Black Pepper Tofu with Black Garlic Sauce

Living a vegan lifestyle is probably the best thing you can do for the planet. By shunning animal products, you’re supporting a more sustainable way of life that will provide future generations with a planet they can be proud of.

But while there are many benefits to becoming a vegan, it can be tricky (particularly when you first make the transition) to maintain an exciting and varied diet that doesn’t incorporate meat or dairy.

Thankfully, these days there are plenty of protein-packed substitutions that make dishes just as delicious – if not more so – than a carnivorous diet!

The humble tofu is our go-to when it comes to creating healthy and exciting dinners that are packed full of flavor and intrigue. Many of our meat-eating friends love it when we cook for them, as a vegan diet has encouraged us to become braver and more experimental with flavor profiles to create dishes that are a treat for the taste buds!

One of our absolute favorite ingredients at the moment is the elusive black garlic. It’s less common than the standard garlic cloves you might be familiar with and offers a delectably sweet and syrupy taste with hints of flavor that are reminiscent of balsamic vinegar and tamarind, perfect for Asian cooking. 

Black garlic is much softer than fresh garlic, making it easy to transform into a paste, but Black Garlic North America provides a black garlic purée that can save you the time! This makes it absolutely perfect to create flavorful sauces or even transform into a marinade for tofu or any other meal. 

If you’re ready to try a delicious Asian-inspired vegan dish that utilizes the versatility of the humble tofu with the incredible and complex notes of black garlic... Then look no further!

As with any tofu recipe, it’s vital to press the tofu before you start cooking to ensure you don’t end up with a flavorless white blob that’s impossible to enjoy. Taking a bit of extra time preparing your tofu will make all the difference in this dish, as will leaving it to marinate for as long as possible before you start cooking. 

Black Pepper Tofu with Black Garlic Sauce

We infused our tofu with a black pepper sauce for a more in-depth flavor profile for this recipe and then created an incredible black garlic sauce to flow through the entire dish. We also added some broccoli for a touch of greenery and served it with perfectly cooked Asian rice noodles.

Ingredients

For the tofu

·       1 block extra-firm tofu

·       1 tbsp vegetable oil

·       1 tbsp rice vinegar

·       ½ cup black pepper sauce (store-bought or you could make your own in advance) 

·       1 tsp sesame oil

For the sauce

·       1 head Black Garlic North America brand Black Garlic

·       1 tsp fresh ginger, minced

·       ¾ cups low sodium soy sauce

·       3 tbsp rice vinegar

·       1 tsp sesame oil

To finish

·       8oz rice noodles, cooked

·       2 broccoli heads, cut into florets and steamed

Method

1.     Use a tofu press or DIY tofu pressing method to remove any excess moisture from your extra-firm tofu. 

2.     Once all moisture has been squeezed out, cut the tofu into 5 slices, and then cut each slice into 4 pieces.

3.     Create the tofu marinade by combining the tofu ingredients (excluding the extra-firm tofu pieces) in a medium-sized bowl.

4.     Add the tofu to your black pepper marinade and toss until it’s entirely coated by the sauce.

5.     Cover and place in the refrigerator for 1-3 hours, or overnight.

6.     Once the tofu has finished marinating, heat the sesame oil in a large skillet.

7.     Add the tofu to the sesame oiled skillet and fry on medium heat for 6-8 minutes on either side. The tofu should be nice and crispy.

8.     While your tofu fries, combine all the sauce ingredients together in a small saucepan and bring it to a boil before reducing down to a simmer.

9.     Simmer the sauce for approximately 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, then pour it into a food processor and pulse until it’s smooth.

10.  Add half the smooth sauce to the tofu along with the cooked rice noodles and broccoli.

11.  Cook everything for 2-3 minutes, tossing to combine.

12.  Serve in bowls with the rest of the black garlic sauce.