Sweet & Sour Crispy Tofu Stir Fry, made with an easy crispy tofu and a vegetable stir fry with tangy sweet & sour sauce.

A simple pan fried tofu is made nice and crispy with a touch of cornstarch in this recipe. The crunchy outside and soft middle really upgrades the texture of tofu. It’s super quick and easy to do, and is the perfect way to make tofu in any stir fried dish. A drizzle of sweet & sour sauce covers the tofu and vegetables, for an easy but elevated meal.

Ingredients in Sweet & Sour Crispy Tofu Stir Fry

For the vegetable stir fry

• Carrots
• Green peppers (or any peppers of your choice)
• Celery
• Green onions

Crispy tofu

• Firm tofu (drain and pressed) This is a great Tofu Press is you need one!
• Cornstarch (this is what makes the tofu crunchy when pan-fried)
• Salt
• Oil (for cooking)

Sweet & sour sauce

• Vegan sugar
• Apple cider vinegar
• Vegan ketchup
• Soy sauce
• Water
• Garlic
• Cornstarch
• Ground ginger

Instructions To Make This Dish

For the vegetable stir fry

1. Wash and chop all vegetables and add to a non stick pan with a touch of oil.
2. Sauté on medium low heat for 20 minutes, stirring often.
3. Make rice according to package directions if serving with rice.

For the crispy tofu

1. Drain and press tofu. Cut into small cubes.
2. In a large bowl, add cornstarch and salt. Stir.
3. Toss tofu cubes in the cornstarch mixture until evenly coated.
4. Add a small amount of oil to a non-stick pan.
5. Cook tofu on medium in the pan for about 5 minutes each side until crispy and golden brown.

For the sweet & sour sauce

1. Add apple cider vinegar, vegan sugar, ketchup, soy sauce, cold water, garlic, ginger, and corn starch to a small saucepan.
2. On medium heat stir frequently until it starts to boil. Allow sauce to boil for about 30 seconds then remove from heat.
3. Drizzle the tofu and stir fry with sweet and sour sauce. Garnish with more fresh green onion.

Common Questions

Do I have to press the tofu?

You never have to press tofu, but when a recipe calls for it, it’s a good idea. Pressing tofu compresses it and squeezes out the extra water from it. This makes it firmer and drier, which means you can get a more dense interior and wonderfully crisp exterior when you cook it.

If you need a great tofu press, you can purchase one here:

Can I use something other than cornstarch?

Coating tofu with a cornstarch mixture gives it a crunchy exterior with great flavour. Instead of cornstarch you can use potato starch, regular flour, or even gluten-free flour. Cornstarch, however, crisps up the best and is recommend for best results.

Can I use soft tofu?

Firm or extra-firm tofu has the least amount of liquid composition. That’s why it’s recommend for stir fries, especially if the tofu will be cubed. Technically you can use any kind, but a softer tofu will end up scrambled, whereas a firmer tofu will stay nicely cubed and have a denser texture!

Sweet & Sour Crispy Tofu Stir Fry

Easy crispy tofu with a vegetable stir fry and tangy sweet & sour sauce.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Course dinner, Main Course

Cuisine Asian

Servings 2 people

Ingredients

  

Vegetable Stir Fry

• 2 large carrots sliced
• 1 green or red pepper sliced
• 1 celery stalk sliced
• 2 green onions chopped

To serve

• 1 cup basmati rice cooked

Crispy Tofu

• 1 block firm tofu
• 5-6 Tbsp corn starch
• 1/8 tsp salt
• oil for cooking

Sweet & Sour Sauce

• 1/4 cup vegan sugar
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 Tbsp plus 2 tsp ketchup
• 1 1/2 Tbsp soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp water
• 1/2 clove clove garlic minced 
• 1/2 Tbsp corn starch
• 1/8 tsp ground ginger

Instructions

 

Vegetable Stir Fry

• Wash and chop all vegetables and add to a non stick pan with a touch of oil.
• Sauté on medium low heat for 20 minutes, stirring often.
• Make rice according to package directions if serving with rice.

Tofu

• Drain and press tofu. Cut into small cubes.
• In a large bowl, add cornstarch and salt. Stir.
• Toss tofu cubes in the cornstarch mixture until evenly coated.
• Add a small amount of oil to a non-stick pan.
• Cook tofu on medium in the pan for about 5 minutes each side until crispy and golden brown.

Sweet & Sour Sauce

• Add apple cider vinegar, vegan sugar, ketchup, soy sauce, cold water, garlic, ginger, and corn starch to a small saucepan.
• On medium heat stir frequently until it starts to boil. Allow sauce to boil for about 30 seconds then remove from heat.
• Drizzle the tofu and stir fry with sweet and sour sauce. Garnish with more fresh green onion.

Keyword stiry fry, sweet and sour sauce, tofu, vegan sauces

Looking for more easy vegan dinner recipes? Try my Sweet & Sour Meatballs with Mushroom Rice!

A quick and healthy Cheesy Spicy Lentil Pie made with a 5 minute crust and a savoury lentil filling topped with vegan cheddar.

The perfect weekday meal, this healthy pie is made with my Easy Press in Pie Crust that takes just 5 minutes to throw together! You are welcome to use any pie crust you’d like, but I love this press in the pan crust for weeknights. It’s so quick to make and is fool proof.

Sure, a press in pan won’t get you those fancy crust edgings, but a cute and frilly ruffled pie pan adds a fancy touch to any pie!

The filling is made of wholesome ingredients such as lentils and a savoury blend of spices. I use a small banana pepper I got at my local farmer’s market to add a touch of spice to my Cheesy Spicy Lentil Pie.

You can use a small jalapeño with seeds removed, or a quarter of a green bell pepper if you prefer not to have spiciness in this pie,

Cheesy Spicy Lentil Pie Ingredients

For the 5 minute pie crust

• All purpose flour (or you can use a half all purpose and whole wheat flour)
• Olive oil (or oil of choice)
• Salt & cold water

For the savoury spice blend

• Ground paprika
• Ground oregano
• Ground ginger
• Ground cinnamon
• Garlic powder
• Salt & pepper

for the Pie filing

• Cooked green lentils
• Small onion
• Vegetable stock
• Bay leaf
• Jalapeño or banana pepper without seeds
• Olive oil
• Tomato
• Vegan cheddar cheese
• Chopped parsley

Making This Pie Step By Step

For the easy 5 minute pie crust

1. Add flour and salt together in a medium bowl and mix.

2. In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil with the water until it becomes light in colour. Right away, pour the entire water/olive oil mixture into the bowl of flour. Stir with a fork until the flour is mixed in with the liquids.

3. Gather the dough together with your hands until it holds together. If more water is needed carefully add a teaspoon more water at a time.
4. Dump the dough evenly into a pie plate and press gently until it covers the pan evenly. 

For the Pie filling

1. Add all dried spices, salt and pepper to a small bowl and mix until combined.

2. Add finely chopped onion, finely chopped hot pepper (with seeds removed) and chopped tomato to a large saucepan on medium low heat with a drizzle of olive oil. Cook until onions soft and translucent.
3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
4. Add cooked green lentils, vegetable broth and bay leaf and stir to combine.
5. Cook 5-7 minutes on medium heat stirring occasionally.

6. Fill pie crust with the pie filling and top with vegan cheddar cheese.
7. Cook pie at 400 degrees F for 25-30 minutes until crust is golden brown.

8. Top with chopped parsley and serve!

Commonly Asked Questions

CAN THis PIE BE MADE AHEAD OF TIME?

Yes, but do not fill the pie crust until it is ready to be baked or your pie crusts will be soggy. Make the pie crust ahead of time and store it in the fridge separately from the pie filling (which can also be made ahead of time and stored separately in the fridge. Assemble the pie right before you are going to bake it!

CAN THis pie BE FROZEN?

Yes after the pie is baked it can be frozen (but not before they are baked). Tightly wrap the pie or store in an air-tight container and freeze pies for up to 4 months.

WHAT SHOULD I SERVE THis pie?

Traditionally a savoury pie is great with ketchup! A great vegan ketchup option is 365 Everyday Value Ketchup. I also love this Cheesy Spicy Lentil Pie with a side of steamed green beans!

Cheesy Spicy Lentil Pie

A quick and healthy Cheesy Spicy Lentil Pie made with a 5 minute crust and a savoury lentil filling topped with vegan cheddar.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Course Dessert, Main Course

Cuisine American, Plant-Based

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

  

5 Minute Press in Pan Pie Crust

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour (or sub half with whole wheat flour)
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 6 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil or oil of choice
• 3 Tbsp cold must be cold water, not room temperature

Pie Filling

• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 3/4 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 small onion finely chopped
• olive oil for cooking
• 1 large tomato chopped
• 1/2 small banana pepper (or 1 small jalapeño pepper) finely chopped and seeds removed to reduce heat
• 1 1/4 cup cooked green lentils
• 1/4 cup vegetable broth
• 1 bay leaf optional
• vegan cheddar cheese to top
• handful chopped parsley garnish

Instructions

 

5 Minute Press in Pan Pie Crust

• Add flour and salt together in a medium bowl and mix.
• In a smaller bowl, whisk the oil with the water until it becomes light in colour.
• Right away, pour the entire water/olive oil mixture into the bowl of flour.
• Stir with a for until the flour is mixed in with the liquids.
• Gather the dough together with your hands until it holds together. If more water is needed carefully add a teaspoon more water at a time. You do not want the dough to be too wet or it won't press together in the pan. (Your dough will be crumbly but it will come together when pressed in the pie pan).
• Dump the dough into your pie plate and press gently until it covers the pan evenly.
• Set aside in fridge while making the filling (Do not fill the pie crust with filling until you are ready to bake the pie, or your pie will be soggy)

Pie Filling

• Add all dried spices, salt and pepper to a small bowl and mix until combined.
• Add finely chopped onion, finely chopped hot pepper (with seeds removed) and chopped tomato to a large saucepan on medium low heat with a drizzle of olive oil. Cook until onions soft and translucent.
• Add spice mix and stir.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Add cooked green lentils, vegetable broth and bay leaf and stir to combine.
• Cook 5-7 minutes on medium heat stirring occasionally.
• Fill pie crust with the pie filling and top with vegan cheddar cheese.
• Cook pie at 400 degrees F for 25-30 minutes until crust is golden brown.
• Top with chopped parsley and serve!

Keyword dairy free cheese, Lentils, meat pie, Pie, spicy, tourtiere

Looking for more vegan pie recipes? Try my Perfectly Spiced Vegan Pumpkin Pie!