Garden Stir-Fry with Crisp Tofu

Ingredients

• 1 block Extra-firm tofu, pressed, cubed
• 2 tbsp Cornstarch
• 2 tbsp Canola oil
• 2 cups Sugar snap peas, trimmed
• 1 Red bell pepper, sliced
• 2 Carrots, sliced on the bias
• 3 Baby bok choy, halved
• 3 cloves Garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp Fresh ginger, grated
• 3 tbsp Low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tbsp Rice vinegar (unseasoned)
• 1 tbsp Pure maple syrup
• 2 tsp Toasted sesame oil
• 3 Scallions (green onions), sliced
• 1 ½ cups Jasmine rice (dry), dry

Method

1. Prep everything and line it up by the stove before you turn on the heat. Stir-frying gives you no time to chop.
2. Whisk soy sauce, rice vinegar, maple syrup (or honey, if vegan is not a concern), sesame oil and 2 tbsp water with 1 tsp of the cornstarch. Set by the stove.
3. Toss the tofu with the remaining cornstarch. Heat 1 tbsp canola in a wok over high until it smokes lightly, add tofu in one layer and leave it alone 3 minutes. Toss, brown 3 more, remove.
4. Add the last tablespoon of oil. Carrots first, 90 seconds. Then peppers and snap peas, 2 minutes. Then bok choy, 1 minute — hard vegetables first, tender last.
5. Garlic and ginger, 30 seconds. Return tofu, pour in the sauce, and toss 60 seconds until it glosses everything.
6. Off heat, scallions. Serve over jasmine rice immediately.

Notes

✨ The restaurant touch

Get the pan hotter than feels reasonable and do not crowd it. Restaurant stir-fry tastes different because of heat, not ingredients.

🧒 For the kids

Kids usually want the components apart: crispy tofu, plain rice, raw snap peas on the side. That is still dinner.

🌿 From the garden

This is the recipe that absorbs a garden glut — snap peas in June, beans in July, peppers in August, bok choy in October.

🥡 Leftovers

Eat it the same night; stir-fried vegetables go limp. Leftover rice is tomorrow's fried rice.

Per serving

Computed from USDA FoodData Central values. A planning tool, not medical advice.