Everyday Asian ingredients like soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil transform simple tofu and carrots into a flavorful and healthy vegetarian meal.

Game plan: You’ll need to make the steamed white rice or brown rice before you begin. Also, be sure to press your tofu before you start, and buy firm or extra-firm tofu (silken tofu will fall apart).

  • Yield: 2 to 3 servings
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Total: 40 mins 

Ingredients (9)

  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 pound medium carrots, peeled, cut in half lengthwise, then in half again widthwise
  • 14 ounces firm or extra-firm tofu, drained, pressed, and sliced into 1-inch-by-2-inch rectangles
  • 1 green onion, sliced thinly on the bias
  • 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
  • 1/4 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
  • Steamed white rice or brown rice, for serving (see Game Plan note)

Instructions

  1. Heat the broiler to high and arrange a rack in the top third of the oven. Cover a baking sheet with foil; set aside.
  2. Whisk the soy sauce, vegetable oil, and a pinch of pepper in a medium shallow bowl to combine. Dip the carrots and tofu pieces into the soy sauce mixture to coat (let the excess sauce drip off and back into the bowl), then lay the pieces on the baking sheet so they are not touching. Set the remaining sauce aside.
  3. Broil the carrots and tofu until browned on all sides, about 20 minutes total, turning the tofu every 5 minutes to brown on four sides and flipping the carrots after 10 minutes. Remove from the oven.
  4. Add the green onion, rice vinegar, and sesame oil to the reserved sauce and stir to combine. Add the broiled carrots and tofu to the sauce and toss to coat. Serve with steamed rice.