This No Sugar Added Vegan Orange Tofu is made with real ingredients that you can feel good about! Aside from the tofu prep, it comes together in less than 30 minutes after following just a few simple steps.
This recipe was created in partnership with Heinen’s
No Sugar Added Vegan Orange Tofu
This easy recipe is sweetened naturally with oranges and requires no added sweeteners. While this recipe is vegan in nature, it has been given a stamp of approval from my meat-loving husband, which truly says a lot, trust me! That being said, you don’t have to be a vegan or vegetarian to enjoy this recipe.
If you are looking for the chicken version of this recipe, click here for my paleo & Whole30 Orange Chicken recipe.
My Favorite Way to Prep Tofu
To ensure my tofu is crispy with no excess moisture, I simply wrap a block of firm tofu in a towel, set it on top of a plate, then place a heavy cast iron skillet gently on top. From there, I allow it to sit for 15-30 minutes while I prep the rest of the ingredients for the recipe I’m making. After some time has passed, I’ll unwrap the tofu and cut it into pieces. It’ so simple and really makes a difference!
Dietary Notes
This No Sugar Added Vegan Orange Tofu is made with real ingredients and fits seamlessly into the following dietary needs when using the products/brands (or ones that are similar) listed in the recipe:
- gluten free
- refined sugar free
- dairy free
- vegetarian
- vegan
Note: If you are not a vegetarian or vegan, you can easily add some additional protein/nutrients to this recipe by using chicken bone broth/chicken broth in place of water.
HUNGRY FOR MORE?
If you’re looking for more vegan recipes, next you should try:
- Zucchini Noodle Ramen (whole30, paleo, gluten free, grain free, dairy free, refined sugar free, vegetarian and vegan compliant)
- Hidden Veggie Tomato Bisque (whole30, paleo, gluten free, grain free, dairy free, refined sugar free, vegetarian and vegan compliant)
- Miso Ramen Soup (gluten free, dairy free, vegetarian, vegan)
- Apple Butternut Squash Soup (whole30, paleo, gluten free, grain free, dairy free, refined sugar free, vegetarian and vegan compliant)
- Buffalo or BBQ Cauliflower Bites (whole30, paleo, gluten free, grain free, lactose free, dairy free option, refined sugar free, vegetarian and vegan compliant)
- Paleo Veggie-Powered Soup (whole30, paleo, gluten free, grain free, dairy free, refined sugar free, vegetarian and vegan)
FOLLOW ALONG
Be sure to follow me on Instagram to see all of the behind the scenes of recipe creation as well as how to videos to watch them come to life! You can also head over to my Pinterest to save all of my recipes in one spot that you plan whip up in the future.
PS – If you make this No Sugar Added Vegan Orange Tofu or any of my other recipes, I would be so grateful if you left a review so I can hear what you think! I also am happy to answer any questions you may have on here, but if you want a quicker response, be sure to shoot me a message on Instagram. Thank you so much and talk soon!
No Sugar Added Vegan Orange Tofu
Ingredients
Tofu
- 12 oz firm tofu
Orange Sauce
- ⅓ cup orange juice, fresh (~1 large orange)
- 1 tbsp orange zest
- 2 tbsp coconut aminos (can sub soy sauce)
- 1 clove minced garlic
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tbsp compliant ketchup
- salt & pepper, to taste
Thickening Paste
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp tapioca starch or tapioca flour
Toppings (Optional)
- sliced green onion
- sesame seeds
- ½ cup raw cashews
Instructions
- Prep your tofu to rid of excess moisture (I cover mine in towels on top of a plate then place a cast iron skillet gently on top for 15-30 minutes) then chop tofu into squares.
- Place a skillet on the stove on medium heat and coat with oil to warm up.
- Cook the tofu until golden on all sides, gently flipping to ensure all sides are cooked.
- While the tofu cooks, prepare your sauce. Start by juicing the oranges (I did this by hand, you don't need a fancy juicer). If you’d like, you can strain the orange juice to get rid of the pulp, but it’s not mandatory.
- Next, whisk all of the remaining sauce ingredients together. Set aside. You can add red pepper flakes here if you like a little spice (I don’t so I left them out).
- Once the tofu is cooked, remove tofu from the skillet and set aside. Wipe out your skillet as we will be using the same one to finish the dish.
- Bring the stove to medium/low heat, add the sauce to the skillet and then bring it to a simmer.
- Combine 1 tablespoon of tapioca starch/tapioca flour and 2 tablespoons of water then stir to form a paste. Pour the paste into your skillet, stirring immediately, and let simmer for a few minutes. If the paste is clumpy, bring up the heat and stir until combined.
- Once the sauce has thickened slightly, add in the tofu and cashews and cover each piece completely. Top with additional sesame seeds and green onions and serve with sautéed broccoli and/or rice/fried rice if you’d like.
Can the tapioca flour/starch be replaced with cornflour??
I have an intolerance to corn so I’ve never worked with corn flour. I’m not sure!