Balsamic Green Beans and Tofu Recipe -- Gluten Free, Vegan, Allergy Friendly

When I'm hungry and short on time I sometimes throw together a quick stir fry. Minute steak and frozen veggies or quick cooking vegetables is super quick, and chicken breast cubes instead of minute steak is also quick cooking and can help me have a meal ready to eat relatively quickly.

One day I saw this herbed tofu we'd been gifted and had just been sitting in my fridge unused for a while and decided to use that as a change from my usual meat. I chopped it up and stir fried it until it was crispy without deciding what else to add to it, and then it hit me that it would probably taste good with green beans and fried onions, so I took the tofu out of the wok, sauted up onions, and added the tofu back in with frozen green beans. My go to for seasoning such a dish usually would be to go with Asian style seasoning, with soy sauce, ginger, and sesame oil, but I wanted to try something new this time, especially since I wasn't sure how well that would go with herbs in the tofu. I wanted a sauce, though, so it would taste good over rice and give flavor to it (I usually have rice ready and available to eat in my fridge) so decided to try using balsamic vinegar on a whim. It was so good, and my son, Ike, who had some too (the other kids were asleep) told me that it was so good that I had to share it here. I didn't want to since it was so simple and I didn't have an exact recipe anyhow.

The next time I was hungry late in the evening without any gluten free egg free food ready to eat I decided to make the same, and Ike, who also has some, asked me if I posted it on my blog yet. I told him why I hadn't, but also I'd been hesitant to post it since it used herbed tofu and I wasn't sure this was something you could get everywhere, especially similar types of herbs to what was in my tofu package. He told me I still should post it, it was that good.

Once I made it for the third time, I decided to actually measure things out so I could share the recipe, and when my son asked if I'd shared the recipe yet ("because your readers deserve to have it") I told him that I finally planned to share it.

While I am writing the recipe as I made it, I'm assuming you don't have the exact herbed tofu that I do, which contributes to the flavor of the dish. The tofu is called Provence style and in the ingredients there is listed fried onions, garlic, red bell peppers, and Italian herbs. Since this recipe already has tried onions and garlic, if making this with plain tofu I'd suggest adding sauted red peppers (once the onions and tofu are sauted then add peppers until soft before adding the green beans. I'd also add some basil, thyme, and oregano to the dish.

Balsamic Green Beans and Tofu Recipe -- Gluten Free, Vegan, Allergy Friendly

Ingredients
1 package firm tofu, preferably herbed
1 large onion
1-2 tablespoons oil, or as needed
1 medium red bell pepper (optional)
1/2-1 teaspoon garlic powder (or to taste)
1/2-1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
1/3-1/2 cup balsamic vinegar (or to taste)
1 pinch oregano (optional)
1 pinch basil (optional)
1 pinch thyme (optional)

Instructions

1. Cube tofu and slice or dice your onions. 

2. Heat up oil in a wok or large frying pan to a medium or high heat.

3. Add your tofu and onions to the pan so that the tofu is all touching the pan, but the onions don't all need to be in a flat layer. 

4. Mix your onions and tofu occasionally, making sure that all or at least most sides of the tofu get browned.

5. If using peppers dice and add at this point, sauteing until slightly softened.

6. Add the green beans and mix occasionally, until fully defrosted and the green beans cook to the texture you like.

7. Add garlic powder, salt, and balsamic vinegar to taste.

8. If using, add herbs at this point.

9. Serve hot, either plain or, my favorite, over rice.

Enjoy!

Are you a fan of tofu? Green beans? Does this look like a recipe you'd try? Have you made up and recipes conpletely on a whim that were big hits? What were they?