This vegan tofu General Tso recipe is bursting with flavor, easy to make and a perfect healthier alternative to the traditional restaurant variation.
This post originally published on May 13, 2018.
This is a cookbook review written by me on behalf of Chloe Coscarelli, for which I received a free copy of the book and a kit by Nasoya. All the opinions and text are all mine.
This vegan version of General Tso is awesome. Really easy to make, and super versatile! The sauce is simple but full of flavor, and leftovers can be used with so many things!
Vegan General Tso's Tofu
Going out to Chinese food was always one of my favorite, but as I got healthier, my stomach couldn't take the fried food and loads of salt frequently found in these restaurants. In comes Chloe Flavor, the new cookbook by vegan celebrity chef Chloe Coscarelli.
Can we just start with how cute this book looks on my cookbook shelf? The spine is the perfect yellow, and has a photo of pink, yellow and white donuts. Swoon. I love the mouthwatering colorful photos and all the action shots. It makes me want to jump in and eat with her!
What really drew me in though was the fun titles she uses for the sections. You must have fun titles to really grab my attention. A few of my most favorites are:
- but first, breakfast & brunch
- oh, the pastabilities
- fork it, bowls & plate it dishes
- sweet yo' self
And the tagline for the book is: saucy, crispy, spicy, vegan. It's like this book is talking to me. I need Chloe to be my friend.
Now we can all make this delicious, indulgent, but secretly healthy dinner right in our own kitchen! I am including how to alter this recipe in order to satisfy my no-oil crew, and I added a bunch of my current favorite veggies into the mix because extra veggies are awesome.
Is General Tso's tofu vegan?
This version is! Tofu is a great vegan alternative to the traditional chicken. If you buy your General Tso's sauce from the store, you'll want to double-check the ingredients but you will love this variation!
What is General Tso's sauce made of?
The usual General Tso's sauce is made of soy sauce, wine, vinegar, chicken stock, sugar, sesame seed oil, and cornstarch. But in this recipe, the sauce is made up of maple syrup, tamari, sriracha, orange juice, and cornstarch.
What does tofu taste like?
Tofu doesn't have any taste! Which makes it perfect for these kinds of recipes. The tofu really soaks up the flavor of the sauce and tastes delicious! To get the best flavor, pressing your tofu is important. Pressing releases the liquid inside, allowing the tofu to suck up any other liquid.
Chloe partnered with Nasoya to help launch this cookbook so I also got a tofu press along with the book. I was blown away by how cool a tofu press is! I know, I'm late to the show, but it is my new favorite tool!
What does General Tso's taste like?
General Tso's has a nice gingery flavor to it. It also has a nice tart flavor with just a hint of sweetness. It is loaded with yumminess and the sauce could also be used for other things, and even just plain on veggies and/or rice!
Can you prep this ahead of time?
You can definitely make some of the parts ahead of time, but since you want a nice crispy tofu, that part is made fresh. If you want to prep ahead, here is what I would do:
- Make the sauce. Put in an air tight container in the fridge until ready to use.
- Press tofu and marinade it, place in fridge until ready to bake the next day.
- Prep rice.
- Day of, bake tofu and veggies. Heat up sauce in a pan and then continue following the recipe by adding the tofu.
How to Make a Vegan Tofu General Tso Recipe
This is fairly simple to make, the newest thing for many of you will be pressing your tofu if you want the ultimate flavor. It is easy to do, and you really just need to get used to it.
- Press and marinate tofu.
- Make the sauce.
- Roast the tofu and extra veggies if you are adding them. Instead of frying the tofu I baked it similar to my recipe for crispy baked tofu. I then added it to the sauce once it was all thickened in the pan. The crispiness maintained perfectly.
- Serve!
If you're looking for a delicious soy free Chinese takeout at home recipe, try my Chinese Style Vegan Orange Cauliflower recipe!
Vegan Tofu General Tso Recipe
This vegan tofu General Tso recipe is bursting with flavor, easy to make and a perfect healthier alternative to the traditional restaurant variation.
Ingredients
Tofu:
- 16 ounces extra-firm tofu , pressed and cubed (I used Nasoya brand)
- 2 tablespoons tamari , low sodium if needed
- ¼ cup cornstarch
Stir-Fry:
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons tamari , low sodium if needed
- 1 tablespoon sriracha
- Juice of 1 orange
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil , plus more as needed (see note)
- 4 scallions , cut into ¾-inch pieces
- 2 large strips orange zest , removed with a vegetable peeler
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- 2 teaspoons fresh ginger , minced
- Steamed rice , for serving (see note)
- Broccoli , for serving (see note)
- Sesame seeds , for garnish
Instructions
Make the tofu:
- In a large zip-top bag, combine the tofu, tamari, and cornstarch. Toss to coat—the cornstarch will become goopy
Make the stir-fry:
- In a small bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, tamari, sriracha, orange juice, and cornstarch until the cornstarch has dissolved
- In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat
- When it shimmers, add the tofu, working in batches as needed, and sear for about 3 minutes on each side, until crispy all over
- Return all the tofu to the skillet and add the scallions, orange zest, garlic, and ginger. Cook for about 3 minutes, until the scallions begin to break down
- Add the sauce and reduce the heat to low. Cook for about 5 minutes more, until the sauce thickens
- Serve over rice, garnished with sesame seeds
For oil-free option:
- Make the tofu in a zip-top bag as stated. Then spread it out on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake at 450 F (230 C) for 25 minutes or until crispy. Then skip to the 4th direction under making the stir fry and cook the scallions, orange zest, garlic, and ginger as stated but on their own. Add the sauce, and then once it is thickened add the baked crispy tofu and mix.
- I also baked my veggies (see notes) at the same time as the tofu. Bake on a separate parchment lined cookie sheet. You can continue to roast the veggies once the tofu is done if needed.
Notes
- Follow the additional instructions on how to make this oil-free, I did not use the oil mentioned in the ingredients.
- I added 4 cups of veggies (I roasted 2 cups broccoli, 1 cup fennel and 1 cup radishes at the same time I baked the tofu when making the oil-free version). This made my recipe come out at 4 servings instead of 2 (as is in the original recipe).
- I also added 2 cups of brown rice for serving.
- I did not use all the sauce, save extra for future use.
- Nutritional info is done for my version of 4 servings (including the veggies and brown rice listed above). Double it if doing the 2 servings of the original recipe.
Recipe by Veggies Don’t Bite, visit our site for more great plant-based recipes.
Nutrition
Nutrition and metric information should be considered an estimate.
Lea
I made this last night and LOVED it. I used to love this when I ate chicken years ago. This is much better!!
Thanks, and so easy pasy.
Sophia DeSantis
Yay! So happy you liked it!
Nancy
Loved this recipe! The tofu texture was great and the sauce was delicious
veggiesdontbite
I'm so happy you liked it Nancy!!
Kim Veach
Excellent recipe. I followed the no oil instructions and cooked the tofu in the oven. My omnivore son said it was really good and he hopes I'll make it again.
veggiesdontbite
That’s so great to hear!! Thank you so much for letting me know!
Nita Gibson
This is just ridiculously good!! Loved it. Made the tofu in the oven and it was nice and crispy!
veggiesdontbite
I'm so happy you liked it!!
Heidi
Better than I can order at a restaurant and something I will continue to make for years to come! I haven't come across a recipe I like as much as this one in a loooooong time.
veggiesdontbite
So happy to hear Heidi!! I loved it as well. Did you make the oil-free version or the original one?
The Vegan 8
This looks so so sooo delicious! You photographed it beautifully! That tofu looks gorgeous, shiny and full of flavor. I definitely need to give this a try!! I love that you added roasted broccoli. That is one of my all-time favorite veggies to add to rice dishes or even pasta. I swear I could live off of that stuff, lol!
veggiesdontbite
Thanks girl! It really is a delicious recipe. And my oil free crispy tofu experiment turned out so great, we couldn't stop snacking in it! We love roasted broccoli over here too, my kids inhale it. I can always count on a good veggie helping when I serve it so it makes an appearance multiple times a week. I think my grocery guy thinks we are crazy with all the broccoli I buy, LOL. Our simple go to dinner is always roasted broccoli, pasta and my grateable parm!
MaryWarren
Looks delightful! Love every one of your VEGGIESDON'TBITE articles. My husband and I are partial to roasted veggies, very simple sauceless pasta, and parm, also. Please share how to prepare your simple go to dinner.
veggiesdontbite
Hi Mary!! Thank you so much!! I would say our simple go to dinner is either roasted veggies and pasta with parm or rice, bean and avocado grilled burritos!
Cassie Thuvan Tran
General Tso's anything is AMAZING, whether it be tempeh, tofu, homemade seitan, or even vegetables! This tofu looks heavenly. Chloe did an amazing job with creating the recipe, and you did fabulously replicating it!
veggiesdontbite
I agree! And her sauce is perfection! Thank you so much for your kind words, I love sharing amazing cookbooks!
Eric Berg
Amazing recipe. Broccoli is a great source of vitamins K and C, a good source of folate (folic acid) and also provides potassium and fiber while radishes are an excellent food to pull mucus from the deep sinuses in the body. You could even make a cocktail using radishes, ginger and lemon.
veggiesdontbite
Thanks! I love almost any veggies especially with these flavors!