Spicy Braised Tofu

Ingredients

• 2 blocks tofu, cut into 1/2″ slices
• 1/2 onion, thinly sliced
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• 5-6 crimini or white-button mushrooms, stemmed and thinly sliced
• 2 Tbsp. gochujang (Korean chili paste)
• 1 tsp. gochucharu (Korean chili flakes)
• 4 Tbsp. soy sauce or aminos
• 2-4 tsp. Ume Plum Vinegar (or regular apple-cider/red-wine vinegar with a pinch or two of salt)
• 1-2 tsp. sugar
• 2-4 tsp. garlic powder
• 2 C. vegetable broth
• 1 Tbsp. fish sauce (or vegan equivalent)
• 1 Tbsp. sesame oil
• Rice/Noodles/Starch for serving
• Sliced scallions for garnish

Instructions

1. Into a smallish dutch oven, layer the onion, scallions, mushrooms, and tofu slices.
2. Whisk together the gochujang, gochucharu, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, garlic powder, vegetable broth, and fish sauce (omit the sesame oil for the time being). Whisk until thoroughly combined.
3. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer. Drop the heat to maintain the simmer.
4. Cook for 10-20 minutes; until the onions and mushrooms have released their liquid and are starting to break down. You may wanna flip the tofu once during cooking for even-ness.
5. Remove the tofu and place on sheet pan and keep warm in the oven.
6. Stir in sesame oil. Reduce the sauce until it is much thicker and richly flavored. Onions should be mostly broken down into the sauce.
7. Place tofu on top of rice (or whatever you’re using) and top each slice with a some sauce, mushrooms, onions, and sliced scallions.