Healthy Quick & Easy Tofu Recipes

The best thing about tofu--besides its nutritional value--is the way it carries other flavors, such as the tanginess of this sesame dressing. Serve this warm salad with crunchy breadsticks and a tall glass of iced jasmine tea.

Here we toss tempeh with a honey-sesame sauce and serve it over quinoa and shredded carrots for a satisfying vegetarian meal. Serve with sesame breadsticks.

Even when you are cooking for one, it's worth taking a few minutes to make a hot, protein-rich breakfast. By stretching an egg with a little tofu, you reduce the cholesterol and saturated fat. Try tucking it into a whole-wheat pita pocket for a simple and satisfying breakfast sandwich-and a healthful alternative to fast-food fare.

Cooking crumbled firm tofu in a skillet approximates the fluffy texture of scrambled eggs in this vegetable-studded, vegetarian main dish. Enjoy it for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Serve with steamed corn tortillas, some extra salsa and black beans.

This composed salad is an artful arrangement of greens, hard-boiled egg, smoked tofu, beets and snap peas drizzled with a cool, creamy dill dressing. It's as pleasing to the eye as it is to the palate. We like smoked tofu, but any flavored baked tofu would work well in this recipe. Serve with iced tea.

Next time you're craving Chinese takeout, make this veggie-packed fried rice recipe in about the same time instead. Tofu and eggs give this vegetarian fried rice staying power from protein, and brown rice boosts fiber.

Tofu and vegetables get a dramatic lift from a spicy peanut sauce. Serve with a cucumber salad for a low-calorie, nutrient-packed vegetarian supper.

Though vegetarian BBQ may be an oxymoron, once you take a bite of this delicious tofu sandwich topped with coleslaw and dill pickles you won't mind the contradiction. Serve with: Baked beans and corn on the cob.

Tofu, rice and vegetables are classic bento ingredients. Make extra rice for dinner and roll leftovers into balls for lunch. To keep green veggies vibrant and crisp, cook them briefly and immediately dunk them into a bowl of ice water. You can also use cubed store-bought baked tofu in place of the roasted tofu.

Watching your carb intake? This 20-minute recipe is one you'll want to try. We've paired shrimp with a time-saving store-bought fresh vegetable medley and a zesty homemade sauce and served it over tofu noodles. These noodles are gluten-free, so they're lower in carbs and have fewer calories than spaghetti.

Pantry ingredients and basic spices transform a package of tofu into a quick, simple meal--no slicing and dicing required.

With a handful of shortcut ingredients from your local specialty grocery store, you can prepare an entire week's worth of high-fiber meals in about 15 minutes. Look for precooked wild rice packets to cut down on prep time. Plus, wild rice is a good source of fiber and each pouch of cooked rice heats in 3 minutes. Topping these bowls with prebaked tofu also cuts down on the time it takes to make this quick meal-prep lunch.

Baked tofu tossed with storebought Thai peanut sauce makes a quick and healthy sandwich filling. Finish the sandwich with your favorite crunchy vegetables for added nutrients and fiber.

Tofu and lots of fresh vegetables are stir-fried in just a bit of oil in this traditional Chinese dish. In the Sichuan province of China where this dish originates, the tofu wouldn't be deep-fried like it is so often in America. Similarly, in our version of this takeout favorite we stir-fry the ingredients in only a little bit of oil.

This plant-based main-dish salad packs a powerful punch of greens, nutrients and flavor. Add healthy protein with convenient baked tofu slices, which have a firm texture that is well suited to salads and sandwiches. Sprinkle on a little crunch with slivered almonds, and just a hint of tropical sweetness with unsweetened coconut. The vinaigrette rounds out the dish with tangy-sweet kick.

Mild-flavored tofu benefits from this intensely flavored lemon juice-and-garlic-based marinade. If you have the time, marinate the tofu early in the day (up to 8 hours before serving) so it can absorb all the flavors.

Because of the high moisture content of tofu, it can go from a stir-fry to a braise in seconds. We also recommend salting and drying the tofu in paper towels so oil doesn't splatter during frying.

This edamame hummus recipe makes just enough for two wraps, but the hummus is so good, you might want to double it and tuck it away in your fridge for snacking.

Sauteed tofu makes a simple fresh tomato-and-mushroom sauce hearty and substantial. Serve over polenta or toss with pasta.

Creamy Thai curry sauce gives tofu a spicy, satisfying kick. You can adjust the amount of curry paste depending on your spice preference. Serve with brown basmati rice and lime wedges.

Also known as palak paneer, saag paneer is an Indian classic composed mostly of spinach and paneer--a cow's-milk cheese that is curdled then pressed until firm. Here, we substitute tofu for the cheese and incorporate low-fat yogurt and sliced onions for a healthier version that retains its authenticity.

Here we toss rice noodles with crunchy vegetables, fresh herbs, tofu and a light, sweet, tart and salty Vietnamese dressing flavored with fish sauce and wrap the mixture in lettuce leaves. For a vegetarian version, use reduced-sodium soy sauce or tamari in place of the fish sauce. Pass the mixture, lettuce leaves and sauce separately so everyone can make their own wraps.

Quinoa, a super food from South America, is packed with protein and fiber. Toasting it gives it a slightly nutty taste, a complement to the walnuts and a foil to the lemony tarragon dressing. Try this salad over greens of any sort: fresh arugula, Boston lettuce leaves or wilted spinach.

This vegetarian nod to the classic curried chicken salad is perfect for spreading on toasted whole-wheat bread or scooping onto a pile of crispy salad greens for lunch.