spicy enoki tofu stir fry

the perfect 15-minute weeknight dinner that will have your mouth watering and nose running.

a satisfying meal in under 15 minutes

i’m looking at food blogs right now to see how they do these recipe posts and all of them have some type 3-5 paragraph structure telling you how to make the recipe, why you should make the recipe, why they decided to make the recipe, ingredient lore, and the serial number of their soy sauce bottle. i’ll just tell you to look at the picture and total cook time, and you should KNOW why this needs to be in your weekly rotation.

enoki: the “IT-girl” of mushrooms

i freaking love enoki mushrooms. stringy, chewy, what’s not to love? and one of the best parts is preparing them. there are few things in this world more satisfying than chopping the roots off in a single swoop. when looking for these, your best bet is your local Asian grocery store. i haven’t seen enoki at my usual American grocery stores, as they typically don’t have the widest range of mushrooms in general. but i’m telling you, it’s worth it to go out of your way for these stringy little guys.

pairing with a protein

one of the easiest ways to incorporate enoki into your meal is to pair it with a protein and stir fry sauce. tofu is a great option because of its mild flavor and soft texture. meats would compete with the enoki for the star of the show. i also find that using plant-based proteins enhances the taste and texture of ‘earthy’ veggies like mushrooms. and it’s vegan.

the sauce

• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp gochujang
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp ketchup
• 1 tsp sesame oil

she’s spicy, with a little bit of sweet. i like to use honey & ketchup to soften the heat of gochujang, and to thicken the sauce. i use ketchup with “no artificial sweeteners” and raw, unfiltered honey, but tbh it shouldn’t make too much of a difference unless you have a tongue of god (shokugeki no souma reference anyone?). i also use low-sodium soy sauce as my default soy sauce because that’s what i grew up with. you may want to add 1 tbsp of soy sauce first, and adjust the recipe accordingly if you are using the regular kind. i highly recommend tasting any stir fry sauce before cooking because it’s harder to make changes once it’s in the pan. this would also be a good time to adjust the ratio of gochujang / ketchup to get your perfect heat level!

how-to:

prep work — doesn’t get much easier than this. drain the tofu from its box and tightly wrap it in a layer of paper towel to absorb any remaining moisture. i would recommend using a tofu press if you have one, or stacking some plates on top of the tofu block to help, but honestly, who has time for that. i find it dry enough with a few paper towel presses, but to each their own lol. next cut the enoki roots off straight through the package. this makes clean-up efficient, and you can’t tell me that it’s not satisfying. rinse the shrooms then pat dry with paper towel. now the tofu should be dry enough. cut the block in half from the side, then in a 4 x 5 grid for the perfect 1-inch cubes. finally, whisk together all the sauce ingredients and you’re ready to cook!

cooking — heat some neutral oil in a pan and add in a spoon of minced garlic. add in the enoki and use your cooking utensil to break up any pieces that may still be attached at the bottom. after a minute or two, they’ll start to turn translucent and soft. pour in the sauce you mixed, along with the tofu. gently stir until the tofu and mushrooms are evenly coated in sauce. wait for a few minutes for the sauce to start bubbling, then reduce heat to a simmer. after about 2 more minutes, the tofu should be thoroughly heated and the sauce thickened.

serve — sprinkle on some chopped green onion & sesame seeds for the presentation and enjoy with a side of warm rice to balance out the heat~

spicy enoki tofu stir fry

5 from 2 votes

the perfect spicy dish that'll be ready before the rice cooker finishes. great for a quick weeknight dinner, or weekly meal prep.

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Prep Time:5 minutes mins

Cook Time:10 minutes mins

Total Time:15 minutes mins

Keyword: 20 mins or less, asian, beginner, mushroom, recipes, tofu, vegan

Servings: 2

Ingredients

• 150 g enoki mushrooms
• 16 oz block firm tofu drained & lightly pressed, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• neutral oil

Sauce:

• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp gochujang
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp ketchup
• 1 tsp sesame oil

Topping:

• sesame seeds
• green onion

Instructions

• Slice the base of enoki mushroom bundle and rinse in water before drying. Drain tofu and pat dry with paper towels. (recommended to press tofu if you have time!)
• Heat oil in pan over medium heat. Add minced garlic and cook for 1-2 mins until fragrant.
• Add mushrooms to pan and let cook until they begin to wilt (~1 min)
• Mix together ingredients for sauce (soy sauce, gochujang, soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, ketchup, sesame oil). Add sauce and tofu to pan, stir to coat evenly.
• Bring sauce to boil, then lower to a simmer. Cook for 1-2 more mins, until sauce has thickened.
• Top with sesame seeds and chopped green onion. Enjoy with side of rice.

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