Y’all, this is one of my all-time favorite weeknight dinner recipes. Simple prep, thirty minutes, and one pan giving you flavor that just does not quit! Sweet, savory, spicy, all around yummy. You’ll be making this one repeat in no time, let’s get right into it:
Thai Basil Tofu
ingredients
2 shallots, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
one 2-inch piece lemongrass, minced
one 2-inch knob ginger, minced
1 fresno chile, seeded and finely chopped
1 block super firm tofu, drained, rinsed, dried, then crumbled into bits with your hands
3 to 4 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons chile crisp
4 scallions, thinly sliced
25 to 30 Thai basil leaves (use sweet basil if you can’t find Thai; still great!)
cooked white rice and lime wedges for serving
Kosher salt and avocado oil
preparation
Place a large non-stick pan over medium heat, and warm three minutes. Add two tablespoons avocado oil and warm 30 seconds. Add the shallot, garlic, lemongrass, ginger, and chili, along with two to three pinches of Kosher salt, and stir in. Cook the aromatics down two to three minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the crumbled tofu to the pan along with the soy sauce, stir in until well combined, then cook down until the tofu starts to brown and crisp, about six to eight minutes, stirring everything periodically. Add the maple syrup and chili crisp, stir in, and continue to cook down until the tofu starts to turn more of a golden brown and becomes more crisp, another four to six minutes. Taste for seasoning at this point and add more soy sauce if desired. Turn the heat off and add about three-fourths of the thinly sliced scallions and all the Thai Basil leaves. Stir everything in until the Thai Basil leaves start to wilt. The leaves should still be vibrant green. Serve the Thai Basil Tofu over cooked white rice with lime wedges on the side. Garnish with the remaining thinly sliced scallions.
