Vegetarian Tomato Mapo Tofu

By Hetty Lui McKinnon

Published Aug. 20, 2025

Vegetarian Tomato Mapo Tofu
Johnny Miller for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Vivian Lui.
Total Time
30 minutes
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
15 minutes
Rating
4(249)
Comments
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Mapo tofu, the classic Sichuan dish that is now a Chinese American staple, receives a summery twist with the addition of tomatoes. Its signature tingly and assertive flavors are intensified by the umami tanginess of tomatoes, which also add a hint of fresh acidity. When you add the tofu, it will look like there’s not enough liquid, but rest assured, the tomatoes do break down during the cooking process, providing a soupy base. Not all brands of doubanjiang are created equal, so look for ones that come from Pixian, in Sichuan, as they tend to be the most flavorful thanks to a long period of fermentation under sunlight, resulting in a reddish-brown color with a deep and complex umami.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • Vegetable oil (or other neutral oil)
  • 1yellow onion, halved and cut into ½-inch wedges 
  • 6ounces cremini mushrooms, trimmed and halved or quartered, depending on size
  • Salt and pepper 
  • 1(1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped 
  • 3garlic cloves, finely chopped 
  • 1 to 2whole dried red chiles (such as er jing tiao or chile de árbol) or ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 2 to 3tablespoons doubanjiang (fermented spicy broad bean paste) or Chinese black bean sauce 
  • ½ to 1teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns (to your liking)
  • 1pound tomatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks
  • 1tablespoon soy sauce
  • 2(14- to 16-ounce) packages silken tofu, drained
  • 2teaspoons toasted sesame oil
  • 2scallions, thinly sliced
  • Cooked rice, to serve
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

321 calories; 17 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 6 grams polyunsaturated fat; 23 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams dietary fiber; 7 grams sugars; 24 grams protein; 1010 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot on medium-high. When hot, drizzle with 1 to 2 tablespoons of oil and then add the onion and mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Stir until the mushrooms and onions have softened and have golden edges, 2 to 3 minutes.

  2. Step 2

    Add the ginger, garlic, dried chiles, doubanjiang and Sichuan peppercorns, and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, soy sauce and ½ cup water, and stir to combine.

  3. Step 3

    Add the silken tofu to the pot, breaking it up into irregular chunks, and gently stir to combine. Reduce heat to medium, cover and cook for 10 minutes.

  4. Step 4

    To serve, drizzle with sesame oil, top with scallions and eat with rice.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
249 user ratings
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Comments

Fran B

We really enjoyed this! I did tweak it a little after reading David Tannis's vegan mapo tofu again (it is also an excellent recipe) and soaked a small handful each of dried sliced cloud's ear mushrooms, dried sliced shitake mushrooms and the dried 'gourmet mushroom mix' from Costo. I chopped up the rehydrated mushrooms and added them along with a 1/2 cup of the mushroom water (replacing the 1/2 cup of water) and also added tablespoon or so of rice wine. Served with brown rice and chili crisp.

Dylan

Very tasty and alive with flavour. Ended up a bit too watery for me - I possibly used too many tomatoes but would cut down on the additional water next time to have a more concentrated flavour. Did add a few dashes of Shaoxing Rice Wine which did add a lovely acidity.

min

This is amazingly flavorful! I water sautéed the vegetables, omitting the neutral oil. I did add the sesame oil at the end...about 2 tsp total. I can't wait to make this again!

winter f

be wary of adding too much water! I followed the recipe and this ended up way to watery, almost like a soup. the flavors were good but it would've been much better with less water. I will try to make again but wait to see how much juice my tomatoes release before adding any more water and covering the pot.

Annelle

My first time to make mapo tofu. Thankfully, I tasted the doubanjiang before putting it in. Whoa. That's some serious heat! I only added probably 1 1/2 tbsp. I was going to cook fried eggplants but decided to just throw it in. It added a little sweetness. It turned out delicious. When we were eating it, I decided to throw in some meaty Filipino pork rinds for textural contrast. It made it even better! But, of course, it is no longer a vegetarian dish. Overall, a good dish!

Meghan

Very tasty and different from other mapo tofus I have made. I agree with other commenters that it came out too watery. I think I would skip the water all together next time and just add in a bit if it looks dry.

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