Stir-Fried Lettuce With Seared Tofu and Red Pepper Recipe (2024)

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Cooking Notes

Alexandra

Dear New York Times,
Please don't suggest including chicken broth in a recipe marked Vegetarian and Vegan. This is how well-meaning folk accidentally feed animals to their vegetarian friends. Please just say vegetable broth. Thank you.

bt3

Elegant, tasty, simple. That's a useful tip of testing the heat in the skillet with water before adding the delicate lettuce. Otherwise it wilts.

Ellen Fuss

A bit of advance prep makes this a quick, simple and flavorful meal or side dish. Be sure the tofu is well drained and the pan quite hot in order for the tofu to take on a golden color. Flavorful and healthy.

tpol

Definitely prep everything ahead of time -- the cooking is remarkably fast. I put the cooked tofu back in the pan and stirred it in with the lettuce etc. Really a delicious, easy dish. It would never have occurred to me to stir-fry romaine.

KES

Had a lot of lettuce to use so this caught my eye..substituted pork for tofu. Very tasty, easy to prepare. Will make again.

Jane

I loved the lettuce! The sauce needed a bit more pizazz though. Maybe some sesame oil and a little sugar.

Anne

I probably wouldn’t include this on my weekly rotation as there are better stir fries out there. However, a great way to use up lettuce when you don’t want yet another salad.

Elizabeth

Made this as written, except someone had used up all of the jalapeños. I used Shichimi Togarashi instead red pepper mix instead, and added a dash of toasted sesame oil to the rice vinegar/soy mixture. It was a delightful dish and a great way to use up romaine lettuce. We’ll do this again.

doggerelblogger

Excellent use of extra lettuce!

Stephanie

Had an extra head of romaine from my CSA box. Sautéing it was a wonderful idea! I added/substituted a few things based on what I had in my fridge: five spice tofu (available at any Asian supermarket! It’s a nice extra firm variety with flavor already infused), broccoli instead of red bell pepper, and a few dollops of “Lao Gan Ma” (the famous “grandma” chili sauce). I also added a little bit of Korean chili powder as someone else suggested. Great flavor and healthy!

debbie

No flavor can’t recommend I used high quality soy and wine didn’t help

Adrienne

Simple, flavorful and comes together fast. I had a big head of lettuce from this week’s CSA I needed to use up; this recipe fit the bill perfectly. Substituted the red pepper for an onion (what I had on hand) and probably doubled the garlic and ginger. I also threw some Korean red chili flakes in the soy sauce/rice wine mixture. Stir fried some rice noodles to add to the mix. So good.

tumi

This is good but definitely not serve 4. I think serve 2-3.

kathie o'shea

I'm not much of a tofu person but i loved this recipe, very easy and I used escarole for the lettuce.

Alexandra

Dear New York Times,
Please don't suggest including chicken broth in a recipe marked Vegetarian and Vegan. This is how well-meaning folk accidentally feed animals to their vegetarian friends. Please just say vegetable broth. Thank you.

Nathan Brasfield

This is a really good recipe, but what is even better in my opinion is the one very closely related to it (and which seems largely ignored on here!) that has bean sprouts instead of lettuce: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1013560-stir-fried-bean-sprouts-with...
This one with lettuce is a tad confusing for a moment when you realize that it never has you do anything with the tofu you've cooked; but you could also cook it the same way for the one with bean sprouts.

suesie

very simple and delicious. I froze the tofu first and defrosted it- the texture is much more porous and soaks up the sauce more. Great simple dish. So glad to find something to do with all the excess lettuce!

TLK

I made this one weeknight when I had no fresh tofu, only frozen. I boiled the tofu in lightly salted water to thaw, carefully squeezed it to removed excess water, then wrapped it in a towel and pressed it under a cast iron skillet while I prepped the rest of the ingredients. It gave a wonderful texture to this already great dish.

KES

Had a lot of lettuce to use so this caught my eye..substituted pork for tofu. Very tasty, easy to prepare. Will make again.

Weslie

really good and easy. i have made it without the tofu as a side dish with rice and some grilled chicken.

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Stir-Fried Lettuce With Seared Tofu and Red Pepper Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What are the 3 rules of stir-frying? ›

Food & Dining

The first is to cook your protein and your vegetable separately, and combine them only after both are fully cooked. A second rule of thumb for stir-frying: Choose one vegetable per stir-fry. Finally, always remember to add liquid only after everything is more or less finished cooking.

How to stir fry tofu? ›

Pat the tofu chunks dry, then season well. Heat half the oil in a wok or large frying pan over a high heat. Fry the tofu for 5 mins until golden, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and ginger and fry for 1 min more.

Can lettuce be cooked? ›

Cooked lettuce is one of my favorite ways to quickly infuse flavor (and luck) into weeknight meals, paired with a simple protein or simply spooned atop rice. Lettuce transforms dramatically under heat, which breaks down the stems and leaves to create a silky, tender-crisp texture.

What is the secret ingredient in stir-fry? ›

According to Food & Wine, ketchup is the ultimate way to take the flavor of homemade stir fry up a level, thanks to its sweet and sour flavor profile. It just might be the easiest cooking hack to elevate your home cooking to that of your favorite take-out.

What should you not do when stir-frying? ›

Read on for the 10 most popular mistakes people make when stir-frying… and how to avoid them.
  1. But first… ...
  2. #1: Using the wrong pan. ...
  3. #2: Slicing ingredients too large or thick. ...
  4. #3: Being unorganised. ...
  5. #4: Not getting the wok hot enough. ...
  6. #5: Adding the oil before the wok is hot. ...
  7. #6: Throwing every ingredient in at once.

What not to mix with tofu? ›

What to not serve with tofu? According to studies, a high volume consumption of tofu and spinach together can increase your risk of kidney stones. Tofu and spinach contain calcium and oxalic acid respectively and the combined can form kidney stones.

Do you season tofu before or after frying? ›

Step 1: Heat about 1 tablespoon of oil in a nonstick or cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add pressed and sliced tofu to the pan. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to break or 'scramble' the tofu into small pieces. Step 2: Once the tofu is scrambled, add some sauce or seasoning to the pan.

Do you marinate tofu before frying? ›

Simply marinate your tofu then fry, bake, or cook in the air fryer for beautifully crispy tofu that tastes delicious every single time. Ready in 40 minutes, vegan-friendly, and so good.

What do restaurants use to keep lettuce fresh? ›

Lettuce actually needs a good amount of airflow, in addition to a bit of moisture (but not too much!), in order to stay crisp. That's why restaurants store their lettuce in special perforated bins that allow for air circulation while it's held in the fridge.

What pairs well with lettuce? ›

Chives and Garlic: Both are good companion plants for lettuce because they help to deter pests, such as aphids. Cilantro: Cilantro is a good companion plant for lettuce because it attracts beneficial insects, such as parasitic wasps and hoverflies, which eat aphids.

When not to use lettuce? ›

Wilting: If the lettuce is wilted and has lost its crispness, it is likely no longer fresh and should not be consumed. Odd odor: If the lettuce has an off or sour smell, it is likely spoiled and should not be eaten. Molds: If there is visible mold on the lettuce, it should not be consumed.

Does lettuce taste good cooked? ›

When cooked, the flavors in lettuce go from nothing special to deliciously amazing. The leaves wilt as they simmer, as do most leafy greens, and become tender when they're done cooking. They also soak up the flavors from the garlic cloves and broth, giving them heaps of savory and smoky flavors.

How do you prepare lettuce before cooking? ›

How to prepare and wash a lettuce
  1. Place the lettuce on a clean work surface. Separate the lettuce leaves. ...
  2. Wash the leaves well in the sink or a large bowl of water. Transfer the leaves to a colander and gently shake to remove water.
  3. Place leaves, in a single layer, on a clean, dry tea towel or paper towel and pat dry.

Is cooked lettuce still nutritious? ›

Here's the good news: It turns out, the answer is both. Raw foods bring the crunch, and incredible flavour—think of crisp lettuce leaves, brilliant berries, and so on, with no nutrient loss from the heat of cooking.

What are the basics of stir-fry? ›

A great stir-fry typically consists of four important components: protein, vegetables, aromatics, and sauce. Standard stir-fry starts with one pound of protein and two pounds of vegetables, and a basic stir-fry sauce (recipe below). You can add aromatics or herbs to change the flavor profile of your dish.

What goes first in a stir-fry? ›

Stir-fry onions first, then add hard vegetables such as carrot and broccoli. Quick-cooking vegetables, such as snow peas, leafy greens and bean sprouts, should be added towards the end of cooking. If using vegies that have a combination of both textures, such as gai laan, add the stems first and the leaves later.

What are the principles of stir-frying? ›

The principle behind making a stir fry is to cook your ingredients quickly in a small amount of very hot oil. To keep frying it as fast as possible, it's important to properly prepare all your ingredients. So before you turn up the heat, we recommend you: Marinade any meat, fish or tofu in your choice of sauce.

What is the proper way to stir-fry something? ›

How to make a stir-fry
  1. Prepare all the ingredients before turning on the heat. ...
  2. Slice meat and vegetables for maximum surface area. ...
  3. Use a wok or cast-iron pan. ...
  4. The aromatics should be cooked low and slow. ...
  5. But the stir fry needs to be cooked fast and hot. ...
  6. Add ingredients according to cook time. ...
  7. Stir your ingredients often.
Jan 25, 2024

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