For the record, Ben originally published this recipe on March 15, 2019. That was when we still had to write short code and manually insert blocks in WordPress (only five years ago!). Let’s just say, it’s never been easier to manage and build your own website,…I DIGRESS! AND TOFU, Tofu has never tasted more terrific, once you make your own and toss it with some of your favorite veggies and flavors. We’ve added a couple new pictures and a short video (tutorial of making tofu), but the rest of the simple tofu making process from the original blog post all stays the same. This is why we love basic, timeless recipes. Back to Ben’s original post…The meat-eater in Ben is still saying YUMMY after all these years! If you haven’t tried making this at home yet…here’s your cue. Delight! – Virginia
Tofu is probably one of the most well-known uses of soybean so we would be remiss to not have a good recipe posted here. For a long time growing up I scoffed at the idea of tofu and the few times I tried it I found the taste bland and unexciting. Boy, have I come full circle now! Tofu is such a versatile and healthy protein option, which is reflected in the increased interest it has received as part of a various health-food and vegetarian diets, but this meat-eater is here to tell you…tofu is YUMMY!
A couple weeks ago we started with 4 C (2lbs) of organic soybeans and made 2 L of our own soymilk. As a bonus we ended up with a little more than 2 C of okara, the fiber super-food. Since then we’ve posted a couple recipes featuring use of the okara (see 10-min Super Tuna Sammy and Unohana). With the 2 L of soymilk we usually split this and reserve 1 L for drinking and another for tofu. This yields a block of tofu about 6 inches x 5 inches x 2 inches. The recipe below is an extension of the soymilk recipe from Andrea Nguyen.
Ingredients
- 1 L soymilk
- 1 tsp nigari flakes
- 1/3 C water
– Prep/Cook Time –
30 min. cooking
30 min. resting
– Cook Type –
Stovetop
– Featured Product –
Organic Soybeans (soymilk)
– Contributor –
Instructions
- Heat the soymilk and simmer for 5 minutes
- While the soymilk is heating combine the nigari flakes and water in a separate bowl. Also, go ahead and setup your tofu station. You will need a mold and cheesecloth, a strainer to scoop out the tofu curds, and a nice weight for pressing the mold. As the mold is being pressed liquid will escape the tofu so plan to do this in a sink or grab a nice flat dish for catching the liquid that escapes from the mold.
- Once the soymilk has simmered, allow it to cool for about 5-10 min. Gently stir in the dissolved nigari flakes and water in thirds. Cover with a lid and wait about 5 minutes between intervals. The soymilk should curdle as you do this.
- With your strainer or ladle, move the curds into your tofu mold. Make sure your cheesecloth completely envelopes the curds. Place the lid and weight on your tofu mold and allow to rest for 30 minutes. Our large honey works great for a weight 😊. You can manage the firmness of your tofu by modifying the weight and/or time. More weight and/or more time result in a tofu that is more firm.
- Whenever you are done pressing your tofu, remove the weight and gently remove the tofu from the mold by lifting up on the cheesecloth. Unwrap tofu block carefully and transfer to a container of cold water. Allow the tofu to cool in the water, which will help it firm up nicely. Now enjoy your own beautiful, homemade tofu! You can keep tofu in the fridge for about a week submerged in water but make sure to change the water regularly.
There are a ton of tofu recipes out there to use as inspiration for cooking with your homemade tofu. Next week we will post one of our favorite tofu recipes. Make sure to follow us on social media or sign up for our blog and stop back next week for another yummy recipe.
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