What Is Tofu Made Of?
It's actually not impossible to make tofu at home.
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Tofu is a staple of plant-based cooking and a delicious meat substitute—but even many vegetarians may not know what tofu is made of.
Get the scoop on what ingredients you'll find in a block of tofu, plus tips on how to DIY your own with things you probably already have in your kitchen.
What Is Tofu Made Of?
Tofu is kind of like a plant-based cheese, when you consider how it's made. The basic ingredients in a block of tofu are soy milk and some sort of coagulant to help it solidify. The soy milk is cooked, then allowed to curdle, and the leftover liquid is pressed out of it.
Related: Make It Yourself: Fresh Ricotta
Salt-based coagulants, such as gypsum (calcium sulfate) or nigari (a coagulant contained in seawater), are most commonly used to make tofu. You can also use acid-based coagulants, such as the food additive GDL (glucono delta-lactone), or lemon juice or rice vinegar, though they'll add their distinctive flavors to your tofu.
How to Make Your Own Tofu
Tofu can actually be made at home—even if you don't want to bother getting specialized coagulants like gypsum or GDL, or you don't feel like making your own soy milk to start the process.
Get your soy milk
To make your own soy milk, soak soybeans overnight in water. Discard the soaking water, and add a 3 to 1 ratio of water to soybeans to a blender and blend until it's creamy. You'll need to filter out the soy solids using a cheesecloth or sieve to get the milk.
You may also be able to use commercially available, full-fat soy milk, but you may not get the same consistency as you do with homemade soy milk.
Related: How to Cook Tofu 5 Different Ways—Including Grilled, Fried, and More
Heat up your soy milk
Boil the milk, then simmer and stir for about 10 minutes, skimming off any foam from the surface.
Add your coagulant
Add lemon juice, gypsum, vinegar, or another coagulant to the pot, and remove it from the heat. The soy milk should start to curdle within a few minutes. (Generally, you need only a tablespoon or so of lemon juice or vinegar, mixed into a half cup of water, for every five cups of soy milk you use.) Wait about 15 minutes to let it sit.
Drain the whey
Pour the pot over a strainer lined with cheesecloth and a bowl that's big enough to catch the leftover whey, while holding on to the curdled soy milk in the cheesecloth.
Press the tofu
Wrap the tofu curds in the cheesecloth, and use a heavy weight to help force out additional water, until it hits the consistency you want. (Again, make sure there are paper towels or a bowl beneath the tofu to collect the leftover water.)
10 Tofu-Based Recipes
Whether you buy it from the store or make your own tofu, there are plenty of recipes that call for tofu. Here's how to use it in your cooking.
1. Crispy Peanut Tofu With Sugar Snap Peas and Peppers
Greg DuPree
You need extra-firm tofu for this flavorful (and super-easy) weeknight meal. Don't have sugar snap peas or peppers? Sub in your favorite stir-fry veggies—carrots, broccoli, and mushrooms will all be tasty in this.
2. Tofu Asada With Caramelized Refried Beans
Tofu doesn't have to be limited to Asian recipes. This spicy tofu recipe is a meatless take on a Mexican culinary classic.
Tofu Asada With Caramelized Onion Refried Beans
3. Tofu and Mushroom Larb
This Laotian dish features both tofu and mushrooms to take the place of the ground meat. It's a great way to use up leftover herbs with plenty of mint and cilantro in the mix.
4. Moroccan Spicy-Sweet Tofu With Couscous
Harissa, honey, cumin, and coriander combine to give mild tofu a punch of flavor. (Bonus: You can ge this dish on the table in just 20 minutes.)
6. Thai Curry and Tofu Soup
Perfect for cool nights, this Thai-influenced curry soup features loads of veggies and a flavorful dollop of Thai red curry.
7. Jane Goodall's Tofu Scramble Wraps
Tofu for breakfast? This vegan recipe (courtesy of famed primatologist—and environmentalist—Jane Goodall) makes a great meatless breakfast on the go.
8. Vegetarian Tacos With Goat Cheese
Chili powder lends spice to crumbled extra-firm tofu—in lieu of traditional ground meat. Top it with veggies, salsa, and crumbled goat cheese for a flavorful and fast meatless meal.
9. Vegan Ranch Dressing
Silken tofu takes the place of all the buttermilk and mayo in this zesty vegan salad dressing. It's also perfect as a dip for crudité.
Related: 31 Easy Vegan Recipes to Start a Plant-Based Diet
10. Pho-Inspired Vegetable Soup
Fred Hardy
The flavorful broth—featuring anise, ginger, and serrano chile—is what gives this tasty dish its heat.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need a tofu press to make your own tofu?
You don't need a tofu press to make tofu—cheesecloth, a strainer, and a bit of weight (like a pan) can do the trick. But if you like having those streamlined blocks, a tofu press can help you make something that looks closer to what you'll get from the grocery store.
How do I get the right tofu consistency?
Time and patience are what you need if you're making your own tofu and want a firmer tofu (or if you're trying to convert store-bought silken tofu to a firmer consistency). You'll simply need to find a way to press out the water to make it firmer, whether you use a tofu press or place the tofu in a sieve and cheesecloth over a bowl, and place weight on the tofu to press out the water.
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