Tofu-Shiitake Stir-Fry on Endive Cups
As stir-fries go, this is as easy as it gets and it’s loaded with flavor. Serve it with rice for an easy dinner or in endive cups and they’re fit for company.
It may still be warm enough to run around town without a jacket and in sandals during the day but my local farmers market reminds me fall has arrived by displaying a wider array of mushrooms on their shelves than usual. Here in California, mushrooms can be grown year-round so we’re never short on variety but the special ones are firmly seasonal.
California-grown shiitake mushrooms are thankfully available here year-round and though I grew up eating mostly the button, cremini and portobello* varieties shiitakes have become my go-to mushroom for stir-fries over the years.
*Fun fact: button, cremini and portobello mushrooms are all the same variety—they’re just at different stages of growth.
Shiitake mushrooms are meaty and to me, denser and firmer than portobellos. This may be due to their lower water content than the latter so they cook better and brown beautifully. If you’ve been visiting my blog for a while you might know that shiitake “bacon” is one of my favorite ways to prepare them.
For this simple stir-fry, the shiitake mushrooms are cooked with tofu and jicama. The three on their own would be nothing to write home about but hoisin sauce and my homemade chili sauce give them quite a bit of personality.
If you’ve never used jicama before I highly recommend that you pick one up for this recipe. They add necessary crunch to offset the softer tofu. If you can’t find jicama at your local market canned water chestnuts would be fine as a substitute and even celery if you’re out of luck.
For this post I served this simple tofu-shiitake stir fry on endive cups which makes them perfect for serving at a party but at its core this is a simple, humble, easy-to-throw-together dish that would feel most at home on a bed of rice or noodles–let your whim or appetite decide–you can’t go wrong either way.
Here are related recipes you might like to try:
- Chinese Chili Sauce
- Penne with Roasted Shiitake Mushrooms (Shiitake “Bacon”), Eggplant and Sambal
- Black Bean Burger with Shiitake Bacon
- Mushroom-Tofu Lettuce Wraps
Tofu-Shiitake Stir-Fry on Endive Cups
This simple stir-fry is equally great on a bed of rice or on endive cups so they’re fit for company. Don’t skip the jicama—it adds beautiful crunch to this dish.
Ingredients
- 1 Block Extra firm tofu, drained and cut in cubes
- 6-8 Large shiitake mushrooms, stem trimmed and diced small
- 1/2 Jicama, diced
- 2-3 tablespoons Hoisin sauce
- Few dashes Maggi Seasoning or soy sauce
- 2-3 tablespoons chili sauce or sambal oelek
- few dashes garlic powder
- Vegetable oil or any neutral oil, few tablespoons
- 3 stalks Scallions for garnish
- 1 Belgian endive, leaves separated
Instructions
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Heat two tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add the tofu cubes and cook until two to three sides of the cubes are lightly brown. While they cook, add a few dashes of Maggi seasoning (or soy sauce or liquid aminos), garlic powder and kosher salt.
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If the skillet is dry add another tablespoon of oil then add the shiitake mushrooms. Stir around the pan for a minute or so then add two tablespoons of the sambal or chili sauce. You want some caramelization to develop but watch your heat. Lower to medium or medium-low if necessary to prevent burning.
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Add two tablespoons of the hoisin sauce and jicama and stir-fry for two minutes, scraping the bits that stick to the pan. Cook until the jicama is crisp-tender, another minute or two. Taste and adjust the seasonings—if you want more heat or more sweetness add the remaining one tablespoon each of the chili sauce/sambal and the hoisin sauce. Serve over rice or spoon small amounts on endive leaves.
I made it for my wife and me at dinner tonight. Superb, in all respects. Thanks!
Thanks so much for trying this recipe and I’m so glad you liked it!!