When I mentioned to a work colleague that I'd finally discovered smoked tofu (at the new Johnston Street Coles in Fitzroy if you're interested), she was quick to talk up her favourite recipe that made use of it: smoked tofu stew. It turns out our discussion inspired her to get her blog going again, which made it even easier for us to give this recipe a try.
It's a pretty simple recipe - lots of chopping and lots of simmering - nothing very complicated. And it all ends up with a rich, warming and hearty meal. If anything, it was a little short on flavour - we pepped it up with a generous splash of veg Worcestershire sauce, which was the perfect addition. It's a good way to make use of the smoked tofu, which was a suitably bulky stew centrepiece.
Smoked tofu stew
1 brown onion
2 sticks celery
2 small carrots
250g swiss brown mushrooms
500g potatoes
300g smoked tofu
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups vegetable stock
2 tablespoons vegemite
2 bay leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons plain flour
Chop all your vegies and the tofu into hearty chunks, and fry them in a large pot with the olive oil. After things have started to soften, add the stock, vegemite and bay leaves and then simmer for 45 minutes or so, until things are almost falling apart.
Combine the the flour and water in a separate cup to make a thick paste, and add it to the stew to thicken it all together. Season with salt and pepper, and serve with rice or cous-cous and a splash of Worcestershire sauce and then feel the warmth spread through you.
Gosh that looks good Michael, and absolutely perfect for a wintery day. I haven't had smoked tofu for yonks, so I'll give this a try out.
ReplyDeleteThe stew looks authentic :)
ReplyDeleteI like smoked products and there is a great Tasmanian smoked tofu that is worth looking for (not always at the supermarket but nut trek at vic market gets it in often). I have made a vego version of kedgeree with smoked tofu that is great if you are looking for more ideas.
That sounds awesome, am so making it!
ReplyDeleteDamn, Michael! It's the start of summer here in Montreal and it's disgustingly humid but your photo compels me to make this recipe. Oh well; I was never one to respect the rules concerning what meals are appropriate for certain seasons. I eat ice-cream all year round.
ReplyDeleteSMOFUUUUU!!!!
ReplyDeletegreat idea for a stew - never thought of using smoked tofu in this way
ReplyDeleteWe cooked this tonight for our regular Meat Free Monday and it was so delicious!! The tofu really imparted some serious smokey flavours into the stew. Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful receipe :) We'll definitely do it again!
ReplyDeleteHey, glad you liked it so much EG! I'd love to see what other uses you might come up with for smoked tofu. :-)
ReplyDeleteHowdy ! do you know of any other places that stock smoked tofu (other than the coles) i.e. would I be able to find it in any Vic st asian grocers?
ReplyDeleteIt's worth a try! We've tended to find it more at trendy health food shops and delis rather than Asian grocers though. That said, Minh Phat on Vic St is huge and has lots of tofu. :-)
DeleteOk rad thanks. It drives me bonkers paying 4 x $$ for tofu at places like piedemontes when I know I can get it so cheap on Vic st.
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