Fresh citrus-flavors, coupled with colorful peppers, crispy tofu, green onions, and sesame seeds. This Thai-inspired orange tofu stir-fry is a one-pot, healthy, vegan, gluten-free dish that's become a weeknight favorite in our house!
Cut each block of tofu in half. Place each half in 2 clean paper towels one at a time and gently press/squeeze to remove excess stored liquid (without breaking up the tofu).
Cut the tofu into 1/2-inch cubes and pan fry on medium-high heat with 2 tbsp oil. Gently Mix and turn frequently until all the water is burned off and the tofu is lightly golden brown on most sides (be sure not to burn the tofu). If you find that the tofu is sticking to the pan, add a little more oil.
Once done, set aside. While the tofu is cooking, slice the bell peppers (as indicated below).
To Prepare the Dish:
Wipe down the same pan with a wet paper towel to re-use.
Thinly slice the bell pepper (note, depending on the length of the bell pepper, you may need to cut the thinly sliced bell peppers in half once more.
In the same pan as above, heat 1/2 tbsp oil on medium heat. Add the sliced bell peppers and saute until cooked and tender, but still remain crispy. In the meantime, prepare the sauce below.
To prepare the sauce, whisk all the sauce ingredients in a bowl or measuring cup. Depending on how sweet your orange juice is, you may need to adjust the amount of maple syrup accordingly (I used freshly squeezed orange juice which was very sweet).
Once the bell peppers are done, add the pan-fried tofu back into the pan. Keep the heat on low-medium.
Add in the prepared sauce and toss with the peppers and tofu.
Add the chili sauce for an added level of heat/spice.
Mix slowly on medium-low heat until the sauce starts to thicken and coat the peppers and tofu. Be sure not to burn off all the sauce. Once done, the peppers and tofu should be marinated and coated with the sauce, and the sauce remaining should be thickened.
Turn off the heat and add the chopped green onions. Sprinkle on some white sesame seeds. Toss once more and serve hot over some cooked brown rice or quinoa.
Notes
Nutritional Information - does not include cooked brown rice or quinoa.