Mapo tofu is a dish that I love so much but it's strange that I do. It's traditionally served very spicy, and despite the fact that it's tofu-based, many versions call for the inclusion of ground pork or beef. So you never really know what you're getting at different places unless you ask. The Chinese to-go place near my house has the first version of mapo tofu I ever tried, a full-vegetarian version with peas and whole Thai chili peppers.
The version I'm sharing with you today uses Beyond Meat ground beef crumbles, which I found at my local Publix Greenwise store (and have seen at Fresh Market and Whole Foods too) for a vegetarian/vegan mapo tofu, and you even get the meat-like experience thanks to the realness of Beyond Meat.
Source the right Chinese ingredients
None of the recipes I've tried from the internet really ever got the taste like that of mapo tofu from a Chinese restaurant. Some of that may also have been in part to my not having the right ingredients too. Each ingredient in this dish is very important and shouldn't be substituted. Even the Sichuan peppercorns, of which there's ½ a teaspoon in this dish, a seemingly negligible amount is very important. The light mouth-numbing sensation you get from those little nubs is a crucial part of the dish.
You can make it easy on yourself and source the hard-to-find ingredients on Amazon, but you can also get to know your local Asian market and just go in there yourself. I used Google image search to help me find what I was looking for since the Asian markets here rarely have any explanation of items on the shelf tags. Or you can ask for help and hope for the best, but still, using Google image search will help if they too are unfamiliar with any of the things you're looking to find.
One lady at a certain market sold me something that was not Shaoxing rice wine, even though I showed her a photo of what I was looking for and explained what I needed it for. I can use the mirin she sold me for something else, but that meant a second trip to another market. In all likelihood, you're not going to find the broadbean paste, the Shaoxing rice wine, or the Sichuan peppercorns in your local Wal-mart or even Whole Foods delivery either (I checked!).
This mapo tofu recipe is adapted from a version my friend Summer makes a lot. She recommended doubling the sauce ingredients and it was a good call for a good, saucy mapo tofu.
Vegetarian Beyond Beef Mapo Tofu
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp chili oil
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ½ package Beyond Meat beef crumbles
- 1 leek, white and light green parts only cut in ¼" rounds
- 2 tsp fresh ginger minced
- ½ cup broad bean paste
- 4 tbsp soy sauce
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1 package firm tofu
- 2 tsp Shaoxing rice wine
- ½ tsp Sichuan peppercorns
- 5-6 oz vermicelli rice noodles
- 4 scallions chopped
Instructions
- Assemble all of your ingredients before beginning, this goes quickly once it gets started.
- Bring a pot of water to boil for the vermicelli. Cook according to package directions.
- Meanwhile, add the chili and olive oil to a wok over medium high heat. When the oil is hot, add the Beyond Meat beef crumbles.
- Cook the beef for 3 minutes, then add the leeks and ginger. Saute for 1 minute.
- Add the broad bean paste and saute an additional minute.
- Then add the soy sauce and saute for one minute.
- Follow with the Shaoxing rice wine, salt, and sugar and saute for one minute.
- Add the water and reduce the heat to medium or medium low. Simmer for 4-5 minutes.
- Cube the tofu into ½" squares and add to the pan. Stir to coat.
- Raise the heat to medium high and let simmer for 3 minutes.
- Remove the tofu mixture from heat. Add in the Sichuan peppercorns.
- Drain the vermicelli and divide into four bowls.
- Ladle the tofu mixture over the vermicelli, and garnish with chopped scallions.
My inspiration for this dish is directly from the Impossible Meat mapo tofu I had at the Red 8 in the Wynn in Las Vegas. Unlike the other mapo tofu I've had, their version comes on a bed of rice vermicelli, a fun alternative to plain rice. It's a little harder to finish the whole meal with chopsticks since vermicelli is so slippery, but I ate every single morsel here. I was extremely hungry after a full day of walking around the Vegas strip, and the Wynn is at the end of the strip. I didn't want to see what else was beyond after filling up on this mapo tofu and leaving Red 8 extremely satisfied.
Want more vegan options? Try Guinness stew with tempeh, jackfruit barbecue eggrolls, and savory baked tofu.