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
Tofu and spinach pesto barley
Pearl barley with tofu and a fresh spinach-basil sauce.
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 barley is tender in 30 to 35 minutes
- Confirm the sauce blends loose enough to fold through
- Photograph the finished bowls
- Time
- About 50 min
- estimated
- Serves
- 2
- see below
- Energy
- 490 kcal
- per serving
- Protein
- 35 g
- per serving
Ingredients for 2 servings
Check off ingredients as you go.
Contains gluten, soya.
Cooking steps
Simmer the barley in plenty of water for 30 to 35 minutes, until tender but chewy, then drain it, keeping a little of the water.
Warm half the oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat and cook the tofu for 8 to 10 minutes, turning, until golden on several sides.
Blend the spinach, basil, pumpkin seeds, the rest of the oil, the lemon juice and a few spoonfuls of the barley water into a loose green sauce.
Fold the sauce through the warm barley, top with the tofu and serve.
The useful detail
This is a spinach and basil sauce rather than a traditional pesto: it has no cheese, no pine nuts and no garlic, and the seeds do the work the nuts would.
Make it work for you
One serving is Half the pan, a deep bowlful. 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.
Spelt instead of pearl barley
Firmer and nuttier, with a similar cooking time.
Per serving: about 5 kcal less, about 2 g more protein, about 1 g more fat.
Walnuts instead of pumpkin seeds
Richer and softer in the sauce.
Per serving: about 5 kcal more, about 1 g less protein, about 1 g more fat.
Allergens: Adds tree nuts.
Tempeh instead of tofu
Firmer, and it browns faster.
Per serving: about 70 kcal more, about 5 g more protein, about 3 g more fat.
Estimated nutrition
Per standard serving, calculated from the ingredients above. Nutrition changes with substitutions, brands and how much oil stays in the pan.
A vegan grain bowl with a good protein figure for a plant dish, because the tofu is a full 300 g between two.
| Energy | 490 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 35 g |
| Fat | 22 g |
| of which saturates | 3 g |
| Carbohydrate | 46 g |
| of which sugars | not calculated |
| Fibre | 13 g |
| Sodium | 70 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| pearl barley | 100 g | FDC 170284Barley, pearled, raw | 352 kcal | 9.9 g |
| firm tofu | 300 g | FDC 172475Tofu, raw, firm, prepared with calcium sulfate | 432 kcal | 51.8 g |
| olive oil | 9 g | FDC 171413Oil, olive, salad or cooking | 80 kcal | 0.0 g |
| spinach | 100 g | FDC 168462Spinach, raw | 23 kcal | 2.9 g |
| fresh basil | 10 g | FDC 172232Basil, fresh | 2 kcal | 0.3 g |
| pumpkin seeds | 15 g | FDC 170556Seeds, pumpkin and squash seed kernels, dried | 84 kcal | 4.5 g |
| lemon juice | 10 g | FDC 167747Lemon juice, raw | 2 kcal | 0.0 g |
| Whole recipe | Divided by 2 | 976 kcal | 69.5 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 sauce darkens in the fridge but keeps its flavour.
- 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
Tempeh and pearl barley stuffed cabbage
Soft cabbage rolls with tempeh, barley and tomato sauce.
About 1 hr 15 min · 480 kcal · 31 g protein per serving
Vegan