Sizzling Ginger-Scallion Tofu with Collard Greens
Thick slabs of tofu seared golden and buried under a heap of ginger and scallion that hot oil is poured over at the table, with wide ribbons of collard green blistered in the same pan.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Ginger scallion sauce is one of those preparations that costs almost nothing and makes people put their forks down and ask about it. A great quantity of ginger and scallion, minced fine, a good pinch of pepper, and oil heated until it ripples, poured over the top so the aromatics sizzle and half cook in the bowl. The heat takes the harsh edge off the ginger and turns the scallions sweet, but stops well short of frying them, so what you get is somewhere between a sauce and a relish. It belongs on poached chicken traditionally, and I think it is even better on tofu.
The tofu underneath has to be worth the sauce, which means slabs rather than cubes, a properly hot pan, and the patience to leave them alone. Eight thick pieces, seared until the outside is golden and the inside is still soft, give you the contrast the dish is built on. The collards go into the same skillet afterward and pick up whatever the tofu left behind, cooking down just enough to be tender while keeping the sturdy chew that makes them worth using. Cider vinegar and soy sauce go in at the end and hit the hot pan in a cloud of steam.
I put this together on weeknights when I want dinner to feel like an occasion without becoming a project. Everything is done in about twenty five minutes, and the theater of pouring the oil over the aromatics at the table is genuinely fun, particularly if there are children watching. Leftovers are good cold, straight from the container, which is not true of most things I cook. If you make the ginger scallion mixture double, and I usually do, it keeps in the refrigerator for a week and turns anything you spoon it over into dinner.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb firm tofu (two blocks), drained and pressed, each block cut into 4 slabs
- 14 oz collard greens, ribs cut out and leaves rolled and sliced into 1-inch ribbons
- 10 scallions, sliced very thin, whites and greens kept together
- 1/4 cup finely minced fresh ginger, from a 3-inch piece
- 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 1/2 tbsp avocado oil
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 1/2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tbsp cider vinegar
- 1/4 tsp cayenne
- 1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
- 1/2 cup cilantro leaves and tender stems, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Press and slice the tofu: Drain both blocks and press them between folded towels under a heavy pot for ten minutes while you cut everything else. Cut each block crosswise into 4 thick slabs, giving you 8 in all, and pat every surface dry.
- Make the ginger scallion mixture: Combine the minced ginger, sliced scallions, cayenne, and black pepper in a heatproof bowl and toss them together. Mince the ginger by hand if you can face it, since a grater turns it to pulp and you want distinct little pieces that hold their shape when the oil hits them.
- Sear the tofu: Heat 1 tablespoon of the avocado oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high until it shimmers. Lay the slabs down in a single layer, working in two batches if the pan is crowded, and leave them for four minutes, until the undersides are deep gold and release cleanly. Turn once, give them three minutes more, and move them to a warm platter.
- Blister the collards: Add the remaining oil and the sliced garlic to the same pan and stir for twenty seconds. Add the collard ribbons in handfuls, pressing them down against the metal, and cook for four to five minutes, stirring occasionally, until they are darkened in places and tender with some chew left. Add the soy sauce and vinegar, which will steam up hard, toss once, and pile the greens beside the tofu.
- Pour the hot oil and serve: Wipe the skillet, add the sesame oil, and heat it over medium-high for about a minute, until it is hot enough that a scallion slice dropped in sizzles immediately. Heap the ginger and scallion over the tofu, then pour the hot oil across the top so it crackles. Scatter the sesame seeds and cilantro and bring it to the table while it is still hissing.
Variations
- Chile crisp: Add a half teaspoon of crushed dried chiles to the bowl with the ginger and scallion so they toast in the hot oil.
- Steamed rather than seared: Steam the tofu slabs for six minutes and pour the oil over them for a softer, cleaner version that lets the ginger lead.
- Napa and snow pea: Use napa cabbage and a handful of snow peas in place of the collards for a crunchier, sweeter plate.
- Citrus edge: Add a teaspoon of finely grated lime zest to the ginger and scallion just before the oil goes over.
- Tempeh: Cut tempeh into planks and sear them the same way for a firmer, nuttier base under the sauce.
Storage & Leftovers
The tofu and greens keep four days in a sealed container in the refrigerator, and the ginger scallion mixture keeps a week in a jar of its own. Store them separately if you can, since the aromatics stay much livelier that way and take about ten seconds to spoon back over.
Reheat the tofu and collards in a dry skillet over medium-high for three or four minutes, undisturbed at first so the slabs pick up a little crust again. Cold from the container is also a perfectly good lunch, and the sauce tastes sharper and more gingery straight out of the refrigerator.
I would not freeze the sauce, since the scallions go slimy on thawing, but the seared tofu freezes well for two months. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator, crisp it in a hot pan, and make a fresh batch of ginger and scallion, which takes five minutes and is most of the pleasure of the dish anyway.
Notes & Tips
- Mince the ginger by hand: A microplane gives you juice and pulp, which turns the sauce into a wet paste. Little distinct pieces are what you want, and they hold their shape when the oil goes over.
- Dry surfaces brown, wet ones steam: Press the tofu, then blot the cut slabs again just before they go into the pan. That second wipe is the difference between gold and gray.
- Use a thin metal spatula: Slide it fully under each slab before you lift. Tongs pinch the tofu and break it, and a fish spatula is the ideal tool if you own one.
- Add the collards in handfuls: All at once they mound up and steam. Added in batches as each one wilts, they stay in contact with the pan and blister instead.
- Listen for the sizzle: The oil is ready when it crackles loudly the moment it meets the aromatics. A quiet pour means the oil was too cool and the ginger will taste sharp.
- Make double the sauce: It keeps a week in the refrigerator and turns eggs, grains, or a plate of steamed vegetables into a meal with one spoonful.
Nutrition & Mindful Eating
- Tofu, collard greens, and the ginger scallion sauce each pull in a different direction, and the plate works because of it. The tofu is dense and mild and carries the protein, the collards are sturdy and slightly bitter, and the aromatics on top are sharp enough to cut through both.
- Firm tofu is set with calcium salts, which is why slabs this thick make the plate a genuine source of the mineral, and the protein in them is what makes a vegetable dinner hold you like a full meal.
- Collard greens are quietly one of the best-absorbed sources of calcium in the vegetable aisle, and they bring vitamin K and fiber along with the chew that keeps them from disappearing into the pan.
- Ginger in this quantity is a main ingredient rather than a seasoning, warm and slightly sweet once the hot oil has taken its edge off, and it has been studied for its effects on digestion and on nausea.
- Sesame seeds and sesame oil go on last for the toasty smell that comes up as the plate hits the table, and the seeds add a small crunch along with their calcium and iron.
- As you eat, listen for the sizzle before you taste anything, then notice how the ginger turns from sharp to sweet between the first bite and the last, and let the plate take the time it deserves.
Frequently Asked Questions
How hot does the oil need to be?
Hot enough to sizzle loudly on contact, around 350°F, which is about a minute over medium-high. Drop in one scallion slice to test it: if it bubbles hard right away you are ready, and if it just sits there the aromatics will taste harsh and uncooked.
Can I use less ginger?
You can, but a quarter cup is not a typo and the dish is named for it. The hot oil mellows ginger considerably, so what tastes fierce in the bowl turns sweet and perfumed on the plate. Start with three tablespoons if you are unsure.
What else works in place of collards?
Kale, mustard greens, or napa cabbage all do well. Kale behaves almost identically, mustard greens bring their own pepperiness, and napa cabbage needs only a minute or two since it wilts fast. Whatever you use, cut it into wide ribbons so it stays in identifiable pieces.
Why did my tofu fall apart?
Usually a block labeled soft or silken, which will not hold up to a hard sear. Look for firm or extra firm, press it properly, and handle the slabs with a thin spatula rather than tongs, which tend to squeeze them in half.