Stir-Fried Green Beans and Five-Spice Dry Tofu Recipe

By
Cathy Erway
Cathy Erway is a contributing writer at Serious Eats.
Cathy Erway
Cathy Erway is an award-winning food writer, author, blogger, and podcast host based in Brooklyn.  She contributes to The Huffington Post, The New York Times, TASTE Cooking, Eater, Saveur, Serious Eats, and Food & Wine, among other publications.  
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Updated March 06, 2019
20130826-seriously asian taiwan-green beans with dry tofu-finished dish.jpg
Cathy Erway

Note: Look for dry tofu, or "tofu gan" in Asian groceries, often labeled "spiced" or "five spice tofu." The extra firm, pressed tofu is often steeped in a five-spice broth for flavor.

Recipe Details

Stir-Fried Green Beans and Five-Spice Dry Tofu Recipe

Active 5 mins
Total 10 mins
Serves 3 to 4 servings
Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces dry five-spice tofu (see note)

  • 3 tablespoons vegetable, peanut, or canola oil

  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and sliced to matchsticks

  • 1 to 2 fresh small chiles, such as Thai (optional), thinly sliced

  • 8 ounces fresh green beans, trimmed

  • Kosher salt

  • 2 teaspoons light soy sauce

  • 1 teaspoon chili sauce, such as sambal oelek (optional)

  • 2 scallions, sliced thinly on a bias

Directions

  1. Slice the dry tofu blocks into thin, roughly 1/8" rectangular slices. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a wok over high heat until smoking. Add the tofu slices and stir-fry until just crispy on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the tofu to a plate.

  2. Add remaining tablespoon of oil and heat until lightly smoking. Add the ginger and optional chilies. Stir fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds, then add the green beans along with a pinch of salt. Stir fry for until the green beans are lightly softened, deeper green in color, and a little seared on their sides, about 30 seconds

  3. Return the dry tofu to the pan and stir with the green beans. Add the soy sauce and optional chili sauce and stir immediately to incorporate evenly. Stir in the scallions and cook, stirring, for another minute. Season with more salt if desired, and serve.

Special equipment

Wok

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
301Calories
17gFat
42gCarbs
10gProtein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 3 to 4
Amount per serving
Calories301
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 17g22%
Saturated Fat 2g9%
Cholesterol 0mg0%
Sodium 336mg15%
Total Carbohydrate 42g15%
Dietary Fiber 21g76%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 10g
Vitamin C 14mg68%
Calcium 533mg41%
Iron 11mg60%
Potassium 857mg18%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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