Vibrant stir fried veggies, shiitake mushrooms, and savory baked tofu are drenched in a flavorful hoisin sauce to make my moo shu tofu. You won't believe how easy it is to recreate restaurant-style stir-fry right in your own kitchen!
Vegan Chinese dishes are among my favorite comfort food meals! Nothing brings up my mood like a big plate of Kung Pao tofu, vegan Mongolian beef, vegan chow mein, or vegan wonton soup. But this moo shu tofu might be the most comforting Chinese meal! It's mild, but loaded with flavor and texture, and of course wrapping it up in delicate little Mandarin pancakes makes it extra special and cozy.
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I first fell in love with this dish at a one of my favorite Chinese vegetarian restaurants. I tried to reverse engineer their version when I created my own, and it turned out to be just as delicious (maybe more!).
This scrumptious stir-fry is absolutely perfect for special dinners.
Ingredients You'll Need
- Soy sauce. Liquid aminos or gluten-free tamari can be substituted, if needed.
- Maple syrup. You can swap this out with another liquid sweetener, such as agave nectar or coconut nectar.
- Rice vinegar. Most grocery stores have this in the international aisle.
- Liquid smoke. This ingredient is optional, but it will give your baked tofu a smoky flavor, similar to that of my smoked tofu or tofu bacon. You can find it in most grocery stores near the barbecue sauce.
- Tofu. Extra firm tofu works best in this recipe. It has just the right balance of firmness and ability to absorb the flavorful marinade. You can use super-firm tofu if needed, but consider letting it marinate for a bit longer.
- Hoisin sauce. This is one of the predominant flavors of moo shu tofu, so it's important. Look for it in the international aisle of your grocery store.
- Water.
- Vegan oyster sauce. This can also be found in the international aisle. Vegan oyster sauce is a surprisingly popular item these days, so many stores will have it. If you can't find it at the grocery store, try an Asian market or buy it online.
- Toasted sesame oil. This oil is used for flavoring, and can also be found in the international section of most stores.
- Peanut oil. We're using this oil for stir-frying. Feel free to swap it out with pretty much any other high smoke point oil, such as vegetable oil, corn oil, or canola oil.
- Shiitake mushrooms.
- Garlic.
- Cabbage.
- Carrots.
- Bamboo shoots. Yet another international aisle item! These are usually sold in cans.
- Scallions. Also known as green onions.
- Mandarin pancakes. I love to serve this dish with my homemade mandarin pancakes, slathering each one with some hoisin sauce, then stuffing it with the stir-fry. If you don't feel like making them, feel free to serve the dish over rice instead, or for a lighter option, wrap it up in lettuce leaves.
How It's Made
Below is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!
Step 1: Marinate the tofu. Combine soy sauce, maple syrup, rice vinegar, and liquid smoke, then pour it over cubed tofu in a shallow dish. Let the tofu soak it up for 30 minutes or more.
Step 2: Spread the tofu cubes out on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, then pop them into the oven.
Step 3: Bake the tofu until the pieces have darkened and shrunken in size.
Step 4: Stir soy sauce, hoisin sauce, water, vegan oyster sauce, and toasted sesame oil together in a small container. This is your stir-fry sauce.
Step 5: Heat some peanut oil in a large wok, then add sliced shiitake mushroom caps. Stir-fry them for a few minutes, until they soften and brown a bit.
Step 6: Push the mushrooms to the side, then add minced garlic to the wok. Sauté it briefly, stirring constantly to prevent it from burning.
Step 7: Now add shredded cabbage, julienne cut carrots, and sliced bamboo shoots to the work. Stir-fry everything for a few minutes, until the veggies are tender-crisp.
Step 8: Now add your baked tofu to the wok, along with your stir-fry sauce. Stir everything up well and continue to cook the mixture for a few minutes longer.
Step 9: Take the wok off of heat and stir in the scallions.
Your moo shu tofu is ready to serve! The traditional way to enjoy a dish like this would be with Mandarin pancakes and extra hoisin sauce on the side. Have your guests spread some hoisin sauce on their pancakes, then stuff them with the stir-fry.
Leftovers & Storage
Leftover moo shu tofu will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for about three days. This dish reheats best in the microwave. Transfer it to a microwave safe bowl, cover it with a wet paper towel, and zap it in one minute increments, giving it a good stir in between.
Frequently Asked Questions
It can! Use gluten-free tamari in place of soy sauce, and make sure your hoisin sauce and vegan oyster sauce are both gluten-free. Since the pancakes are made with wheat flour, serve it with rice or lettuce leaves instead.
Liquid smoke is a flavoring made by capturing and distilling smoke formed by burning wood chips. It is totally vegan.
Yes! Use a large nonstick skillet designed to withstand high heat. Cast iron is a great option. You may need to increase the heat level to high when stir-frying.
Not at all! It's very mild. If you'd like a spicy version, add a touch of your favorite hot sauce, such as sriracha or sambal oelek.
More Vegan Chinese Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Moo Shu Tofu
Ingredients
For the Baked Tofu
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke, optional
- 1 (14 ounce/396 gram) package extra-firm tofu, drained, pressed, and diced (½ inch)
For the Stir-Fry Sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon vegan oyster sauce
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
For the Stir-Fry
- 2 tablespoons peanut oil
- 2 cups sliced shiitake mushroom caps
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 cups shredded cabbage
- 2 medium carrots, julienned
- ½ cup sliced bamboo shoots
- 2 scallions, chopped
For Serving
- mandarin pancakes (Note 1)
- hoisin sauce
Instructions
- Make the marinade for the baked tofu by stirring the soy sauce, maple syrup, rice vinegar, and liquid smoke together in a small container. Place the diced tofu in a shallow dish, then pour the marinade over it. Allow the tofu to marinate for at least 30 minutes (Note 2).
- Preheat the oven to 400°F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange the tofu in an even layer on the baking sheet. Place the baking sheet into the oven.
- Bake the tofu until the pieces are darkened and have shrunk a bit, about 25 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the tofu cool a bit while you prepare the stir-fry.
- To make the stir-fry sauce, stir the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, water, vegan oyster sauce, and toasted sesame oil together in a small bowl or container.
- Heat the peanut oil in a large wok over medium-high heat. Give the oil a minute to heat up, then add the mushrooms. Stir-fry the mushrooms for about three minutes, stirring them occasionally, until they soften a bit and start to brown.
- Push the mushrooms to the side and add the garlic. Sauté the garlic for about thirty seconds, until it becomes very fragrant.
- Add the cabbage, carrots, and bamboo shoots. Stir-fry everything for about three minutes, until the vegetables are tender-crisp.
- Add the baked tofu to the wok, along with the stir-fry sauce. Continue to stir-fry the mixture for one to two minutes, until the sauce has thickened slightly and coats the vegetables and tofu.
- Remove the wok from heat, then stir in the scallions.
- To serve, brush a mandarin pancake with some hoisin sauce, then stuff it with the stir-fry.
Notes
- If you're not up for making your own mandarin pancakes, try wrapping your moo shu tofu in lettuce leaves or serving it over rice.
- You can marinate the tofu for up to 24 hours if you'd like. Just make sure to cover the dish and place it in the fridge if marinating it for more than two hours.
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And here I was thinking that Moo Shu was just the dragon in Mulan...... now I don't know which version I prefer.....
Haha! I never saw the movie, so I didn't even know about that!