Traditional Japanese flavors mixed with a little Chinese flair makes this tofu dish unforgettable.
Healthy and vegetarian doesn’t have to mean bland and boring. For centuries, Asian cuisine has done a great job at catering to vegetarians with mouthwatering dishes that are delightful and complex in flavor. Whenever I think of cooking food that is predominantly meatless, my mind goes straight to Asia.
A dish like this tofu with mushroom sauce will satisfy the carnivore in you because it’s filling, has a rich and meaty texture from the shiitake mushrooms, yet is low in calories and fat. Toppings are arbitrary; you can really add anything to this dish that you like, though the addition of grated daikon and ginger invigorates and spices up this otherwise mellow tasting dish (earthy, slightly sweet with savory notes).
We had the dish on its own for lunch (with a glass of mugicha) and it was scrumptious! The following day I served the leftovers for dinner, alongside spaghetti vongole and that didn’t turn out so well. The strong flavors of the vongole completely upstaged the delicateness of the tofu with mushroom sauce. My advice: Either serve this as an appetizer alone (for full WOW! effect) or with something mild like a steamed fish, tsukune or a bowl of rice with pickles on the side.
This tofu with mushroom sauce recipe will remind you of tofu served at kaiseki dinners (traditional multi-course Japanese dinner) with a splash of Chinese influence. It might just become your favorite tofu dish; believe me, it’s that good!
Tofu with Mushroom Sauce
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 2 1x
- Category: Tofu
- Method: Boiling
- Cuisine: Chinese
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Silken tofu served in a mushrooms, soy, mirin sauce, topped with grated ginger and chives.
Ingredients
- 14 ounce silken tofu
- 1/4 cup daikon, grated
- 2 tablespoons chives, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons ginger, peeled and grated
- 1/4 cup cilantro, leaves picked
- a few slices green pepper (optional)
- nori sheet, shredded
Mushroom sauce
- 1 cup shiitake mushrooms, cut into strips
- 1 cup dashi
- 1 tablespoon light soy
- 1 tablespoon soy
- 3 tablespoons mirin
- 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- – Drain and wrap the tofu in a few sheets of paper towel, or cloth, or tea towel. Place it on a plate and leave for 15 minutes to remove excess water.
- -Slice the tofu into 8 small blocks and set aside.
- – In a small pan over medium high heat, combine the dashi, light soy, soy sauce, mirin, and shiitake mushrooms.
- Bring to a boil and add the cornstarch and water mix. Stir and lower the heat to low. Keep stirring until the sauce thickens – 1 to 2 minutes. Turn the heat off.
- – Divide the tofu and vegetables into 4 shallow bowls.
- – Pour the mushroom sauce over and top with a little shredded nori.
- – Serve immediately.
Notes
This tofu with mushroom sauce dish is best eaten immediately.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 397
- Sugar: 13g
- Sodium: 583.8mg
- Fat: 6.2g
- Saturated Fat: 1.2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 56g
- Fiber: 7.9g
- Protein: 20g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
