My favorite vegan & gluten-free recipe for Black Pepper Tofu & Green Beans is officially here! This green bean tofu stir fry recipe contains only 10 ingredients that can easily be found at most grocery stores. I can solidly say this easy 4-ingredient black pepper sauce makes this the most delicious vegan weeknight dinner!
Can I just say that I NEVER thought making an Asian tofu stir fry sauce at home could be this easy and taste this good? Black Pepper Tofu is one of my favorite recipes to eat as takeout, but I always believed it was too complicated to make at home. This recipe is adapted from Dishing out the Health Black Pepper Tofu recipe but is less spicy & contains more veggie goodness!
Previously, I've tried other recipes for homemade black pepper tofu that were delicious, but contained way too many complicated grocery items. In contrast, this black pepper tofu recipe contains 9 ingredients that can ALL be easily found at most grocery stores and can be whipped up in just 40 minutes!
Ingredients:
First and foremost, here's a breakdown of the 9 ingredients needed to make a delicious vegan black pepper tofu stir fry:
- 1 14 oz block of FIRM TOFU (make sure firm, not soft or silken)
- Cornstarch (the secret ingredient for crispy tofu!)
- 2 shallots (minced for the best texture!)
- 1 ½ cups chopped green beans
- Soy sauce (Make sure to use Tamari if you want gluten-free soy sauce!)
- Peppercorn (1 Tbsp- freshly ground)
- Ground Ginger
- Organic sugar (3 Tbsp- make sure it's organic to be vegan!)
- Sesame Oil (for stir frying the tofu and veggies)
- Optional 10th ingredient- Thai Basil as a topping!
How to make black pepper tofu
Make the crispy tofu
The first step to making this tofu green bean stir fry is cooking the tofu to crispy perfection. In particular, these tips & tricks are sure to give you crispy tofu every time!
One: Make sure the Tofu is Extra Firm & DRY: To do this, slice the tofu in half and press it between two towels or paper towels. Then, let the tofu sit like this for about 10 minutes.
Two: Use the right oil to stir fry. For this recipe, I used sesame oil. It has a higher smoke point meaning it can withstand being cooked at high heat without burning. Besides the desirable smoke point, sesame oil also adds great flavor to this stir fry. In case you can't find sesame oil, other oils that could work for the recipe include canola, grapeseed, soybean, avocado, or peanut oil.
Three: Use a Wok to Stir Fry. My BergHOFF wok is truly my most BELOVED kitchen appliance. In fact, I use it to cook many other dishes on SGTO like my favorite Vegan Eggplant Lentil Curry . Using a wok helps to distribute heat more evenly while cooking and allows me to use less oil. Win, win!
Four: Cornstarch for Crispiness! Did you know cornstarch makes the best coating to make tofu crispy and brown? For this recipe, I don't recommend replacing the cornstarch with alternatives like tapioca starch or arrowroot as the tofu won't get as crispy.
To sum it up, once the tofu is coated with the cornstarch, add 1 Tbsp sesame oil to a wok. Once the oil is hot, add in the tofu and stir fry for 10-15 minutes until brown and crisp. Then, set the tofu aside for later.
P.S- If you'd like to make this tofu green bean stir fry oil-free you can also bake the tofu! Simply follow the instructions in my Baked Tofu with Peanut Sauce to read how.
Make the black pepper sauce
This homemade black pepper sauce can be made in one bowl & contains only 4 ingredients. All you need to do is whisk together the tamari (or soy sauce), sugar, ground ginger, and black pepper together in a small bowl. After that, your sauce is ready to be added to the wok!
In order to keep this recipe gluten-free, I choose Tamari over traditional soy sauce which tends to have wheat added in. I like saltier food, but if you do not, you can also use a low-sodium soy sauce here or replace 2 Tbsp of the soy sauce with water or vegetable broth for a less salty sauce.
Also, I recommend usually a high-quality black pepper and grind it fresh for this recipe. Specifically, I used a Rainbow Peppercorn Blend and love the flavor this black pepper mix brings to this tofu sir fry. If you are trying to stay away from refined sugar, coconut sugar can be used as a 1:1 substitution for organic sugar in this recipe. Also, while I choose ground dried ginger for this black pepper tofu recipe, grating in fresh ginger would give this stir fry even more flavor.
Stir fry the green beans & shallots
After you have stir-fried the tofu and made the sauce, add more sesame oil to the hot wok. Once the oil is hot, add in the vegetables and stir fry for about 5 minutes. Then, pour in the sauce! Stir fry for another 2 minutes or so to evenly coat the vegetables.
The vegetables I used in this dish are shallots and of course...beloved green beans!
For the best texture, I like to cut the ends off my green beans (the stringy part) and then chop each green bean into thirds. When cutting the shallots, I like to finely dice them so they blend into the sauce. Also, a few people have tested this recipe with sliced mushrooms and recommended that as well! Whatever veggies you add, I bet they will taste great in this tofu green bean stir fry.
Mix together & serve over rice
As a final step, add the crispy tofu to the wok with the stir-fried veggies and black pepper sauce and mix together. The cornstarch from the tofu will help to thicken the sauce a bit, but you'll also have plenty of sauce leftover to pour on top of the rice.
Lastly, top off the vegan black pepper tofu bowls with fresh Thai basil! I also love serving this recipe over white rice or pairing it alongside my FAVORITE Vegan Fried Rice.
This Black Pepper Tofu & Green Beans recipe is simple, quick to whip up as a weeknight dinner, and absolutely delicious. Personally, I love that it is a healthy dish AND comfort food at the same time. Pair it with a big bowl of white rice and dig in for the best vegan tofu recipe you've ever had!
-TSG
More vegan tofu recipes you will love:
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Black Pepper Tofu & Green Beans
Ingredients
- 14 oz firm tofu must be firm or extra firm, not soft
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 Tablespoons sesame oil
- 1 ½ cup chopped green beans
- 2 shallots about ½ cup finely chopped
- 10 Tablespoons tamari
- 2 ½ Tablespoons organic sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 Tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
- Fresh Thai Basil optional, as garnish
Instructions
- To begin, slice the block of tofu in half and press it between two towels or two paper towels. Let the tofu sit for 10 minutes to soak up any excess moisture.
- While the tofu is being pressed, chop up the green beans and shallots and make the black pepper sauce. To make the black pepper sauce, simply whisk together the soy sauce/tamari, sugar, ground ginger, and freshly ground black pepper in a small bowl and set aside.
- Once the ingredients are prepped, cut the pressed tofu into 1 inch cubes and add to a large bowl. Add the cornstarch to the bowl and use your hands to evenly coat the tofu in cornstarch.
- Next, add 1 Tbsp of sesame oil to the work and turn on the heat. Once the oil is hot, add in the tofu and stir fry for 10-15 minutes until the tofu is browned and crispy on the outside. Remove the tofu from the wok and set aside in a bowl.
- Add the remaining 1 Tbsp of sesame oil to the wok followed by the chopped shallots and green beans. Stir fry for about 5 minutes until the shallots are translucent. Then, add in the black pepper sauce and tofu. Cook all the ingredients for an additional 3-5 minutes to help thicken the sauce.
- Remove the wok from the heat and serve the black pepper tofu and green beans on top of white rice. Garnish with the Thai basil if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- Stir fry can be stored in a closed container and will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer up to 1 month.
- If you would like a less spicy dish, simply reduce the black pepper to ½ Tbsp (3 grams). It still will taste delicious!
- For a less salty salt, use low-sodium soy sauce or replace 2 Tbsp of the tamari with vegetable broth or water.
Michelle W says
This is by far one of the best tofu recipes I have ever tried! The bite of the pepper and tang from the tamari is beyond yummy. I legit eat this almost every week!
Megan says
Thank you so much for the amazing review 🙂
Sarah W says
I’ve made this a few times now, sometimes with tofu, sometimes with chicken. I add some mirin wine for a bit more sweetness and cut back on the sugar, sometimes add honey. I also add sliced red bell pepper and sweet onion. Yum! Thank you for the recipe!
Megan says
Sounds delicious- and thanks for sharing your substitutions!
Denise says
Oh wow! This is good. I LOVE black pepper, but I was a little skeptical about a whole tablespoon so I did cheat that down just a bit. I also replaced a couple tablespoons of low sodium soy sauce with water. What a great treatment for tofu which is, let’s face it, kinda boring. I will definitely make this again, and I can totally see using broccoli instead of the green beans if that’s what I had on hand
Megan says
So glad you enjoyed it and it's definitely great with broccoli too :).
Ann Smajstrla says
Hi Megan - Thank you SO much for this delicious recipe!
Back in March I unfortunately came down with c. Thankfully I never had any breathing issues, but my taste completely disappeared, and only partially returned. As a result I can’t fully taste a lot of the food I used to enjoy.
I made this recipe for the first time last week. This is the first meal I’ve had since c that tasted so FLAVORFUL!
I just made it again and gave some to my boyfriend. He loved it too!
Thanks again. So far I’ve made this dish + the matcha sugar cookies (also top-notch and boyfriend approved, btw). I look forward to trying more of your recipes 😊
Megan says
You're so welcome- I'm so glad it was flavorful enough for you to taste and that you liked the cookies too! 🙂
Kayla says
I love the short ingredient list and how quick this recipe was to put together! I made a batch at the start of the week and it kept very well in the fridge for fast dinners all week.
When I’ve made stir-fries with green beans in the past the beans were a little too crunchy for my taste, so I gave them a quick blanch before using them in this recipe. I also replaced half the soy sauce with water (I try to avoid too much salt). Otherwise made it as written and I know I will be making it many times again! So so so tasty, a perfect balance of flavours. 🙂
Krystal says
Made this but with a twist. Didn't want rice and had a few potatoes that needed used before they started growing new potatoes. Also, I was feeling lazy on this cold winter day and wanted warm comfort food. Threw everything in the crock pot and let it do the work. It is fan-freaking-tastic!
Megan Horowitch says
Sounds so good! Thanks for sharing your twist:)
Vaish says
I followed the recipe to a T and it was perfect! Wouldn’t change a thing!
Susan says
I only used half the sauce, and it was plenty for me.
Leigh Evans says
Loved this recipe with a few adjustments! Halved the pepper, and also halved the tamari and replaced the other 5 tbsp with water (there's a lot of sodium in 10 tbsp of tamari!). Turned out great, but even with the pepper halved it was almost too hot for my low spiciness threshold. My partner absolutely loved it and says it was one of the best things I've ever made! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Megan Horowitch says
So glad you liked it! Water is a great idea to make it lower in sodium 🙂
Dhvani says
Made this to go with some stir-fried noodles. So, so easy and delicious! Came together really quickly and the flavors are addictive!
The one change I made was to sub in fresh grated ginger since I didn’t have any ginger powder. My husband said this was better than any restaurant! Thanks so much for this recipe - definitely going to make it again!
Lynn says
This was my first time cooking tofu and it turned out great! I made half of the sauce and used broccoli instead of green beans. There was plenty of sauce and the tofu was crispy and delicious. Thanks for the recipe!
Megan Horowitch says
So glad you enjoyed it and thanks for the feedback!
Matthew says
Best Tofu recipe I’ve ever made!
Amanda says
LOVED this dish! I’m a huge fan of pepper and this definitely hit the spot. I should also mention I am NOT very good at cooking at all and this recipe was easy for me to understand and follow. Next time I make it, I might use just a little bit less sauce in the pan so it will thicken quicker. Definitely recommend this dish, especially if you love pepper!
Megan Horowitch says
So so glad you loved it!
Mayra Munoz says
This came out perfect. The flavours were so amazing that even my picky hubby enjoyed it and finished my leftovers I had for lunch the next day.
Colleen says
Made this for dinner tonight. My husband and I LOVED it. We will definitely be adding this to our rotation! We’re trying to introduce more plant based recipes into our weekly meals and this blog is everything!
Megan Horowitch says
Yay I love hearing that and thank you! Can't wait to see what else you make. If you have time to leave a star rating too that would mean SO much 🙂
Bailey W. says
I've probably made this 10 times now since I came across the recipe a few months ago. It's easy and delicious! I've subbed in broccoli for the beans, and green onions for the basil depending on what i have on hand. It also keeps so well for lunches the next day! This is a staple in our house for sure!!
Bailey W. says
I've probably made this 10 times now since I came across the recipe a few months ago. It's easy and delicious! I've subbed in broccoli for the beans, and green onions for the basil depending on what i have on hand. It also keeps so well for lunches the next day! This is a staple in our house for sure!!
Megan Horowitch says
So happy to hear that!! And totally agree- broccoli//green onions also taste amazing in this recipe 🙂