Description
This Mapo Tofu recipe is a vegan twist on the classic Sichuan dish. It’s made with tender tofu and meaty shiitake mushrooms simmered in a spicy, umami-packed sauce. All you need is 11 ingredients, plus fluffy white rice for serving!
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 4 scallions, whites, and greens divided
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons ginger, minced
- 3-6 dried red chilis, chopped, seeds included
- 8 oz shiitake mushrooms, finely chopped* (see notes for substitute)
- 2 tablespoons chili bean paste (doubanjiang)
- 1½ cups vegan chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 16 oz firm tofu, cut into 1” cubes
- Cornstarch slurry (2 tsp cornstarch + ¼ cup water)
- White rice, for serving
Instructions
- Toast the peppercorns. Add the Sichuan peppercorns to a dry pan over medium heat. Toast for about 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently, until fragrant. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
- Grind the peppercorns. Transfer the cooled peppercorns to a mortar or spice grinder. Grind the peppercorns as fine as possible and set aside.
- Sauté the aromatics. Heat the vegetable oil in a large wok over medium heat. Add the scallion whites, garlic, ginger, and red chilis. Sauté, stirring frequently, until very fragrant and lightly toasted, about 2 minutes.
- Add the mushrooms and chiles. Add the mushrooms and stir together. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are cooked down and softened about 6-8 minutes. Add the chili bean paste and ground Sichuan peppercorns and mix together.
- Bring to a simmer, then add tofu. Pour in the broth and sugar and mix to combine. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then lower the heat to medium-low and gently add the tofu cubes. Shake the wok to nestle the tofu into the sauce, being careful not to break the tofu. Simmer for 5 minutes.
- Make a cornstarch slurry. Mix 2 tsp cornstarch and ¼ cup water in a small bowl until uniform.
- Add the cornstarch slurry. Drizzle the cornstarch slurry around the sauce and tofu. Gently stir and shake the wok to distribute the cornstarch without breaking the tofu. Remove from the heat.
- Garnish and serve! Top the vegan mapo tofu with scallion greens and serve over white rice. Finish with chili oil for extra spice, if desired, and enjoy!
Notes
- Spices: Sichuan peppercorns aren’t very spicy but have a tongue-numbing sensation. The red chilis have a more traditional “spice”. Adjust both to your preference!
- Grinding peppercorns: If you don’t have a mortar and pestle or spice grinder, you can add the toasted peppercorns to a ziplock bag and smash with a rolling pin.
- Mushrooms: You can substitute these with 8 ounces of vegan ground “beef”.
- Storage: Leftovers will keep best in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. For best results, store the mapo tofu separately from white rice and combine right before serving.
- Freezing: Not recommended as it will change the texture of the tofu.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Entree
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: Chinese