This Cantonese-Style Steamed Tofu has all the great flavor of a Cantonese steamed fish, with ginger, scallions, cilantro, and sweet soy sauce, but with a more affordable—and sustainable—protein: tofu!
Everyone loves Cantonese Steamed Fish, a major comfort food and an easy 20-minute recipe to boot. While we still love it, you’d be amazed at how good the sauce, aromatics, and herbs taste when poured over tender steamed tofu.
A Plant-based Alternative to Fish
Obviously, nothing replaces the taste and texture of fish, but in our daily compromises for the health of our planet, we’ve found that soft or silken tofu, with it’s soft and slippery texture and mild flavor, is an excellent vegan substitute for your favorite Chinese fish dishes.
Our Spicy Hunan Steamed Tofu & Mushrooms is a testament to that! It was inspired by this Hunan Steamed Fish recipe, which normally is served over a bed of soft tofu.
We decided to develop an all-tofu version when we found ourselves going for the tofu more than the fish! In fact, we almost prefer the plant-based version, and don’t miss the fish at all when we make it.
This Cantonese-Style Steamed Tofu applies the same concept as that recipe. Instead of steaming fish, you steam tofu, seasoned with a little bit of salt and white pepper.
Then you make a classic ginger, scallion, and cilantro soy sauce to pour over the top, just as you would with Cantonese Steamed Fish.
(That said, if you’re looking for the original classic, see our whole fish recipe, or the filet version here).
A 20-minute Recipe
This recipe is also super easy. Just get some rice going before you start. Steam the tofu for 10 minutes, and while that’s happening, prep the herbs for the sauce. The “hardest” part is julienning the ginger and scallion!
The sauce cooks in minutes, and then you can pour the whole thing over the tofu and dig in.
That’s it!
Recipe Instructions
Prepare your soft or silken tofu by cutting it in half lengthwise and then slicing it crosswise into ½-inch slices. Use your knife or cleaver to transfer each half of the cut tofu to a large heatproof rimmed plate or shallow bowl. The dish should be deep enough to hold the steaming liquid and sauce.
Lay the tofu on the plate so the pieces are fanned out evenly, with as much tofu surface area exposed as possible. Sprinkle the salt evenly over the tofu.
Next, steam the tofu. Add 4 cups of cold water to a wok, place the tofu on a steaming rack inside, and cover the wok.
(You can set up your steaming apparatus however you’d like. Check out our full article on how to set up a steamer, even without special equipment.)
Turn on the heat to medium-high. The water should boil in about 7 minutes. After it has begun boiling, continue to steam for another 3 minutes––a total of 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the sauce. Heat a wok or small saucepan over medium high heat, and add the oil. Add the ginger, and fry for 1 minute.
Add the white parts of the scallions and cook for 30 seconds.
Then add the rest of the scallions and cilantro. The mixture should be sizzling.
Add the soy sauce, sugar, and water. Bring to a bubble, and cook until the scallions and cilantro are just wilted, about 30 seconds.
When the tofu is done, turn the heat off, and carefully pour off the liquid that has pooled at the bottom of the plate. Sprinkle the tofu evenly with the white pepper.
Then pour the sauce over the top. You may want to first spread the cooked scallions, ginger, and cilantro evenly over the tofu:
And then pour on the sauce:
Serve immediately!
Cantonese-Style Steamed Tofu
Ingredients
- 1 pound soft or silken tofu
- 1/8 teaspoon salt (a pinch)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons ginger (julienned)
- 2-3 scallions (cut into 3-inch lengths and julienned, white and green parts separated)
- 1/4 cup cilantro (chopped; or to taste)
- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce (or seasoned soy sauce)
- 1/4 teaspoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper (or to taste; finely ground powder is ideal, rather than coarsely ground)
Instructions
- Cut the block of tofu in half lengthwise and then slice it crosswise into ½-inch slices. Use your knife or cleaver to transfer each half of the cut tofu to a large heatproof rimmed plate or shallow bowl. The dish should be deep enough to hold the steaming liquid and sauce.
- Lay the tofu on the plate so the pieces are fanned out evenly, with as much tofu surface area exposed as possible. Sprinkle the salt evenly over the tofu.
- Next, steam the tofu. Add 4 cups of cold water to a wok, place the tofu on a steaming rack inside, and cover the wok.
- Turn on the heat to medium-high. The water should boil in about 7 minutes. After it has begun boiling, continue to steam for another 3 minutes––a total of 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the sauce. Heat a wok or small saucepan over medium high heat, and add the oil. Add the ginger, and fry for 1 minute. Add the white parts of the scallions and cook for 30 seconds. Then add the rest of the scallions and cilantro. The mixture should be sizzling.
- Add the soy sauce, sugar, and water. Bring to a bubble, and cook until the scallions and cilantro are just wilted, about 30 seconds.
- When the tofu is done, turn the heat off, and carefully pour off the liquid that has pooled at the bottom of the plate. Sprinkle the tofu evenly with the white pepper, and then pour the sauce over the top. Serve immediately!
