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
Tofu and aubergine in soy and ginger with rice
Browned tofu and soft aubergine in a ginger and soy glaze.
By The foodose editorial team. Nutrition calculated from USDA FoodData Central. Checked on paper on 21 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 pressed tofu browns in 4 minutes undisturbed
- Confirm aubergine softens in 6 covered minutes
- Photograph the finished pan
- Time
- About 47 min
- estimated
- Serves
- 2
- see below
- Energy
- 590 kcal
- per serving
- Protein
- 42 g
- per serving
Ingredients for 2 servings
Check off ingredients as you go.
Contains gluten, soya. Check the labels on packaged ingredients:
- soy sauce. Most soy sauce contains wheat. Tamari is the usual wheat-free alternative; check the label.
Cooking steps
Put the rice on to cook. Press the tofu between sheets of kitchen paper under a plate and a tin for 20 minutes, then cut it into 2 cm cubes.
Heat the oil in a wide pan until it shimmers. Add the tofu in a single layer and leave it undisturbed for 4 minutes, then turn the cubes and give them 3 minutes more. Lift them out.
Add the aubergine, cut into 3 cm chunks, cover the pan and cook over medium heat for 6 minutes, so it softens before it browns. Then uncover and cook for 3 minutes to colour it.
Add the grated ginger and sliced garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
Return the tofu, add the soy sauce and the water, and braise for 5 minutes until the liquid is syrupy and coats everything. Finish with the chives and serve with the rice.
The useful detail
Aubergine will drink every drop of fat in the pan if you let it brown from raw. Six covered minutes softens it in its own steam first, and after that it colours on almost nothing.
Make it work for you
One serving is 200 g of tofu with half the aubergine and rice. 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, with more protein, and no pressing needed.
Per serving: about 95 kcal more, about 6 g more protein, about 4 g more fat.
Courgette instead of aubergine
Much wetter and quicker. Skip the covered stage entirely.
Per serving: about 15 kcal less, about the same protein, about the same fat.
Tamari instead of soy sauce
The same flavour, and usually wheat-free.
Allergens: Check the label if you avoid 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 plant dinner where a large, deliberate portion of tofu carries more than 30 g of protein a serving, and the rice is kept small on purpose.
| Energy | 590 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 42 g |
| Fat | 25 g |
| of which saturates | 3 g |
| Carbohydrate | 58 g |
| of which sugars | not calculated |
| Fibre | 12 g |
| Sodium | 490 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| white rice | 90 g | FDC 168877Rice, white, long-grain, regular, raw, enriched | 329 kcal | 6.4 g |
| firm tofu | 400 g | FDC 172475Tofu, raw, firm, prepared with calcium sulfate | 576 kcal | 69.1 g |
| rapeseed or other neutral oil | 14 g | FDC 172336Oil, canola | 122 kcal | 0.0 g |
| aubergine | 400 g | FDC 169228Eggplant, raw | 100 kcal | 3.9 g |
| fresh ginger | 20 g | FDC 169231Ginger root, raw | 16 kcal | 0.4 g |
| garlic | 15 g | FDC 169230Garlic, raw | 22 kcal | 1.0 g |
| soy sauce | 25 g | FDC 172473Soy sauce made from soy and wheat (shoyu), low sodium | 14 kcal | 2.3 g |
| water | 100 g | No energy | 0 kcal | 0.0 g |
| chives | 5 g | FDC 169994Chives, raw | 2 kcal | 0.2 g |
| Whole recipe | Divided by 2 | 1181 kcal | 83.2 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 aubergine softens further overnight, which suits this dish.
- 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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About 25 min · 355 kcal · 18 g protein per serving
Vegan