This Chinese-inspired vegan tofu cabbage stir-fry with mushrooms is savory, flavorful, and perfectly seasoned! It is packed with veggies and is healthy, filling, and incredibly satisfying. This mushroom tofu stir-fry is the perfect weeknight meal that is ready in 30 minutes.

If you are looking for an effortless weeknight dinner, this tofu cabbage stir-fry is right up your alley! It is easy to throw together yet tastes incredible. I love serving it with a bowl of rice or gochujang fried rice, or bami goreng to make a meal!
💚Why you will love this recipe
- A crowd-pleaser - You will never go wrong with stir-fries, in my opinion! Featuring crunchy cabbage, mushrooms, and crispy tofu cooked in a Chinese-inspired stir-fry sauce, even veggie haters will love this dish.
- Low effort, simple, and quick - Everything comes together in 30 minutes, making it the perfect recipe if you need something fast and easy.
- Versatile - You can pair it with rice, noodles, or other Asian main dishes. Or, simply have it on its own as a light lunch!
- Perfect for meal prep - Did I mention that this mushroom tofu stir-fry is freezable too? You can easily multiply the ingredients to make a larger batch, so you will have healthy meals ready to go on busy workdays!
🍄What you will need
📃Ingredients notes and substitutions
- Tofu - Make sure to use extra-firm tofu that has been drained and pressed, either by using a tofu press or stacking something heavy on top. I recommend checking out this post on how to press tofu if you are unsure how to do so.
- Shiitake mushrooms - You can substitute it with an equal amount of button mushrooms or baby Portobello mushrooms.
- Coconut sugar - Other sweeteners like maple syrup, cane sugar, or brown sugar can be used in place.
- Shaoxing wine - a popular variety of Chinese cooking wine frequently used in stir-fries. Substitute it with rice vinegar to make this recipe alcohol-free.
🔪How to make
Here is a quick rundown of the steps to make vegan tofu cabbage stir-fry. As usual, the full detailed recipe will be in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Start by combining tofu with cornstarch and salt. Then, pan-fry them in a non-stick wok/pan for 2-3 minutes on each side until most sides are golden brown. Set aside.
In the same wok, add garlic and ginger, and fry for a minute until fragrant. Stir in cabbage and mushrooms, and saute for a few minutes.
Lastly, add cooked tofu along with the stir-fry sauce, and toss until everything is well-mixed. Serve your vegan cabbage stir-fry, and enjoy while hot!
✔Helpful tips
- Use extra-firm or firm tofu. Other varieties of tofu like medium and soft tofu simply will not work, as they will fall apart easily, making them unsuitable for stir-fries.
- You can also choose to bake your tofu. Place coated tofu cubes on a lined baking sheet, and bake them at 200C/400F for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown.
- I recommend using a non-stick wok to make this cabbage mushroom stir-fry to ensure everything cooks evenly and prevent ingredients from leaping out of the pan. You could also use a large non-stick/cast-iron pan.
- Make sure all ingredients are prep ahead of time. Stir-frying is a speedy process and requires constant stirring.
- Be careful not to overcook your veggies. You will want your cabbage to be tender but still slightly crunchy.
✨Variations/add-ins
Oil-free - For tofu, you can either pan-fry it in a good non-stick wok/pan without oil or bake it at 200C/400F for 20-25 minutes. Use ¼ cup of water to saute your vegetables, adding more if veggies start sticking to the pan.
Cabbage - You can use other types of cabbage instead of regular ones like napa cabbage and red cabbage.
Noodles - To make this tofu cabbage stir-fry more filling, toss in some cooked noodles, be it soba, ramen, or regular wheat noodles. You might have to double the ingredients for the stir-fry sauce and add it to taste.
Make it spicy - To make spicy cabbage stir-fry, add a spoonful of sambal oelek or sriracha. Alternatively, you can top it with hot sauce or chili flakes right before serving.
🍚How to serve
- Toppings - Top tofu cabbage stir-fry with chopped green onion, cilantro, chili flakes, or toasted sesame seeds for some extra texture and flavor.
- Grains - Serve it with some cooked grains, be it brown rice, Jasmine rice, basmati, or quinoa. You could also make fried rice like vegan nasi goreng or sambal fried rice.
- Other main dishes - If serving a crowd, you can make other complimentary mains like Chinese vegetable curry, Szechuan tofu, or Mee Siam goreng to go with your mushroom tofu stir-fry.
- Soups - Asian soups like wakame miso soup, napa cabbage soup, or gochujang soup pair beautifully with this dish.
❄Storing suggestions
Fridge - Keep vegan tofu cabbage stir-fry in a sealed container, and it can be refrigerated for 3-4 days.
Freezer - This stir-fry is freezable too! Before freezing, portion it up into individual servings. They can be frozen for up to 3 months. Just keep in mind that the texture of tofu will alter slightly and becomes chewier.
Reheating - If reheating from frozen, let it thaw completely first, either in the fridge overnight or on the countertop for a couple of hours. Then, you can either heat it in the microwave or in a pan on the stove.
❔Commonly asked questions
Place cabbage on a sturdy chopping board, with its stem facing down. Hold it firmly, and slice it down through the stem, from top to bottom.
Place each half cut side down, and slice it in half again. Lastly, slice them lengthwise into thin strips, and they are ready to be used!
This tofu cabbage stir-fry is freezable and can be frozen for 3 months. Portion it up into individual servings using storage containers before freezing. Keep in mind that the texture of tofu will change slightly after thawing and becomes chewier.
To reheat, let it thaw in the fridge overnight or for a few hours at room temperature. You can then heat it in the microwave or on the stove.
🍽More vegan stir-fries
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📖 Recipe
Vegan Tofu Cabbage Stir-fry with Mushrooms
Equipment
Ingredients
For tofu
- 1 block extra-firm tofu drained, pressed, and cubed (about 14oz/400g)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon salt
Stir-fry sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari/shoyu (use gluten-free if needed)
- 1 tablespoon shaoxing wine or rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon coconut sugar or any other kinds of sweetener
- pinch of chili flakes (optional)
For stir-fry
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger
- 5 cups shredded cabbage
- 8 shiitake mushrooms sliced
Instructions
- Place tofu cubes, cornstarch, and salt in a zip-top bag. Toss the bag until tofu is well coated.1 block extra-firm tofu, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, ½ teaspoon salt
- Heat up ½ tablespoon of oil in a non-stick wok/pan over medium-high heat. Place tofu in one layer, and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until most sides are nicely browned. Set aside.
- While tofu is cooking, mix together all ingredients needed for the stir-fry sauce and set aside for later use.
- Next, add another ½ tablespoon of oil into the same wok. Stir in garlic and ginger, and fry for a minute until fragrant.1 teaspoon minced ginger, 3 cloves garlic
- Add cabbage and mushroom in next, and saute for a few minutes, or until veggies have slightly softened.5 cups shredded cabbage, 8 shiitake mushrooms
- Lastly, toss in cooked tofu along with the stir-fry sauce. Toss until everything is well mixed.
- Give it a taste, adding more seasonings if needed. Serve and enjoy your tofu cabbage stir-fry while warm.
Notes
- You can also choose to bake your tofu. Place coated tofu cubes on a lined baking sheet, and bake them at 200C/400F for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown.
- I recommend using a non-stick wok to make this cabbage mushroom stir-fry to ensure everything cooks evenly and prevent ingredients from leaping out of the pan. You could also use a large non-stick/cast-iron pan.
- Make sure all ingredients are prep ahead of time. Stir-frying is a speedy process and requires constant stirring.
- Be careful not to overcook your veggies. You will want your cabbage to be tender but still slightly crunchy.
Nutrition
Nutrition info calculated is just a rough estimate and is provided as a courtesy. Bear in mind that value will vary based on variables like specific brand or type of product used. To obtain the most accurate representation, it is highly recommended that you calculate it on your own with the actual amount and type of ingredient used.
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