Silken Tofu Recipe with Soy Sesame Sauce | Made in 5 Minutes or Less! (2024)

This quick and easy Silken Tofu with Soy Sesame Sauce is made in less than 5 minutes with only a handful of ingredients! This silken tofu recipe features cold tofu and a savoury sauce is the perfect banchan, aka side dish.

This silken tofu recipe has been our go-to side dish lately as it takes literally next to no time to make. H loves this Korean silken tofu has it reminds him of the banchan (Korean side dish) we get at our favourite Korean restaurant in Toronto and I love this Korean style silken tofu because it’s refreshing and light! It’s pretty much a soft tofu version of Braised Tofu (dubu jorim).

Why You’ll Love This Soft Silken Tofu Recipe

• It’s a no-cook recipe so it’s perfect for hot summer days. I make this at least once a week in the summer when it’s hot out and I just don’t feel like cooking. The tofu is enjoyed straight out of the fridge so it’s chilled and refreshing.
• It literally takes less than 5 minutes to put together. After a while, you’ll be able to eye-ball just how much of each ingredient you’ll need for the sauce and it’ll take you next to no time to stir it together and have this side dish ready.
• It’s SO good. The soft silken tofu will melt in your mouth! And since the tofu has neutral flavor, the savoury soy garlic sauce gets to shine.
• It’s naturally a vegetarian recipe but it’s protein packed! Perfect for if you’re trying to consume less meat or want a meatless side dish.

What is Silken Tofu?

Soft tofu has a delicate and smooth consistency. It’s silky and has a creamy texture to it. Silken tofu is undrained and unpressed tofu so it cannot be used interchangeably with regular tofu in most recipes since it’s fragile. In other words, you can’t stir fry soft tofu, bake them, or air fry them as you do with regular/firm tofu. However, they’re wonderful in soups, dips, smoothies, and this delicious side dish is my favourite thing to make with silken tofu!

Ingredients You’ll Need

• soy sauce — I recommend using low sodium soy sauce as you don’t want this silken tofu recipe to be too salty.
• mirin — a staple in my house, this is a Japanese version of rice wine.
• sesame oil — I’m a fan of pure sesame oil for this but you can also use toasted sesame oil as well for a deeper sesame flavour in this Korean tofu recipe as toasted sesame oil tastes more nutty!
• gochugaru(고추가루) — aka Korean chili/hot pepper powder.
• brown sugar — I use light brown sugar but regular or dark brown sugar will work as well.
• coarse black pepper — you only need a pinch.
• sesame seeds — I always go with toasted sesame seeds.
• green onions
• silken tofu — soft tofu is solid in a cube/tub as well as in a cylinder. For this tofu side dish, you’ll need to get the one in the tub if you want it presented like how mine is. You can try using firm silken tofu if you’re worried that your tofu will fall apart when flipping it.

How to Make Silken Tofu with Garlic Soy

• In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine the soy sauce, mirin, sesame oil, gochugaru, brown sugar, black pepper, sesame seeds, and green onions. Mix to combine.
• Drain the soft tofu, I usually just cut off the top of the plastic wrap and tilt the liquid out into the sink and pat the top with some paper towel. Place the silken tofu onto a plate.
• Pour the soy sesame mixture on top of the soft tofu and serve immediately.

Recipe Tips and Notes

• The easiest way to get the tofu onto a plate is by placing the plate on top of the tofu then flipping it over. This way you don’t risk the tofu falling apart.
• If you don’t have green onions, you can use chives or finely diced shallots.
• This recipe is very versatile. You can tweak the sauce to your personal tastes. H loves black pepper so I’ll add a pinch more for him and if we’re in the mood for a spicier tofu, we’ll add more gochugaru.
• If you don’t like eating tofu cold, you can bring it to room temperature before serving. You can enjoy silken tofu recipes either way!

Make Ahead Tips

• Meal prep: you can make this ahead of time and store it inan airtight containerfor 2 to 3 days in the fridge.

More Tofu Recipes To Try

• Tofu Dumplings
• Crispy Teriyaki Tofu
• Korean Spicy Tofu Meal Prep
• Air Fryer Tofu Cubes
• Maple Soy Tofu
• Stir Fry Tofu with Vegetables

More Korean Recipes to Try

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