You can’t go wrong with stir-fry, especially when you find out what ingredients Chef Max La Manna uses to make his recipe pop. This vegan stir-fry is reliable and adaptable — perfect for when you need to clean up those extra veggies in the back of the fridge.
Upcycling food scraps is one of the best ways to reduce food waste. Instead of scraps or leftovers in the trash (or compost bin!), why not use them to make a recipe from scratch? This keeps food from going to landfill and helps you reduce your carbon footprint.
La Manna knows all on reducing food waste. After all, each of his recipes is low-waste and plant-based. So if you’re looking for ways to up your eco-friendly kitchen game, this vegan stir-fry is a great place to start.
Max La Manna created a simple and sustainable meal
According to La Manna, his go-to dinner recipe is tofu noodles, aka this vegan tofu noodle stir-fry, which can be found at his Instagram† All you need are cubes of tofu, cornstarch, noodles of your choice, oil and baking soda.
In a recent episode of good togetherLa Manna told us exactly how he perfects his famous tofu noodles.
“I press my tofu, chop it into cubes and cover it with [corn starch] to have a nice, dry coating on the outside,” he says. “I put a little bit of vegetable oil in a frying pan to make it nice and crispy on the outside. You try to evoke or bring in crunch and flavors and textures in many plant-based dishes.”
Here’s exactly how to make these delicious tofu noodles in under 30 minutes, following La Manna’s recipe.
Vegan stir-fry recipe
Basic ingredients:
450 grams firm tofu, cubed (can replace tofu with chickpeas, tempeh or mushrooms)
200 grams of noodles of your choice
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2-3 tablespoons oil
1 tsp baking powder
Sauce Ingredients:
2 tbsp soy sauce/tamari
2 tsp sesame oil
1 tablespoon peanut butter (optional tahini or seed butter)
2 tsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp fresh ginger
2 tsp maple syrup or brown sugar
1/2 tsp red chili flakes
Instructions:
1. Combine the diced tofu and cornstarch in a large bowl.
2. Add oil in a frying pan over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the tofu. Fry the tofu for 2 minutes on each side. And keep an eye on the tofu so it doesn’t burn!
3. Boil water and add your noodles. Cook the noodles according to the instructions on the package. (Bonus: If you want egg noodles, add a teaspoon of baking soda to your boiling noodles — this even works for all kinds of pasta dishes!)
4. Drain the noodles, remove the frying pan from the heat and add the noodles with the tofu.
5. Make the sauce and combine it with the noodles and tofu.
6. Add vegetables and other toppings as desired. Some good options include carrot, spinach, peas, broccoli, mushrooms, bell peppers, and chives. La Manna personally chose ribbed carrot, roasted peanuts, fresh cilantro, cilantro, and pickled red onion as its toppings. And he recommends using up any leftover veggies you have in the fridge.
7. Serve and enjoy!
For more mouthwatering recipes and eco-friendly kitchen insights from Max La Manna, check out his interview at good together† Plus, you can even check out his clever banana peel BLT recipe — we’ve broken down the recipe for you!
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