Tasty Bean Curd

This vegetarian stir-fry is a full meal on one plate: flat noodles, crispy tofu, and a pile of wok-fired vegetables topped with toasted cashews and sesame seeds. Everything comes together in three quick stages in the wok, so having your ingredients prepped and ready before you start cooking is key.

The vegetables go first: broccoli, mushrooms, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, and bean sprouts, stir-fried just long enough to stay crisp. Then the tofu gets its own turn in the wok with ginger, garlic, soy sauce, sherry, and sesame oil, browning on the edges before joining the noodles and vegetables. The garnish of toasted cashews, sesame seeds, green onion, and bell pepper goes last, adding crunch and color on top.

That layered approach means every component keeps its texture instead of everything turning soft and samey.

Kitchen Tips

• Press the tofu before cubing to remove excess water. Dry tofu browns better and absorbs more of the soy-sherry sauce.
• Don’t crowd the wok. If your wok is small, stir-fry the vegetables in two batches so they sear instead of steam.
• Keep the noodles warm on the serving dish while you work through the stages. Cold noodles clump together.
• Toast the cashews and sesame seeds until just golden. They burn fast once they start coloring.

Variations

• Use rice noodles instead of flat wheat noodles for a gluten-free version (with tamari instead of soy).
• Add a teaspoon of chili garlic sauce or sriracha to the soy mixture for heat.
• Swap broccoli for bok choy or snap peas for a different green crunch.