Tofu Stir Fry with Asparagus and Black Pepper

In slowly chipping away at the pile of asparagus I picked at our farm recently, I’ve been scouring my favorite food blogs and apps for asparagus inspiration. This recipe from NYT Cooking is simple, flavorful, and provided a nice change from both the lemony salad I shared recently and simple grilled asparagus (our other go-to option). I modified this recipe slightly based on my on-hand ingredients and to make the dish vegan. I also think the sauce would work nicely with any number of summer veggies!

Ingredients

• 6 tbsp. soy sauce (or tamari, if gluten-free)
• 2 tbsp. light brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp. tamarind paste (you could also use tomato paste here)
• 1/2 tsp. miso paste
• 1 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1 14-oz package of firm or extra firm tofu, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 shallot, minced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp. grated ginger
• 1 lb. asparagus, cut into ~3-inch pieces
• Avocado or other neutral oil
• Salt
• Cooked rice, for serving

Directions

1. In a small bowl, mix together the soy sauce, sugar, tamarind and miso pastes, black pepper, and 2 tbsp. of water.

2. In a large frying pan over medium heat, add the tofu and half of the sauce you just prepared. Simmer and cook for about 5 minutes until the sauce is thick and coats the tofu. Remove tofu from the pan and set aside.

3. In the same pan, heat a tablespoon of avocado oil over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook for 1-2 minutes, then stir in the garlic and ginger. Cook for another 30 seconds, until very fragrant, and then add the asparagus. Cook for 4-5 minutes until the asparagus is bright green and tender, but still retains some crunch.

4. Add the tofu back into the pan along with the remaining black pepper sauce and cook, stirring until everything is evenly coated in the sauce.

5. Serve the stir fry over rice and garnish with cilantro, if you like.