This Chinese Salt and Pepper Tofu Recipe is a vegan Chinese recipe that is a copycat of my Salt and Pepper Chicken recipe
If you are a vegetarian and want to try a Chinese tofu dish, then give this Salt and Pepper Tofu recipe a try! It’s spiced with peppers, onions, and of course salt. The end result is a delicious 5 spice Chinese tofu recipe that is finger-licking good!
I highly recommended trying this delicious crispy tofu recipe with fried rice or noodles to make it a complete meal. It also pairs well with cold beverages.
A great dish to take to gatherings or enjoy on a weekend with your loved ones.
- Ingredients
- Instructions
- Equipment Needed
- Substitutions
- Variations
- Storage and Reheating
- Pair it with…
- Top Tips
- 📖 Recipe
- How to make Salt and Pepper Tofu Video
- FAQ
- 💬 Community
Ingredients
- corn starch
- Chinese 5 spice
- white pepper
- black pepper
- salt
- white onion
- jalapeno pepper
- garlic
- extra firm tofu, patted dry - ( Trader Joe’s Sprouted Tofu is a great choice)
- green onion (scallions)
Instructions
Make the corn starch mixture by mixing the corn starch, Chinese 5 spice, black pepper, and salt together. Set it aside.
Pat the tofu dry using kitchen towels or paper towels. Remove as much excess water as possible from the extra firm tofu. Then cut the tofu into bite-sized pieces and coat them in the corn starch and 5 spice mixture.
Deep fry the tofu for about three minutes or until it is crisp. I love using my HexClad pans to fry in.
In another pan, heat a little oil and saute the chopped white onion and jalapeno until al dente. Add the grated or chopped garlic, salt, black pepper, green onion, and white pepper.
Mix quickly and then add the fried tofu pieces. Saute for about 2 minutes and serve warm.
Equipment Needed
- deep frying pot (I love my Hexclad pans for frying)
- wok or equivalent
- spatula
- microplane (optional)
- cutting board and knife
- bowls
- paper towels
- tongs
- skimmer or frying ladle
Substitutions
- Extra Firm Tofu - substitute with chicken, shrimp, or cauliflower
- Jalapeno - bell pepper for a less spicy version
- White Onion - substitute with red onion
Variations
- Gluten Free- This recipe is naturally gluten-free. If Celiac, be sure to use gluten-free labeled ingredients to prevent contamination.
- Air Fry- I do not recommend air-frying this recipe.
- Garlic- can used minced, chopped, or blended garlic but fresh is recommended.
Storage and Reheating
Freezer Friendly- the fried tofu pieces may be frozen for a few months
Reheating- Simply air fry the fried tofu pieces until they are heated through. Then toss it with the onions, jalapenos, and spices.
Pair it with…
- Rice
- Manchow Soup
- Paneer chili
Other Vegan Recipes…
- Creamy Tahini Pasta
- Sev Usal Recipe
- Lemon Herb Tahini Sauce
- Indian Salad Recipe with Greens
Top Tips
- Pat the tofu as dry as possible with towels
- Fry the tofu on high heat to get crispy tofu
- The smaller the tofu pieces the quicker the frying time will be.
- This recipe calls for extra salt. It really does make the recipe come together.
Other Asian Inspired Recipes…
- Chinese Salt and Pepper Chicken
- Momo Chutney Recipe
- Vegan Momos with Chutney
- Easy Indo Chinese Chicken Curry with Onions
📖 Recipe
Chinese Salt and Pepper Tofu Recipe
Equipment
- ▢ Wok or equivalent
- ▢ Frying Ladle
- ▢ Frying pan to fry
- ▢ Bowl + Paper Towel to drain fried chicken
- ▢ Knife and Cutting Board
- ▢ Microplane (optional for garlic)
Ingredients1x2x3x
Corn Starch Mixture
- ▢ ¾ cup corn starch
- ▢ 1 tablespoon Chinese 5 spice
- ▢ 1 tablespoon black pepper
- ▢ ¾ tablespoon salt (I use Morton’s Iodized salt)
- ▢ 14 oz tofu, patted dry with a towel and cut into small pieces
Salt and Pepper Chicken Ingredients
- ▢ 1 teaspoon white pepper
- ▢ ¼ tsp salt
- ▢ 1 medium white onion, diced
- ▢ 2 medium jalapenos, diced
- ▢ 4 sprigs green onions/scallions, diced
- ▢ ½ tablespoon oil
- ▢ oil, for frying (I use extra light olive oil)
- ▢ 3 cloves garlic, either minced, grated, or chopped finely
Instructions
Corn Starch Mixture
- Combine the corn starch, Chinese 5 spice, salt, and black pepper together.
- Add the tofu to the corn starch mixture, mix it until coated, and set it aside.
Frying the Tofu
- Heat oil in a frying pan on high heat.
- Dust off the extra corn starch mixture from the tofu and then fry it until golden brown (about 3 minutes).
- Drain excess oil from the fried tofu by placing it in a bowl/tray with paper towels under it.
Salt and Pepper Tofu
- In a pan, heat ½ tablespoon of oil and cook the diced onions and jalapenos for about 2-3 minutes on high heat (add extra oil if needed).
- Add in the garlic, white pepper, green onions, and salt.
- Mix quickly and then toss in the fried tofu pieces immediately.
- Cook for about 2-3 minutes.
- Serve warm
Video
Notes
Nutrition
How to make Salt and Pepper Tofu Video
For this recipe, I do not recommend it.
Yes! It will actually give a really firm texture after being frozen. Thaw it completely and pat it dry before continuing with this recipe.
Yes! The ingredients used to make this recipe do not contain any animal products.
Pair it with fried rice or lo mein noodles.
Yes! Hodo Tofu makes a great variation of this and it is perfect to use.
Chinese Salt and Pepper Tofu Recipe
Equipment
- Wok or equivalent
- Frying Ladle
- Frying pan to fry
- Bowl + Paper Towel to drain fried chicken
- Knife and Cutting Board
- Microplane (optional for garlic)
Ingredients
Corn Starch Mixture
- ¾ cup corn starch
- 1 tablespoon Chinese 5 spice
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- ¾ tablespoon salt (I use Morton’s Iodized salt)
- 14 oz tofu, patted dry with a towel and cut into small pieces
Salt and Pepper Chicken Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon white pepper
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 medium white onion, diced
- 2 medium jalapenos, diced
- 4 sprigs green onions/scallions, diced
- ½ tablespoon oil
- oil, for frying (I use extra light olive oil)
- 3 cloves garlic, either minced, grated, or chopped finely
Instructions
Corn Starch Mixture
- Combine the corn starch, Chinese 5 spice, salt, and black pepper together.
- Add the tofu to the corn starch mixture, mix it until coated, and set it aside.
Frying the Tofu
- Heat oil in a frying pan on high heat.
- Dust off the extra corn starch mixture from the tofu and then fry it until golden brown (about 3 minutes).
- Drain excess oil from the fried tofu by placing it in a bowl/tray with paper towels under it.
Salt and Pepper Tofu
- In a pan, heat ½ tablespoon of oil and cook the diced onions and jalapenos for about 2-3 minutes on high heat (add extra oil if needed).
- Add in the garlic, white pepper, green onions, and salt.
- Mix quickly and then toss in the fried tofu pieces immediately.
- Cook for about 2-3 minutes.
- Serve warm
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe Courtesy of The Curry Mommy
This Sev Usal Recipe is a delicious semi-homemade Indian spiced soup that’s perfect for large gatherings or a quick meal.
It comes together rather quickly with store-bought vegetarian soups such as minestrone or vegetable barley . Top it with crispy sev packets (bhujia), cilantro, tomatoes, and onions to make it a delicious hearty Indian meal.
IDEAS- Perfect for gatherings! Keep it warm in a slow cooker or Instant Pot and let everyone add their own toppings for personalization.
- Ingredients
- Cooking Instructions
- Love Indian Spiced Soups? Give these a try!
- Top Tips
- 📖 Recipe
- Common Questions
- 💬 Community
Ingredients
Sev Usal Ingredients
- choice of vegetable soup - pick your favorite! (I like to use Annie’s Vegetable Barley soup or Annie’s Minestrone Soup now, but I grew up eating Cambells vegetable soup and chopped the vegetables small. )
- cumin seeds
- water, oil, salt
- asafoetida
- red chili powder
- garam masala
Sev Usal Toppings
- crispy sev (bhujia) - store bought sev packet s work great!
- lemon juice
- onions
- tomatoes
- cilantro
- spicy chutney - optional (mix of green chili blended with salt, oil, and water)
- sweet chutney - optional (mix of apple butter, water, cumin powder, salt, and red chili powder)
Cooking Instructions
In a small pot heat some oil and add the cumin seeds. Once they pop add the asafoetida and the canned soup.
Add red chili powder, garam masala, and mix it well. Let come to a simmer.
Once it reaches a simmer add tomatoes and cilantro. Keep warm until ready to serve.
Pour into a bowl and add your favorite toppings.
Love Indian Spiced Soups? Give these a try!
- Manchow Soup
- Daal Dhokli
- Ragda Pattice
- Vegetarian Chili
Top Tips
- Grab extra sev packets when purchasing because this recipe tastes great with an extra serving!
- Add garlic and ginger for extra flavor
- Top with chopped chili peppers for more spice
More vegetarian recipes…
- Creamy Tahini Pasta
- Gulab Jamun Cupcakes
- Paneer Butter Masala Recipe (Paneer Makhani)
- Lemon Herb Tahini Sauce
📖 Recipe
Easy Sev Usal
Equipment
- ▢ Large Pot for the Soup
- ▢ Ladle for serving
- ▢ can opener
- ▢ Cutting Board and Knife
Ingredients1x2x3x
- ▢ ¼ cup chopped tomato
- ▢ ⅛ cup chopped cilantro
- ▢ 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- ▢ 14 oz vegetable soup of choice (I like vegetarian minestrone or barley and vegetable soups, but feel free to use any kind you like)
- ▢ pinch garam masala (more or less)
- ▢ pinch hing (asafaetido)
- ▢ red chili powder, to taste
- ▢ salt, to taste
- ▢ oil
Toppings
- ▢ ⅛ cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
- ▢ 1 cup crispy sev (bhujia), store bought sev packets work great!
- ▢ ¼ cup tomatoes, diced
- ▢ ¼ cup onions, diced
- ▢ lemon juice
- ▢ chopped chili peppers (optional)
- ▢ sweet chutney (optional)
- ▢ spicy chutney (optional)
Instructions
- Prep the topping ingredients by chopping tomatoes, onions, cilantro, and make the chutney (optional). Prep the sev by opening the bag.
- Open the cans of soups.
- Heat a pot with some oil and add cumin seeds. Let them pop and then add a pinch of hing.
- Gently pour the soup into the pot. Add water if you prefer a thinner consistency (I like to keep it thick and hearty).
- Add garam masala and red chili powder. Let the soup come to a simmer.
- Add chopped tomatoes and cilantro to the pot. Mix it together.
- Keep the soup warm until ready to serve.
- Top with a squeeze of lemon juice, chopped tomatoes, onions, cilantro, chili peppers, and handfuls of crispy sev.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Common Questions
It is vegan, dairy-free, and gluten-free when using the right ingredients. Which means, it meets most allergen-friendly guidelines.
A base made with a pea soup and topped with fresh ingredients along with a heaping serving of crispy sev/bhujia.
Simply do not add those ingredients to the dish.
