Meal prep always sounds like such a daunting and healthy activity… But in reality, it’s as simple as cooking up your meals ahead of time, so all you need to do is remember to take a fork for quick-and-easy lunches, whether in the office, at home, or on-the-go!
One of our absolute favorite ingredients to use in meal prepping is tofu. This incredibly diverse plant-based protein is low in fat and fabulous at absorbing a whole load of flavors, so you can add it to pretty much any dish you want! The ability to absorb almost any flavor makes tofu the perfect addition to a wide range of meals, stopping your lunchbox from getting dull.
The Trick to Tofu
Tofu can be a controversial ingredient thanks to its bland and watery raw form. However, once you’ve squeezed the excess liquid out of a block of tofu, you’ll discover a whole new ingredient that’s excellent at soaking up new flavors and can take on that perfect tofu texture: crispy on the outside with a soft, chewy interior.
We recommend you use a tofu press (like the fantastic TofuBud) to press your tofu. This method ensures you get every last drop of water out of the block and allows you to fully press in just 15 minutes.
If you don’t have a tofu press, you can press your tofu between two chopping boards weighed down with heavy objects, such as cookbooks, cast-iron cookware, or even cans.
Tofu Meal Prep Recipes
To keep your tofu meal prep interesting, we’ve included 3 different sauces to enable you to infuse your tofu with loads of delicious flavors. We recommend serving your tofu with cooked brown rice and steamed broccoli for a super-healthy, delicious, and vegan (not that you’ll notice) lunch that you can grab-and-go whenever you like.
Ingredients
For the Peanut Sauce:
- 1/3 cup peanut butter
- 1 cup water
- 2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce (substitute tamari for a gluten-free dish)
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp garlic powder (optional)
- 1 tsp ginger powder (optional)
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
For the Orange Sauce:
- 1 cup orange juice (fresh if possible)
- 2 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tbsp cornstarch + 5bsp water, combined into a paste
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 ½ tsp ground ginger OR 1 tbsp freshly grated
- 1 tsp hot sauce (optional)
- ¼ cup water (for thinning)
For the Sesame Garlic Glaze:
- 4 cloves garlic, grated
- ¾ cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp cornstarch + 3 tbsp water, combined into a paste
- ¼ cup water (for thinning)
Other ingredients
- 1 tbsp high-heat oil (for example, avocado oil)
- 1 block extra-firm tofu
- 2 heads of broccoli
- 2 packets Ready To Serve Brown and Wild Rice
To serve (optional)
- Green onions
- Sesame seeds
- Cilantro
- Lime wedges
Method
- Press tofu to drain any excess liquid, then slice into cubes.
- Combine all ingredients for your chosen sauce (peanut, orange, or sesame-garlic) in a small bowl. Use a fork to whisk everything together.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set your oven to broil.
- Scatter tofu on the baking sheet and place it on the rack closest to the broiler—broil tofu for 15 minutes, stirring halfway through.
- Heat 1 tbsp high-heat oil in a cast-iron skillet on medium-low.
- Add the broiled tofu and ½ your prepared sauce, stirring well to ensure every piece of tofu is well coated.
- Allow the sauce to cook down over 10 minutes, stirring regularly and scraping the pan to ensure the sauce doesn’t stick.
- If the tofu or sauce is sticking too much, add an extra 1 tbsp oil. Continue cooking until the sauce thickens.
- Prepare your rice as per package instructions and steam your broccoli while the tofu cooks.
- Serve the tofu, rice, and broccoli with the remaining ½ sauce poured over the top.
Final Thoughts
We love these three ways to prepare tofu and like to double or triple the recipe at the start of the week so we can easily throw everything in a lunchbox for delicious and nutritious meals throughout the week.
You could also marinate the tofu in your chosen sauce for 30+ minutes in the refrigerator before cooking to give it even more chance to soak up all the yummy flavors.
Whether you’re watching your weight or making more sustainable dietary choices by going vegan, these recipes are all high in protein, low in fat, and ridiculously tasty! We’re sure you’ll agree.
