Crispy Bourbon Tofu Stir-Fry

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Crispy tofu and cauliflower florets are drenched in a sweet and savory bourbon ginger sauce to create this totally inauthentic but undoubtedly delicious vegan stir-fry.

I recognize that I’ve been boozing up the blog like crazy lately. I barely let an entire week pass since my last whiskey-infused recipe, and believe it or not, I didn’t make this stir-fry in order to use up the last of that bottle. I actually went out and bought a whole new bottle for this one, and I’m so glad I did, because this was the best thing ever.

This was also totally misguided, by the way, as lots of my recipes were. There’s a Chinese-fusion-ish dish that involves bourbon and chicken, and that’s where the inspiration for this comes from, but I can’t really say its an adaptation. Once I heard that such a dish existed I immediately assumed I knew what it was all about and threw this recipe together, all stir-fried with crispy cornstarch coated tofu bits. Bourbon chicken, as I now understand, involves marinating and roasting…or something like that? I’m really not concerned with the original anymore though, because my crispy bourbon tofu bits were bliss.

I also debated doing this with crispy cauliflower instead of tofu, because everyone seems to dig the whole crispy Chinese cauliflower thing. In the end I decided not to decide, and make a tofu-cauliflower stir-fry.

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Crispy tofu and cauliflower florets are drenched in a sweet and savory bourbon ginger sauce to create this totally inauthentic but undoubtedly delicious vegan stir-fry. CourseEntree CuisineAmerican, Asian-Inspired Prep Time 5 minutes Cook Time 30 minutes Total Time 35 minutes Servings 4 Calories 377 kcal Author Alissa

Ingredients

For the Bourbon Sauce

⅓cupvegan bourbon whiskey
3tbsp.soy sauce
3tbsp.maple syrup
1 ½tbsp.rice vinegar
1 ½tsp.freshly grated ginger
2garlic cloves,minced
3tbsp.cold water
1 ½tsp.cornstarch

For the Tofu Stir-Fry

vegetable oil,any high smoke point oil will work
1lb.extra firm tofu,drained, pressed and cut into 1 inch cubes
about ⅓ cup cornstarch
3scallions,white and green parts separated and chopped
3cupscauliflower florets,1 small crown

For Serving

cooked rice or quinoa
roasted peanuts,optional
red pepper flakes,optional

Instructions

Make the Bourbon Sauce

Place stir bourbon, soy sauce, maple syrup, rice vinegar, ginger and garlic into a small saucepan and place over medium heat. Stir everything to incorporate and bring to a simmer. Lower heat and allow to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the alcohol has cooked off (taste test), about 10 minutes. Stir cornstarch and water together in a small cup or bowl and add to whiskey mixture. Allow to simmer 1 minute more, until sauce thickens a bit. Remove from heat.

Make the Tofu Stir-Fry

Coat the bottom of a large skillet generously with oil and place over medium heat. Working in batches if needed, roll tofu cubes in cornstarch mixture and transfer to skillet in a single layer. Cook until crispy on bottoms, about 3 minutes. Flip and continue cooking on each side until crispy (it’s okay if you miss a side or two on some of the cubes). Add oil to skillet as needed between batches and continue until all tofu cubes are cooked, transferring each batch to a paper towel-lined plate when done.
Coat skillet with another tablespoon of oil and raise heat to high. Add cauliflower and white parts of scallions. Stir-fry until cauliflower is tender-crisp and browned in spots, about 5 minutes.
Lower heat and add tofu back to skillet, along with whiskey sauce. Cook just until sauce becomes bubbly and coats cauliflower and tofu, about 1 minute.

Serve

Divide rice or quinoa onto plates and top with stir-fry. Sprinkle with green parts of scallions, peanuts and red pepper flakes, if desired. Serve.

Recipe Notes

Nutrition information does not include accompaniments.

Nutrition FactsCrispy Bourbon Tofu Stir-FryAmount Per ServingCalories 377Calories from Fat 167% Daily Value*Fat 18.6g29%Saturated Fat 2g10%Sodium 717mg30%Potassium 499mg14%Carbohydrates 31.7g11%Fiber 3.5g14%Sugar 11.9g13%Protein 11.9g24%Calcium 210mg21%Iron 2.9mg16%* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.« Black Bean & Spinach EnchiladasVegan Mango Muffins »