really terrific, and next time I will try to be more faithful to your original recipe!
Harriet, nothing is nuts when it comes to cooking, it’s all about experimenting and having fun in the kitchen! If it’s good, that’s all that matters 🙂
What is spicy chili crisp? Is it fresh green chili or something canned? Also where does one find gochigaru?
Hi Sang, spicy chili crisp is sold in jars that you can find at your local Asian grocery store. You can also order it on Amazon here – https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MSFYPYQ?ie=UTF8&tag=nyfobl-20&camp=1789&linkCode=xm2&creativeASIN=B01MSFYPYQ
The same goes for gochugaru which can also be purchased on Amazon. This is the one I use – https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005G8IDTQ?ie=UTF8&tag=nyfobl-20&camp=1789&linkCode=xm2&creativeASIN=B005G8IDTQ
First time trying mapo tofu, my son told me about it because he saw it in an anime lol. I loved it, the flavour is amazing.I will make it again, and again, and again!
Super yummy but pretty spicy so be careful with the chilli crisp and gochugaru! Thanks for the recipe!
Absolutely fantastic recipe We went back for seconds
Just cooked this with some friends the other day! It was lovely… and perfectly spicy;) Thanks for the recipe!
The first time I had mapo tofu was at a vegan restaurant in Beijing, and that is still one of my most memorable meals to date. Yours doesn’t look far off the one I enjoyed there – many I’ve tried since are far too dry.