Tofu and aubergine peanut stew
A mild tomato stew with tofu, aubergine and a measured peanut sauce.
About 40 min · 500 kcal · 34 g protein per serving
Vegan
Cauliflower and tofu orzo
Orzo in a smooth cauliflower-tofu sauce with chives.
By The foodose editorial team. Nutrition calculated from USDA FoodData Central. Checked on paper on 12 September 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 the sauce blends smooth without a high-powered blender
- Photograph the finished plate
- Time
- About 30 min
- estimated
- Serves
- 2
- see below
- Energy
- 355 kcal
- per serving
- Protein
- 19 g
- per serving
Ingredients for 2 servings
Check off ingredients as you go.
Contains gluten, soya. Check the labels on packaged ingredients:
- orzo. Most dry pasta is just wheat and water, but some contains egg; check the packet.
- vegetable stock. Vegetable stock often contains celery, and some contain milk or gluten; check the label, especially if you need it vegan.
Cooking steps
Steam the cauliflower for 10 to 12 minutes, until completely tender; it needs to be soft enough to blend smooth.
Blend the cauliflower with the silken tofu, oil and enough of the stock to make a pourable sauce. Season it to your taste before it meets the pasta.
Cook the orzo in boiling water, following the packet, then drain it.
Warm the sauce gently in the pasta pan, fold the orzo through and serve with the chives scattered over.
The useful detail
Adjust the sauce before adding the pasta so it is not overworked. Once the orzo is in, stirring to fix the seasoning breaks the grains and turns the dish starchy.
Make it work for you
One serving is Half the pan, a deep plateful. 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.
Broccoli instead of cauliflower
Green, and a stronger flavour that does not stay in the background.
Per serving: about 10 kcal more, about 1 g more protein, about the same fat.
Firm tofu instead of silken
Thicker and grainier; add more stock and blend longer.
Per serving: about 105 kcal more, about 13 g more protein, about 6 g more fat.
Gluten-free pasta
Works; nutrition is not recalculated.
Allergens: Removes gluten.
Estimated nutrition
Per standard serving, calculated from the ingredients above. Nutrition changes with substitutions, brands and how much oil stays in the pan.
A creamy-tasting vegan pasta with no cream in it: the body comes from blended cauliflower and silken tofu. It is lighter in protein than the other plant-based dishes here.
| Energy | 355 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 19 g |
| Fat | 8 g |
| of which saturates | 1 g |
| Carbohydrate | 53 g |
| of which sugars | 5 g |
| Fibre | 5 g |
| Sodium | 200 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 2. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| cauliflower | 250 g | FDC 169986Cauliflower, raw | 63 kcal | 4.8 g |
| orzo | 120 g | FDC 169736Pasta, dry, enrichedFoodData Central records dry pasta as one entry rather than by shape. Orzo is the same durum wheat pasta, cut small. | 445 kcal | 15.6 g |
| silken tofu | 250 g | FDC 172449Tofu, soft, prepared with calcium sulfate and magnesium chloride (nigari)Calculated with FoodData Central's soft tofu record, the closest it holds to silken tofu. | 153 kcal | 17.9 g |
| olive oil | 4.5 g | FDC 171413Oil, olive, salad or cooking | 40 kcal | 0.0 g |
| vegetable stock | 98 g | FDC 171583Soup, vegetable broth, ready to serve | 5 kcal | 0.2 g |
| chives | 5 g | FDC 169994Chives, raw | 2 kcal | 0.2 g |
| Whole recipe | Divided by 2 | 707 kcal | 38.8 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. 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 sauce thickens in the fridge; loosen it with stock.
- In the freezer
- Freezing keeps food safe indefinitely; the texture is best if it is eaten sooner rather than later.
- Reheating
- Reheat 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
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Soft cabbage rolls with tempeh, barley and tomato sauce.
About 1 hr 15 min · 480 kcal · 31 g protein per serving
Vegan