Lemon-herb tofu with Mediterranean rice
Herb-roasted tofu with rice, courgette and parsley.
About 45 min · 470 kcal · 31 g protein per serving
Vegan
Air fryer tofu bites with ginger soy glaze and broccoli
Pressed tofu cubes crisped in the air fryer and tossed in a quick ginger, soy and maple glaze, with charred broccoli and brown rice. A vegan bowl with a crisp outside and a soft centre, easy to eat in small amounts.
By The foodose editorial team. Nutrition calculated from USDA FoodData Central. Checked on paper on 16 October 2026; not yet cooked in a test kitchen or photographed, so the times and yield are estimates. How we develop our recipes
What still needs a real kitchen
- Confirm 2 cm pressed tofu cubes crisp in 15 to 18 minutes at 200°C
- Confirm the glaze reduces to coating thickness in 2 to 3 minutes
- Photograph the finished bowl
- Time
- About 55 min
- estimated
- Serves
- 4
- see below
- Energy
- 545 kcal
- per serving
- Protein
- 42 g
- per serving
Ingredients for 4 servings
Check off ingredients as you go.
Contains gluten, sesame, soya, sulphites. Check the labels on packaged ingredients:
- soy sauce. Most soy sauce contains wheat. Tamari is the usual wheat-free alternative; check the label.
- cider vinegar. Cider vinegar can contain sulphites; check the label if you avoid them.
Cooking steps
Drain the tofu, set each block between folded tea towels with a heavy pan on top, and press for 20 minutes. Cut it into 2 cm cubes.
Toss the tofu with two thirds of the neutral oil and air fry at 200°C / 400°F for 15 to 18 minutes, shaking the basket every 5 minutes, until the cubes are golden and firm on every side.
Toss the broccoli florets with the rest of the neutral oil and air fry for 6 to 7 minutes at the same heat, until tender with charred edges.
Meanwhile, put the soy sauce, maple syrup, cider vinegar, ginger, grated garlic and 3 tbsp of water in a wide frying pan and simmer over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, until it is glossy and coats a spoon.
Take the pan off the heat, add the hot tofu and the sesame oil and toss until every cube is glazed.
Serve over the warmed brown rice with the broccoli, and scatter over the sliced spring onions.
The useful detail
Glaze the tofu after it leaves the air fryer, never before. A sweet sauce in the basket burns before the tofu has crisped and steams the outside soft. Dry tofu crisps first, then takes the glaze in seconds in a warm pan and keeps its edges long enough to eat.
Make it work for you
One serving is A quarter of the tofu over 120 g of cooked brown rice, with broccoli. You can switch to a smaller portion in the ingredients above; it is three quarters of this, and it contains correspondingly less energy and protein. It is an option, not a goal.
Tempeh instead of tofu
Firmer and nuttier, and it needs no pressing. Cut it into 1.5 cm cubes and check at 12 minutes.
Per serving: about the same energy, about 4 g less protein, about 1 g less fat.
Honey instead of maple syrup
Thicker and more floral. Honey is not vegan.
Per serving: about 5 kcal more, about the same protein, about the same fat.
Green beans instead of broccoli
Thinner and crisper; they need 5 to 6 minutes.
Per serving: about 5 kcal less, about 1 g less protein, about the same fat.
Estimated nutrition
Per standard serving, calculated from the ingredients above. Nutrition changes with substitutions, brands and how much oil stays in the pan.
Firm tofu carries the protein on a vegan plate, with brown rice and broccoli adding most of the fibre.
| Energy | 545 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 42 g |
| Fat | 24 g |
| of which saturates | 3 g |
| Carbohydrate | 50 g |
| of which sugars | not calculated |
| Fibre | 10 g |
| Sodium | 430 mg |
Show calculation notes
Each ingredient’s weight is multiplied by its USDA FoodData Central values per 100 g. The whole recipe is added up and divided by 4. Raw weights are used for meat, fish and vegetables; beans and lentils are drained weights. All of the oil is counted as eaten. Added salt is not included; sodium from stock, bread, cheese and tinned food is.
| Ingredient | Weight used | Source | Energy | Protein |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| firm tofu | 800 g | FDC 172475Tofu, raw, firm, prepared with calcium sulfate | 1152 kcal | 138.2 g |
| rapeseed or other neutral oil | 14 g | FDC 172336Oil, canola | 122 kcal | 0.0 g |
| broccoli | 400 g | FDC 170379Broccoli, raw | 136 kcal | 11.3 g |
| soy sauce | 40 g | FDC 172473Soy sauce made from soy and wheat (shoyu), low sodium | 23 kcal | 3.6 g |
| maple syrup | 27 g | FDC 169661Syrups, maple | 70 kcal | 0.0 g |
| cider vinegar | 15 g | FDC 173469Vinegar, cider | 3 kcal | 0.0 g |
| fresh ginger | 20 g | FDC 169231Ginger root, raw | 16 kcal | 0.4 g |
| garlic | 10 g | FDC 169230Garlic, raw | 15 kcal | 0.6 g |
| toasted sesame oil | 4.5 g | FDC 171016Oil, sesame, salad or cooking | 41 kcal | 0.0 g |
| cooked brown rice | 480 g | FDC 169704Rice, brown, long-grain, cooked (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program) | 590 kcal | 13.2 g |
| spring onions | 30 g | FDC 170005Onions, spring or scallions (includes tops and bulb), raw | 10 kcal | 0.5 g |
| Whole recipe | Divided by 4 | 2178 kcal | 167.8 g |
Per serving the energy is rounded to the nearest 5 kcal, grams to the nearest whole gram and sodium to the nearest 10 mg. of which sugars could not be calculated, because one ingredient’s record does not cover it; the row above says which. Calculation method 1.0, September 2026. How the calculation works.
Storage and reheating
- In the fridge
- Cool, cover and refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking. Eat within 3 to 4 days. The tofu softens as it sits in the glaze.
- In the freezer
- Freezing keeps food safe indefinitely. Thawed tofu turns chewier and more open in texture, and the texture is best if it is eaten sooner rather than later.
- Reheating
- Reheat in the air fryer at 180°C / 350°F for 5 to 6 minutes, or covered in the microwave, until it reaches 74°C / 165°F, steaming hot throughout.
Checked against US Food and Drug Administration, Refrigerator and Freezer Storage Chart, USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, Leftovers and Food Safety, FoodSafety.gov, Safe Minimum Internal Temperatures and FoodSafety.gov, Cold Food Storage Chart. UK guidance from the Food Standards Agency is shorter, at two days for most leftovers.
Try another recipe
Creamy roasted pepper tofu pasta
Pasta in a smooth roasted pepper and silken tofu sauce.
About 25 min · 355 kcal · 18 g protein per serving
Vegan