Hearty vegetarian dishes can fill you up while keeping vegetables center of the plate like Moroccan vegetarian tagine or this tofu oyster sauce stir fry that will easily make you skip takeout. This vegetarian stir fry is naturally sweetened with figs and still has salty umami flavors? If so, this broccoli tofu oyster sauce stir fry will be your new favorite easy weeknight dinner!
How to Make an Easy Tofu Stir Fry with Broccoli
Running short on time? This tofu oyster sauce stir fry recipe can be prepped and cooked in 30 minutes or less and the sauce can easily be made in a food processor. Or, if you prefer to prep, make the tofu oyster sauce the day before and chop the broccoli, slice the figs and green onions ahead of time.
Essential Stir Fry Ingredients & Substitutes
- Dried Figs: You could use golden dried figs, we prefer mission figs.
- Firm Tofu: Using firm tofu is especially important because it will hold its shape when you stir fry it. It also happens to have less moisture and water than softer tofu which leads to a crispier tofu.
- Cornstarch: This ingredient creates a barrier between the tofu and oil making the crispy coating you will love.
- Broccoli: We love broccoli, but you could easily substitute in romanesco or even cauliflower.
- Sesame Oil: This is a great oil to use for stir fries because it won’t burn at a high temperature. If you don’t want to use sesame oil substitute avocado oil, canola oil, or any oil with a high smoke point.
- Oyster Sauce: Traditionally, this ingredient isn’t vegetarian, but there are great vegetarian options out there that are made with mushrooms instead of oysters. Traditional oyster sauce still works for this recipe, but it won’t be vegetarian. Oyster sauce can also be substituted 1:1 with hoisin sauce.
- Soy Sauce: Soy sauce is essential to give this dish’s salty flavor. It can also be subbed 1:1 with coconut aminos.
- Spices: To help give this stir fry even more flavor add in freshly ground black pepper and fresh or dried ground ginger!
- Optional Garnishes: Sesame Seeds & Sliced Green Onions! These add the perfect fresh and crunchy topping to add to this stir fry.Dried Figs: You could use golden dried figs, we prefer mission figs.
Recommended Stir Frying Tools
To make a homemade stir fry, we recommend cooking this tofu broccoli with oyster sauce in a wok. Woks are a great cooking tool as they distribute heat more evenly and tend to lead to a more evenly cooked stir fry.
Also, to make the fig stir fry sauce you will want to use a blender or food processor to mix the ingredients together. The California Dried Figs will turn into a paste when blended and the water, soy sauce, and oyster sauce help to thin out the sauce.
This broccoli fig tofu oyster sauce stir fry is truly a healthy stir fry dish sweetened with dried figs. The perfect salty and sweet dinner recipe!
Broccoli Fig Tofu Oyster Sauce Stir Fry
Ingredients
- 14 ounces firm tofu
- 3 cups chopped broccoli
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
Fig Oyster Sauce
- 3/4 cup dried figs
- 1 cup water
- 6 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1/4 cup oyster sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon ginger dried or fresh
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Garnishes
- 1/4 cup sliced green onions
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
- 1/4 cup sliced Orchard Choice® or Sun-Maid® California Dried Figs
Instructions
- To begin, slice the block of tofu and press it between two towels or paper towels and place a plate on top. Let the tofu sit for 10 minutes to soak up any excess moisture.
- While the tofu is being pressed, chop up the broccoli and make the fig oyster sauce. To make the fig oyster sauce, add all the ingredients to a blender or food processor and blend until a smooth sauce forms.
- Once the ingredients are prepped, cut the pressed tofu inch 1-inch cubes and add to a large bowl. Then, add the cornstarch to the bowl and mix until the tofu is evenly coated in the cornstarch.
- Next, add 1 Tbsp sesame oil to the wok and turn on the heat. Once the oil is hot, add in the tofu and stir fry for 10 minutes until the tofu is browned and crispy on the outside. Remove the tofu from the wok and set aside.
- Add the remaining 1 Tbsp of sesame oil to the wok and add in the broccoli. Stir fry for 2-3 minutes, then add in the fig oyster sauce and tofu. Stir and cook all the ingredients for an additional 5 minutes.
- Remove the stir fry from the heat and serve over 4 bowls of rice. Top with sliced green onions, sesame seeds, and extra dried fig slices. Enjoy!