30 Minute Black Pepper Tofu

• servings: 4 servings
• active time: 10 minutes
• total time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

1 (14-oz.) block extra-firm tofu

2 Tbsp. cornstarch

3 Tbsp. neutral cooking oil, divided

5 Tbsp. lower-sodium soy sauce

1 Tbsp. granulated sugar

1 Tbsp. cracked black pepper

1/2 tsp. freshly grated ginger

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 small shallot, thinly sliced

1 small Fresno chile (seeds and ribs removed, thinly sliced (or a drizzle of Chili Crisp for garnish)

1/4 cup thinly sliced green onion

White rice and fresh basil for serving

Directions

Press excess moisture out of the tofu using either paper towels or a kitchen towel. Slice into 1 inch cubes and place in a large bowl. Toss with cornstarch until tofu is well coated.

Combine soy sauce, sugar, black pepper, and ginger in a small bowl or glass measuring cup; stir with a whisk. Set aside.

Heat 2 Tbsp. of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add tofu; cook for 7 to 8 minutes, turning to brown all sides, until golden-brown and crisp. Transfer tofu to a plate and reduce heat to medium.

Add remaining 1 Tbsp. oil to pan, along with garlic, shallots, and chile (if using); cook 2 minutes, stirring often, until aromatic.Add tofu back to pan, along with black pepper sauce and green onions; cook 1 to 2 minutes, tossing often, until the sauce fully coats tofu.Serve over rice and garnish with fresh basil and a drizzle of Chili Crisp (optional).

Notes

I like to increase the pepper by 1/2-1 T. Be careful when adding soy sauce to use one that is low sodium (or add slightly less than the recipe calls for). To prepare the tofu, I like to cube, boil in salt water for 3-4 minutes, strain, then pat dry

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 0.66 cup
• Calories: 240 kcal
• Total Fat: 18 g
• Saturated Fat: 2 g
• Sodium: 650 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 11 g
• Dietary Fiber: 1 g
• Total Sugars: 4 g
• Protein: 13 g