zucchini stir-fry with tofu

This zucchini stir fry is made with carrots, bell peppers, tofu, and Asian-inspired seasonings. Easy, healthy, and great for meal prep! Option to make a non-vegan version and serve with shrimp or chicken, instead.

Prep Time  15 minutes minutes     Cook Time    25  minutes minutes
Total Time 40 minutes minutes      Servings 4

Ingredients

• 1 block tofu (firm or extra firm)
• Avocado oil spray (or other cooking spray/oil)
• 1 small shallot, thinly sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 cups zucchini, chopped into 1/2-inch half moons (approx. 2 medium-large zucchini)
• 3 cups carrots, peeled + chopped (about 4 regular carrots)
• 1 large bell pepper, cored + chopped (I used red)
• Salt + pepper, to taste
• Optional garnish: chopped green onion, chopped parsley, toasted sesame seeds

Sauce:

• 2 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 3 Tbsp tamari or soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger (or 1 tsp freshly grated)
• 1 Tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 tsp cornstarch (or other thickening starch)

Instructions

• Prep Tofu: Drain tofu and wrap with a paper towel. Gently squeeze to remove excess liquid, then place under something heavy (like a couple cookbooks) while you prep the veggies and sauce.
• Mix cornstarch with 2 teaspoons of water in a small ramekin, until a slurry forms. Then, make the sauce by whisking all sauce ingredients (including the cornstarch slurry) in a small bowl. Set aside.
• Unwrap tofu from paper towel and cut into cubes of desired size.
• Heat cooking spray in a large pan over medium-high heat. When pan is hot, add tofu and season with salt + pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, undisturbed. Then flip each piece and cook for an additional 5 minutes, finishing with a quick toss of the pan at the end. Remove and set tofu aside in a clean bowl.
• In the same pan, cook shallots and garlic for a couple minutes until lightly browned and fragrant.
• Then, add chopped zucchini, carrots, and bell peppers to the pan. Cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally. TIP: you can add additional cooking oil or spray as needed here. Do not salt veggies yet, to prevent zucchini from getting soggy!
• Once veggies are mostly cooked, add tofu back in along with sauce. Toss together and cook for an additional 3 minutes. The sauce should thicken slightly and coat everything.
• Serve stir fry on its own or over some cooked grains or noodles (see notes for ideas). Add garnish as desired and season with additional salt + pepper, if needed. Enjoy hot!

 *RECIPE MODIFICATIONS & SWAPS:

• Feel free to play around with the veggies here and use any that you like. I think this would go well with ones like broccoli, mushrooms, snap peas, eggplants, spinach, etc. It's a great way to use up what's in the fridge!
• Instead of tofu, you could serve this with another protein. It would taste good with tempeh, shrimp, chicken, or beef! Just note that cooking times will vary, but you just need to cook the protein first and then add it into the veggies at the end :)
• Shallot can be swapped with diced onion.
• Ginger can be ground or fresh.
• Cornstarch can be swapped for another thickening starch or flour, like arrowroot powder.
• I love chopped green onions and sesame seeds for garnish, but you can leave these out. If you have some parsley in the fridge, you can add that in here too!
• If you follow a gluten-free diet, ensure that you use a certified gluten-free version of tamari, rice vinegar, and cornstarch.

 *LEFTOVERS: Leftovers of this recipe will keep for 3-5 days in an airtight container in the fridge. You can reheat them in the microwave or on the stove top.

Recipe Compliments: https://www.walderwellness.com/zucchini-stir-fry/
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