When it comes to preparing lunches for the week, the name of the game is speed. Having grown tired of $12 salads for lunch, I’ve been almost exclusively making and bringing in lunch to work for the past few months. I’ve actually been able to set up a pretty awesome arrangement with one of my coworkers, in which we each make lunch for each other 2 days/week.
She has a Persian background, and makes fun stews, salads, and egg dishes, and I usually default to my familiar Chinese roots. The dish that I’ve made for us most often is definitely this Broccoli Tofu Bowl (I think I’ve made it at least 5 times. Luckily, said coworker loves tofu as much as I do).
It’s a super-simple recipe––perfect for vegetarians, vegans, and omnivores alike––and served over a white (or brown, if you’re healthy like that) rice, it’s the perfect lunch. Plus, it only takes 10 minutes to make––5 minutes to cut up the tofu, broccoli and garlic, and mix up a quick sauce…and 5 minutes to throw it all together on the stove. If you’re new to the magical substance that is tofu, this broccoli tofu dish is the perfect intro course.
You’ll need:
- 16 oz. firm tofu
- 1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine or dry sherry cooking wine
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 pound broccoli, cut into small florets
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch, dissolved in 2 tablespoons water
Cut your block of tofu into bite-sized cubes and set aside. In a medium bowl, combine the stock, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, wine, sesame oil, and sugar, and set aside.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a wok or skillet over medium heat, and add the garlic. Cook for a minute, being careful not to let the garlic burn. Add the broccoli, and crank up the heat to high, stir-frying the broccoli for a minute or to, just until it starts to turn a bright green color.
Add the tofu and your stock mixture, tossing everything together gently.
Bring to a simmer, and stir in the cornstarch slurry. Allow to simmer for about 2 minutes, until the sauce has thickened.
Serve this healthy broccoli tofu bowl over steamed rice!
- 16 oz. firm tofu
- 1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine or dry sherry cooking wine
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 pound broccoli, cut into small florets
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch, dissolved in 2 tablespoons water
- Cut your block of tofu into bite-sized cubes and set aside. In a medium bowl, combine the stock, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, wine, sesame oil, and sugar, and set aside.
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a wok or skillet over medium heat, and add the garlic. Cook for a minute, being careful not to let the garlic burn. Add the broccoli, and crank up the heat to high, stir-frying the broccoli for a minute or to, just until it starts to turn a bright green color.
- Add the tofu and your stock mixture, tossing everything together gently. Bring to a simmer, and stir in the cornstarch slurry. Allow to simmer for about 2 minutes, until the sauce has thickened. Serve over steamed rice!
Mel says
Thanks for sharing the recipe! I start this off with frying minced pork/chicken and then follow the recipe as you posted. Makes it more of a ‘complete’ meal for us that my toddler will also eat. I can’t ask for more than that!
Sarah says
Awesome, Mel! Thanks for sharing your experience with the recipe.
Stephanie says
Always looking for fresh, simple, and flavorful dishes that are quick to make.This did not dissappoint and is definitely a keeper. We added a generous dash of red pepper flakes for a little heat. It came out perfect. Thanks for the recipe.
Sarah says
Love it, thanks for the feedback, Stephanie!
Naomi says
Hello! I made this recipe yesterday. Taste was great – not too salty, which my family liked, but I found that there was really too little sauce, so it didn’t coat over my veggies and tofu completely. Also, wanted to check how do you stir fry the tofu that it doesn’t crumble into pieces? Mine crumbled and looked quite a sight!
MollyG says
Could you have used Silken Tofu? It doesn’t hold up well in this type of recipe. Just a thought. Hope that helps????
Sarah says
Hey Naomi, you have to be pretty gentle when stirring to prevent the tofu from breaking up. I generally use a wide, flat spatula, and use a gentle folding motion rather than what you might think of as a “stirring” otion. If you need more sauce, try adding a 1/2 cup of chicken stock, with 2 teaspoons of cornstarch dissolved into it. Add it at the end and simmer until the sauce is thick, about 1 minute.
CN says
I’m not sure why I can’t get mine to turn out like the one in the picture. I always end up with a soupy base (the cornstarch doesn’t do much for me) and the tofu doesn’t turn the same color. Any tips?
Sarah says
Hey CN< are you making sure to dissolve the cornstarch completely before pouring it in? It can sometimes separate from the water and pool at the bottom, so you don't end up adding enough to the dish. Once the cornstarch is added, you also need to let the dish simmer for a bit (about a minute) so that the sauce has a chance to thicken. If that still doesn't work, you can add a little bit more cornstarch (dissolved first in water so you don't get lumps). In terms of color, it can vary by the brand of soy sauce you buy. Make sure you're buying a high quality dark soy sauce––like pearl river bridge brand. The dark soy sauce is primarily responsible for giving the dish that dark amber color.
CN says
Hi Sarah, I do dissolve the cornstarch and use Tamari, which I think is Dark Soy Sauce, but maybe it coats the tofu differently. I also don’t make it in a wok. That might be an issue. Thanks for your help.
Sarah says
Hey, so tamari isn’t the same thing as dark soy sauce. See our Chinese sauces, vinegars, and oils page for more info! https://thewoksoflife.com/chinese-sauces-vinegars-oils/
Sophie says
Hi CN,
So I had the same problem as you with the sauce not thickening properly at first, and through some trial and error (and asking my mom) I think I figured out what went wrong the first time.
1) I wasn’t using a wok. I don’t have one, but to get the slurry to thicken, I used a large non-stick pan and simmered the sauce on high heat for more than a couple minutes, until it got to the consistency I wanted. If your sauce is bubbling the pan, make sure you don’t evaporate it all because the sauce will thicken up a bit as it cools in your eating bowl.
2) I believe the Woks of Life crew has a setup to use a wok at high heat – depending on where you live and how new your stove is, you may not be able to achieve the high heat in just 2 minutes to get your sauce to simmer and thicken.
2a) this is especially true if you have an electric stove in the U.S. I do have a fairly new gas stove, but it definitely took me more than a minute or two for the sauce to simmer and thicken properly.
3) I had to add more cornstarch to the recipe than listed here. I just added another pinch to the sauce. The second time I made this, I reduced the chicken stock base by about 10% to get the sauce to heat up faster.
Hope this helps!
Other than those modifications, the sauce turned out tasty as I expected.
Frances says
Great recipe, making it for the second time this week! Very easy to throw together and it tastes delicious! I added carrots for extra veggies and loved it.
Sarah says
That’s so awesome, Frances! Glad you’re enjoying it. :)
Lori Trumbo says
I love your blog and recipes. Can you explain the differences between soy sauce, dark soy sauce, & light soy sauce?
Sarah says
Hey Lori, my dad has actually written quite a bit about that exact topic. Check out our Chinese Sauces, Vinegars, and Oils page for the full explanation: https://thewoksoflife.com/chinese-sauces-vinegars-oils/. We also have a bunch of other Ingredients category pages if you’re interested in learning more about Chinese ingredients.
Sonja says
I finally got to try this recipe for lunch and I am happy that I tried it. It is easy and quick to make and it taste yummy. I added some chilli flakes for spice. This is a “repeat-dish” for me :-).
Sarah says
So glad you liked it, Sonja!
Andria says
I made this for dinner tonight and I’m excited to have it for lunch tomorrow! I see why you make it repeatedly. It’s easy, comforting, and it’s healthy.
Andria says
A quick follow-up: recommend anyone who packs this for lunch use a divided container. My rice absorbed the sauce so the tofu and broccoli didn’t have as much flavor the next day.
Sarah says
Haha good advice Andria! I personally like the saucy rice, but to each his own. ;)
Mara says
I adore your site! I’ve recently become wheat-intolerant and have been using a wheat-free tamari rather than traditional soy sauce. Do you have a guideline as to how I should replace the soy/dark soy in this recipe? Should I just go with 2 tablespoons + one teaspoon of tamari? I’m entirely up for substitutions, as well, as long as they don’t have wheat in them (i.e. adding some chili-garlic sauce or another condiment). Thanks!
Sarah says
Hi Mara, yes, feel free to substitute tamari! You can adjust the amount to your taste. The dish won’t have quite the same color without the dark soy sauce, but i’m sure it’ll still taste awesome!
Starr says
That’s such a good arrangement, I need to find a good cook in my office who will agree to be subjected to my food!
Sarah says
Haha i’m sure your cooking is better than you think!
Schantall says
Hi Starr,
just wanted to encourage you to just try it out! I like to think of myself as a decent cook when it comes to European cuisine, but with Asian or Indian cuisine it’s a different thing…
The thing about Chinese cuisine is that I don’t feel comfortable with the spices and sauces. I can’t try a dish and adjust it because I simply won’t know what’s missing, I don’t understand the flavours and spices, how they work together and so on.
However, all the dishes I cooked with recipes from the woks of life turned out to be incredibly yummie, they are really fool-proof, there’s nothing that can go wrong. Just give it a try you’ll be surprised.
And I shall definitely have this dish this week…
Schantall says
And… already cooked it yesterday. It’s delicious! I was sceptical that the short time the broccoli has in the wok would be sufficient to cook it, but it was absolutely perfect, not raw, but still with a little crunch. Really yummie dish and done in no time!
Question to your new rating system:
Do you want us to rate the taste or the recipe or both?
(Sorry I’m asking, but I’m really wondering how much stars to give this dish. Rating the recipe itself it’s a clear 5 stars, everything is described properly, it’s easy to follow. Taste-wise I also think it’s delicous. BUT if this rating system serves to rate the recipes within the blog for their taste, I would give only a 4 star because while it is delicious, it’s not one of the dishes on this blog that I just want to drown myself in (I’d die being so happy) like the chili oil, the vegetable dumplings or that spicy beef soup.)
Bill says
Hi Schantall, glad you liked the recipe and we wanted folks to know so we enabled the ratings! Your rating should be based on how good the recipe is compared to all similar recipes you have found anywhere :)
Schantall says
Thanks. :-)