«I would buy tofu, but I don’t know what to do with it» and «I bought a package of tofu, what should I do with it?» These are two of the most frequent queries I receive regarding vegan products.

The truth is that the tofu to supermarkets before we know it well and become familiar with it, and this is not necessarily a bad thing, it encourages many people to try it even if they have no idea how to prepare it.

Many times I say no there is bad tofu but there is a person who doesn’t know how to prepare it. I don’t want to be cruel with this, but it is reality. Tofu is like pasta or rice, with a pleasant texture, light color, little aroma and very mild flavor, but it is not the same to eat a plate of boiled macaroni without anything more than a Bolognese pasta. Well, something similar happens with tofu.

What is tofu?

To begin, we have to look at how tofu is made and what it is made with. Is a block made of legume. Specifically, soy is used.

To make tofu, the soybeans are soaked and boiled (as we do with chickpeas and lentils). Then it is beaten and drained. This liquid obtained is nothing more than soy milk. Well, a coagulant is added to this soy milk, it is put in a mold and drained.

That is to say, It is made like cottage cheese but with soy. We are dealing with a block that is going to be very similar to a fresh cheese and that, when cut, is noticeable.

Depending on the amount of water that has been drained from this soy milk with coagulant, a harder tofu (with more soy solids) or softer (more brittle, with higher water content).

The tofu sold in supermarkets and generally, «normal» tofu for any use is hard tofu. It doesn’t fall apart so easily when you cut it, it doesn’t contain as much water and it can be used from making eggless mayonnaise to stews, stews, meatballs and almost anything you can think of.

How to prepare tofu

When using it and trying to do something with it, the first thing we have to do is, once we open the package, drain it, take out the tofu and cut the amount we are going to use.

The tofu packets They are usually between 400 and 500 grams, so with a third of the package we have more than enough.

One of the easiest ways to cook tofu and make it turn out very well is to make it sautéed with vegetables.

1. For this first we drain the tofuwe take it out, we cut it and we cut this block that we have selected into medium cubes.
2. Heat a little oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. we put the tofu and a pinch of salt and let it brown on at least a couple of sides, turning them from time to time.
3. Now you can add the rest of the ingredientsFor example, sliced ​​peppers, diced zucchini, sliced ​​carrots, sliced ​​onions, a few ears of corn, snow peas, broccoli in small florets, cauliflower (also in small florets), shiitake mushrooms, mushrooms, bean sprouts… Well, everything you like along with some spices.
4. Sauté everything together for a few minutes until the vegetables turn golden brown.
5. Finish cooking with a splash of soy sauce (one or two tablespoons) and sauté it well.
6. Take it out on a plate and accompany it, for example, with oriental rice.

Of course, there are more things you can do with tofu, such as eat it as is. As I mentioned before, it’s not raw: The soy beans have been cooked, so don’t worry about that. Cut a small piece and try it. If you like it, put it as is in salads, it gives it a very good touch.

If you think that tofu tastes a little bit try marinating it, macerate it orcoat itfry it, make it in sauce, scrambled, grilled, in curries… With a simple search you will find a lot of recipes with tofu that you can try.

Also you can buy other types of tofu such as Japanese-style tofu, which is harder and usually more flavorful, smoked tofu, grilled tofu, gan tofu (smoked and with soy sauce)… These tofus are generally firmer and have more flavor.

How to preserve tofu

To store it once opened, it is convenient to put it in the package itself or in a container that closes well, and in the refrigerator. It will last 3-4 days.

You may be wondering if you can freeze tofu. I I do not advise you to freeze it if you are not familiar with it, since the result of freezing will not be what you surely expect.

During freezing water crystals will form very large that will break the structure of the tofu. When we take it out and defrost it, the ice will melt and the space it occupied will now be air: we will have spongy tofu with little resemblance to the tofu we had when we bought it.

In any case, if you are going to freeze it, keep in mind that Before freezing it you have to let it drain with weight on topdry it with kitchen paper, wrap it and put it in a container suitable for freezing.