Stir-Fried Tofu With Red Chard

Name: Stir-Fried Tofu With Red Chard
Total time: 30 min
Yield: Serves four
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons soy sauce; 1 teaspoon sugar; 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon chopped or grated fresh ginger; 3/4 pound firm tofu, sliced 1/2 inch thick, into 1- by 2-inch dominoes; 1 large bunch or 2 smaller bunches red chard about 1 1/2 pounds, stemmed and thoroughly cleaned retain the stems; Salt to taste; 1 teaspoon dark sesame oil; 2 tablespoons canola or peanut oil; 2 large garlic cloves, minced

By Martha Rose Shulman

Total Time: 30 minutes
Rating: 4(158)
Comments: Read comments

Most of the time that you devote to a stir-fry goes into chopping and measuring out ingredients. Sometimes the list looks long to me, and I fear the dish is going to take forever to make. But while I may spend 30 minutes prepping everything, I’ll spend only five minutes at the stove. For things to go well, it’s important that the mise en place be organized. If liquids are to be added to a dish at the same time, combine them in one bowl or measuring cup. If the garlic and ginger are to be added together, have them minced and combined in a small container. Clean your work area before you start cooking, and have everything close to the stove. Once you begin to stir-fry, you won’t be able to do anything except grab the next ingredient. Read the recipe carefully from beginning to end, have the table set, your rice or noodles cooked and plates ready. I love the pink color that tofu takes on when cooked with red chard. Beet greens would also do the trick. In this recipe, blanching the greens is part of the prep.

Featured in: Late Summer Stir-Fries

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Ingredients

Yield:Serves four

For the Stir-fried Tofu With Red Chard

2tablespoons soy sauce
1teaspoon sugar
1tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon chopped or grated fresh ginger
¾pound firm tofu, sliced ½ inch thick, into 1- by 2-inch dominoes
1large bunch or 2 smaller bunches red chard about 1½ pounds, stemmed and thoroughly cleaned retain the stems
Salt to taste
1teaspoon dark sesame oil
2tablespoons canola or peanut oil
2large garlic cloves, minced

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

For the Stir-fried Tofu With Red Chard
1. Step 1
  Mix together the soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of the ginger and the sugar. Toss with the tofu in a bowl, and set aside. Marinate for 15 minutes or longer. Refrigerate if not using right away. Meanwhile, fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Fill a bowl with ice water.
2. Step 2
  When the water comes to a boil, salt generously and add the red chard leaves. Cook the chard 1 to 2 minutes, until just tender, and transfer with a slotted spoon or deep-fry skimmer to the ice water. Drain and squeeze out the water (you don’t have to squeeze it completely dry). Chop coarsely and set aside.
3. Step 3
  Trim the ends of the chard stalks, clean them well and slice crosswise, about ¼ inch thick.
4. Step 4
  Heat a large, heavy nonstick skillet or wok over high heat until hot enough to evaporate a drop of water on contact. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil, swirl to coat the pan and reduce the heat to medium-high. Lift the tofu from the marinade, and add to the pan. Stir-fry for two to three minutes, until lightly colored. Add the chard stalks, and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil and the garlic and remaining ginger, and stir together for about 30 seconds until fragrant. Stir in the blanched red chard, and stir-fry with the tofu for one minute. Add the tofu marinade and cook, stirring, for another minute or two, until heated through and fragrant. Remove from the heat and serve, with rice or noodles.

Tip

Advance preparation: The noodles can be cooked a day ahead and kept in the refrigerator. The cooked greens will keep for three or four days in a covered bowl in the refrigerator.Martha Rose Shulman can be reached at martha-rose-shulman.com.

Ratings

4 out of 5

158 user ratings

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Comments

Mary Kimm7 years ago

I used extra firm tofu crumbled into quite small pieces, marinates very well and resembles ground pork in the dish. Also I don't find that the chard leaves need blanching, just add them raw and cook for an extra minute.

Martha Rose Shulman7 years ago

Sorry about the oversight (will correct). Add the sesame oil at the end with the tofu marinade.

Loretta Marie Long7 years ago

I made this delightful soul food last night served over grated calibasas squash mixed with a little fresh mint from my balcony garden, instead of rice. Your advice for having everything ready beforehand is so very important. This tasty vegetarian meal is so very simple to make but creates delightful, rich flavors. (I also added lemon and hot red pepper.) I love your recipes!

Keith1 year ago

I didn’t blanch the chard leaves. Only washed and threw them into the sauté. (Why blanch the flavor and nutrients out?) It was all very good!

basic stirfry2 years ago

This is a good recipe for a basic stirfry.

FrancesNapa2 years ago

This is a great recipe for a night when you don't have a lot of time, but you want something healthy. I followed the recipe exactly, and it was delicious. Next time, I might double the amount of chard or use a combination of chard and kale. Sauteed onion would be a nice addition. I did add a few dashes of Aleppo chile, and I steamed the chard in the microwave. We dusted the finished product with Japanese Furikake.

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