As much as I like Tofu Stir Fry, I've never been entirely sure whether or not I need a wok. I technically do own one. I sort of inherited it. Although it's Teflon, so I've never used it. I'm not entirely opposed to Teflon. My rice cooker is Teflon and I use that maybe more than any other culinary appliance. Although I'm also not a big fan of Teflon being in our bloodstreams quite as much as it is. So, I actively try to limit my Teflon exposure. Which is easier said than done because it's the waterproofing agent for shoes and camping gear as well.
Nevertheless, I've tucked the wok into storage and have been a couple thousand miles away from it for many years, now. So, I finally broke down and just bought a carbon steel one. It took a little bit of time to season it. And don't ask me for instructions, I half assed it at best. But I'm incredibly excited for this wok! It might be the single best way to cook tofu. Typically in my cast iron skillet, I just fry the tofu on each side until crispy. Although, with the wok, I was able to just put enough oil in to practically deep fry them in the relatively small inner basin. You could do this with a cast iron pan, but it's a lot simpler with the steep edges of a wok!
One-pot Meal Option
I treated this like a one-pot meal. I cooked the tofu, removed it, cooked the produce, added in vegetable broth, cooked the soba noodles, and then added back in the tofu. So, it might technically be one-pot plus a bowl of tofu temporarily. Although you could probably lightly cook the tofu, add in the produce, and then continue to cook the tofu with the fruits and vegetables. Tofu tends to crumble when it's agitated too much. If you don't mind that as a possibility, though, this could certainly be a one-pot meal!
You can also skip the vegetable broth if you want to boil the soba noodles in a separate pot. I have two pots and both are currently full. Plus, soba needs 3-5 minutes to cook. So, getting vegetable broth up to a simmer and softening the noodles is pretty easy. I wouldn't necessarily try this with anything that requires a longer cook. But things like soba noodles and vermicelli you have a lot of leeway with!
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Variations of Tofu Stir Fry
I don't make stir fry nearly as much as I should. But I do make quite a few things that are stir fry adjacent. All of the same produce could easily go into pasta, curry, or vermicelli salad. Just adjust the flavor profile to taste.
This Tofu Stir Fry consists of yellow crookneck squash, zucchini, red bell pepper, jalapeño, garlic, ginger, tamari, rice vinegar, soba noodles, vegetable broth, fried tofu, and green onions. It's a great recipe to mix and match in your own produce and flavor profiles. As well as a great opportunity to break out the wok. You can also use any other large skillet or sauté, though. Just adjust the temperature and amount of oil needed to fry the fruits and vegetables without them sticking.
1yellow squashsliced or julienned (or summer squash of choice)
1zucchini sliced or julienned
red bell peppersliced or julienned
1jalapeñosliced or julienned (optional)
2clovesgarlicminced
2tsp.gingerminced
2tbsp.tamari~2 tbsp., or to taste (or soy sauce)
2tbsp.rice vinegar~2 tbsp., or to taste
16oz.vegetable broth(optional)
4oz.soba noodles(or rice noodles)
1/2c.green onionsdiced (scallions)
Instructions
Fry Tofu
Drain the tofu and wrap in paper towels to absorb the moisture.It's important to absorb as much water out of the tofu as you can. Oil is less dense than water, so the molecules repel one another. With cold ingredients, this causes separation. When you're frying, though, this can cause boiling hot oil to spray back at you.
Meanwhile, preheat oil in a wok over medium-high heat.
When the wok has preheated and the majority of the water has absorbed into the paper towels, cut the tofu into 1/2-inch cubes. Carefully add to the wok. Fry until golden brown. This should take about 5-10 minutes. Just make sure to stir until all sides are evenly fried.Remove from heat and wrap again in paper towels to absorb the excess oil.
Fry Produce
Add finely sliced produce to the wok (all except for the green onions) and cook until softened, making sure to stir occasionally. I cooked mine for about 10-15 minutes. Although this time can vary depending on how much produce you have, how often you stir it, and personal preference for doneness.
Cook Soba Noodles
Add vegetable broth and soba to the wok. Stir fairly regularly until the noodles have absorbed the vegetable broth and softened. I cooked mine for about 5 minutes. Although this time can vary depending on the cooking temperature.Alternatively, you can cook the soba in a separate pot with water and then add in to the stir fry. This will also eliminate the need for vegetable broth.
Stir in the tofu and green onions. Cook for another 5 minutes, or until the tofu has heated again.
Serve immediately or refrigerate.
Tips, Tricks, & Notes
You don't necessarily need a wok to make stir fry! I would substitute a cast iron skillet. Although you can sauté in just about any skillet or sauté pan. It is their primary purpose, after all. Woks work particularly well for dishes that you want to stir without worrying about the contents spilling over the edge. But, you can use anything large enough to fit the amount of produce that you add in!
Buckwheat soba noodles are gluten free. Despite what the name might suggest, buckwheat flour is a seed that's entirely unrelated to wheat. You can also substitute rice noodles or even spaghetti noodles. I'd probably add cheese if I made this with linguini. But I almost used vermicelli because it cooks in no time at all.
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