Spicy Saucy Tofu with Quick Slaw and Sesame Rice

Serves 4 to 6

Tofu haters often cite “blandness” as an excuse to steer clear of the plant-based protein. But its blandness is actually its biggest strength! It so wonderfully absorbs whatever sauce you add to it—like this utterly craveable Korean-inspired gochujang sauce. The sauce does the heavy lifting here; all you do is add some preprepped vegetables and a grain, and you’ll have a home-run dinner in minutes.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 ½ cups short-grain white rice, rinsed

  Make It Fast Caroline Chambers

• Neutral oil

• 1 ½ tablespoons plus ½ cup low-sodium soy sauce, plus more if needed

• Kosher salt

• 6 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds, plus more for serving

• 6 teaspoons sesame oil (preferably toasted)

• 1 (10-ounce) bag shredded green cabbage or coleslaw mix

• 1 (10-ounce) bag shredded carrots

• 2 limes, plus more if needed

• 2 teaspoons plus 2 tablespoons honey, plus more if needed

• 1 (14- to 16-ounce) block extrafirm tofu

• 6 garlic cloves

• 1 (3-inch) piece fresh ginger

• 2 tablespoons gochujang, sambal oelek, or sriracha

• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar

• Freshly ground black pepper

• 3 scallions

DIRECTIONS

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the rice, 1¾ cups water, 2 tablespoons neutral oil, 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce, and ½ teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then turn down the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes or until ready to serve. Uncover and use a fork to fluff the rice, then gently stir in 2 teaspoons of the sesame seeds and 1 teaspoon of the sesame oil.

2. Meanwhile, combine the cabbage and carrots in a large bowl. Halve 1 lime and squeeze in the juice. Add the remaining 4 teaspoons sesame seeds, 3 teaspoons sesame oil, ½ tablespoon of the soy sauce, and 2 teaspoons of the honey. Toss to coat well. Taste and add more lime juice, soy sauce, or honey.

3. Warm your largest skillet over medium-high heat until a drop of water flicked into the pan dances on the surface. Meanwhile, drain the tofu, then use your hands to squeeze out as much liquid as you possibly can. It’ll break apart a bit and that’s fine.

4. Add 2 tablespoons neutral oil to the hot skillet. When it shimmers, break the tofu into bite-size pieces and add them directly to the pan in an even layer and cook, undisturbed, until lightly browned on the bottom, 2 to 3 minutes. Give it a stir, then cook until lightly browned all over, 3 to 5 minutes more. It’s fine if some bits stick to the pan; the sauce will get them. Scooch all the tofu into a pile on one side of the pan.

5. To the cleared side of the skillet, add 2 tablespoons neutral oil, then use a Microplane to grate the garlic and ginger (no need to peel it) into the oil. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, 15 to 30 seconds. Pour in the remaining ½ cup soy sauce, 2 tablespoons honey, and the remaining 2 teaspoons sesame oil, then add ½ cup water, the gochujang, vinegar, and some pepper. Stir with a wooden spoon, scraping up any browned bits from the skillet, and bring the sauce to a simmer.

6. Push the tofu into the sauce and cook, stirring once or twice, until the tofu has absorbed the flavors and the sauce has thickened, 3 to 5 minutes.

7. Meanwhile, cut the remaining lime into 8 wedges and slice the scallions.

8. Divide the rice among bowls. Top with the tofu, spooning extra sauce over the top. Add a generous scoop of the slaw and garnish with the scallions and sesame seeds. Serve with the lime wedges for squeezing.

Swap: Swap out the tofu for ground chicken, turkey, or pork and use your spatula to break the meat into small crumbles as it cooks.

Riff: I love a lot of slaw with this tofu dish, so I wrote the recipe that way. If you have leftover slaw but no more rice or tofu, toss it into Warm Sesame Noodles (page 89) or Beef Basil Bowls (page 129). Or, throw the slaw into a hot, lightly oiled skillet and warm it through to serve alongside roasted chicken or pork.

Bulk it up: Add sliced avocado or a fried egg on top of each serving. • Toss some chopped peanuts or cashews into the slaw or the tofu. • Add sliced cucumbers or radishes to the slaw.

Recipe reprinted with permission from What to Cook When You Don’t Feel Like Cooking: Make it Fast by Caroline Chambers © 2026. Published by Union Square & Co., an imprint of Grand Central Publishing, a division of Hachette Book Group. Photography by Erin Scott.

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