Peanut tofu stir fry with crisp tofu, colorful vegetables, and a creamy peanut butter sauce. This quick vegan dinner is easy, satisfying, and full of flavor. Post sponsored by Circulon.
Stir fries are one of the most useful meals to have in your regular dinner rotation. They are quick, flexible, budget-friendly, and a great way to turn simple ingredients into something bright, fresh, and filling. Whether you are cooking for a busy weeknight, using up vegetables from the fridge, or looking for a healthy vegan meal that does not feel boring, a good stir fry is always a reliable choice.
My favorite version is a peanut tofu stir fry. It combines golden, crisp cubes of tofu with tender vegetables and a rich peanut butter sauce that is savory, slightly sweet, lightly spicy, and wonderfully creamy. Served over rice or noodles, it makes a complete plant-based dinner that is comforting without being heavy.
The peanut sauce is very simple to make. Smooth peanut butter is whisked together with soy sauce, lime juice, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, chilli, a little brown sugar, and boiling water. The result is a glossy sauce that coats the tofu and vegetables beautifully. It tastes bold and satisfying, but it comes together in just a few minutes with everyday ingredients.
For the tofu, firm tofu works best because it holds its shape while cooking. Tossing the tofu cubes in cornflour before frying gives them a crisp outside and a soft center. This small step makes a big difference, especially once the tofu is stirred through the peanut sauce.
The vegetables cook quickly in the wok, so this is a meal that can be on the table in around half an hour. Tenderstem broccoli, red pepper, red onion, and pak choi add color, texture, and freshness, but the recipe is also easy to adapt depending on what you have available. The key is to cook the vegetables until just tender so they still keep some bite.
Not every stir fry is quite this simple or budget-friendly. In honor of Chinese New Year, Circulon teamed up with award-winning chef Lisa Tse MBE, CEO of Sweet Mandarin restaurant in Manchester’s Northern Quarter, to create the world’s most expensive stir fry.
The record-breaking Chinese Surf & Turf takes an hour and a half to prepare and includes 26 ingredients. Based on a serving for two people, the ingredients cost £437.25. The dish features Wagyu beef marinated with premium whisky, tempura sweet chilli lobster, shimeji mushroom, and sweetcorn egg fried rice infused with black truffle chilli oil.
It was cooked in the Circulon Ultimum Wok, which has been designed with Asian-style cooking in mind. The wok helps distribute heat evenly and is made to prevent food from sticking, which makes it especially useful for stir fries and quick vegetable dishes.
I have been using the Circulon Ultimum wok shown in these photos, and it has become a favorite in my kitchen. The non-stick surface means I do not need to use a lot of oil, and it is easy to clean after cooking. The lid is also useful for steaming vegetables such as broccoli directly in the pan before stir frying.
Peanut Tofu Stir Fry
Ingredients
Peanut Sauce:
- 3 Tbsp smooth peanut butter
- 3 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp dark brown soft sugar
- juice of ½ lime
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 inch fresh ginger finely grated
- 1 red chilli de-seeded and finely chopped
- 4 Tbsp boiling water
Stir Fry:
- 400 g firm tofu cubed
- cornflour
- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 200 g tenderstem broccoli
- 1 large red bell pepper sliced
- 1 red onion sliced
- 2 pak choi leaves separated
- salt and pepper to taste
- rice or noodles to serve
Instructions
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Whisk all of the peanut sauce ingredients together in a bowl or jug until smooth. Set aside while you cook the tofu and vegetables.
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Toss the tofu cubes with enough cornflour to coat them lightly. Heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil in a wok over medium heat, then add the tofu. Cook, turning regularly, until the cubes are golden and evenly browned. Remove from the wok and set aside.
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Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in the wok and add the broccoli. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until just tender. Add the red pepper and red onion and cook for another couple of minutes until slightly softened. Add the pak choi and cook until wilted.
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Pour in the peanut sauce and stir to coat the vegetables. Add the tofu back to the wok and mix gently until everything is heated through. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then serve with rice or noodles.
This post is sponsored by Circulon. Thank you for supporting the brands that allow me to continue doing what I love: playing with food and making a mess in my kitchen.