You Really Should Be Eating More Silken Tofu

If you’re new to the world of tofu, staring down all of the various processed soybean products at your local grocery store can be daunting. Smoked, firm and extra firm may be easiest enough to understand, but seeing a tofu product labeled “silken” might have you scratching your head. Unless you come from a culture in which eating silken tofu is standard, you may not know exactly what it is or what you’re supposed to do with it. And since the texture is so different from that of regular tofu, even regular tofu eaters may not know how to utilize this jiggly source of plant protein.

But I am here to evangelize silken tofu, an ingredient I believe to be among the most versatile you could keep in your fridge. Unlike regular tofu, which generally stays intact when handled, silken tofu, also known as Japanese tofu, has a soft texture that makes it fall apart easily. It’s processed slightly differently than regular tofu, and many Asian cuisines make use of its creamy consistency for a variety of dishes.

Silken tofu has a mild, neutral flavor that makes it the perfect base for so many different dishes, ranging from salty to spicy to sweet. And once you learn how to harness that unique texture, there’s a good chance you’ll start stocking your fridge with silken tofu more often. I’ve compiled this list of some of my favorite ways to use silken tofu in my own cooking. You can try these ideas out yourself or let them inspire you to experiment with silken tofu in a whole new way.

Add it to smoothies

One of the simplest, easiest ways to add more silken tofu into your diet is to add it to your smoothies. Whether you’re aiming for more of an indulgent, chocolate-y flavor profile or you want to make a fresh fruit smoothie from scratch, silken tofu is exactly what you need to add a lovely dairy-free creaminess to your smoothie. Its nondescript flavor won’t compete with any of the other ingredients you decide to use, and it’s a great way to get some vegan protein into your diet.

Try Japanese hiyayakko for a light lunch

Hiyayakko may just be one of the best ways to use silken tofu. This essential Japanese dish calls for a block of cold tofu along with some toppings, which can include a many different sauces, seasonings, herbs and other ingredients, like chopped scallions, ponzu, soy sauce and more. The silken tofu itself provides the bulk of the meal, while the toppings ingredients are responsible for imparting flavor in the dish. The result is an easy appetizer or light meal that comes together in basically no time at all—all you have to do is plop the tofu on a plate and mix up the sauce and toppings. This is one of my all-time favorite lunches when I’m pinched for time or I’m just craving a healthy and flavorful tofu dish.

Use it as an egg replacement

Are you allergic to eggs? Or maybe you just don’t want to run to the grocery store to buy a whole carton of them when you just need one or two for a single recipe. You may want to consider using silken tofu as an egg replacement. No, it’s not really a good replacement for plain eggs, but it can be useful as an egg replacement in baked goods. A quarter cup of silken tofu is roughly equivalent to one egg, and it shouldn’t meaningfully change the texture of your cookies, cakes or whatever else you’re making.

Turn it into a creamy sauce

If you’re always looking for new ways to add more protein to your meals, silken tofu can seriously be a game changer. A lot of creamy sauces aren’t particularly healthy, but you can actually use silken tofu to add creaminess to your sauce without adding a lot of fat to the mix. Combine the tofu with spices, herbs and other ingredients to give it the flavor you’re looking for, then blend it all up so you’re not dealing with chunks of tofu. You may never go back to a standard creamy sauce again.

Try Korean sundubu jjigae

Silken tofu shines in sundubu jjigae, a Korean spicy soft tofu stew that puts the ingredient front and center. In this case (and in many contexts in Asian cuisine), the tofu is not used in place of meat; rather, it provides the backbone to the versatile soup that can contain meat, vegetables, dumplings and more. Gochujang and gochugaru, both spicy ingredients, imbue the tofu with a bold, pronounced flavor that’s anything but bland. There is truly no better soup to enjoy on a cold day (although I’ll happily eat sundubu jjigae any time of year).

Samantha Maxwell is a food writer and editor based in Boston. Follow her on Twitter at @samseating.