Quinoa with Spicy Tofu Stir-Fry
29 grams of protein and 11 grams of fiber, entirely from plants. Tofu cubes browned in soy sauce, tossed with bell pepper, garlic, scallion, and Sriracha, served over quinoa with wilted spinach. Fifteen minutes, 623 calories.
Tofu and quinoa together deliver a complete amino acid profile. The soy sauce pulls double duty as seasoning and cooking liquid, browning the tofu cubes before the vegetables go in. Sriracha brings the heat without adding anything significant to the calorie count.
29 grams of protein and 11 grams of fiber, entirely from plants. Tofu cubes browned in soy sauce, tossed with bell pepper, garlic, scallion, and Sriracha, served over quinoa with wilted spinach. Fifteen minutes, 623 calories.
Tofu and quinoa together deliver a complete amino acid profile. The soy sauce pulls double duty as seasoning and cooking liquid, browning the tofu cubes before the vegetables go in. Sriracha brings the heat without adding anything significant to the calorie count.
Ingredients
- tofu 3 ounces
- quinoa 3 ounces
- bell pepper 1
- garlic 1 clove
- scallion 1
- olive oil 1 tablespoon
- soy sauce 1.5 tablespoon
- Sriracha sauce 1 teaspoon
- spinach 4 ounces
Method
-
Cook the quinoa following the package instructions.
-
Cut the tofu into cubes, the bell pepper into strips, finely chop the garlic, and slice the scallion into rings.
-
Heat the oil in a pan and add the tofu cubes and half of the soy sauce. Cook the tofu cubes for about 6 minutes until they are nicely browned. Then add the bell pepper, garlic, scallion, remaining soy sauce and Sriracha. Cook for 3 more minutes. Lastly, add the spinach and cook for another 2 minutes until it wilts.
-
Serve the tofu stir-fry with the quinoa. Season with pepper to taste.
Finely chop or crush the garlic rather than slicing it. Mincing activates allicin, and research found garlic's sulfur compounds helped the body absorb up to 73% more iron from grains. This stir-fry has quinoa, tofu, and spinach all carrying plant iron, so the crushed garlic contacts three iron sources in the same pan.
Spinach has a reputation for poorly absorbed iron, usually blamed on oxalates. A controlled study found oxalates had zero effect on iron absorption from plant foods (10.7% with added oxalate vs 11.5% without, P=0.86). The actual inhibitors are polyphenols and calcium. This meal has no dairy calcium, which means the spinach iron is more available here than in most spinach dishes paired with cheese or yogurt.
Why This Works
Behind this recipe
Can I build muscle eating tofu and quinoa instead of chicken?
Research comparing plant and animal protein sources found no significant difference in muscle building when total daily protein intake is matched. Tofu and quinoa together deliver 29 grams with a complete amino acid profile. The constraint is total daily protein across all meals, not whether the source is animal or plant.
Read the full evidence reviewDoes spinach actually have usable iron?
The common belief is that spinach iron is locked up by oxalates. A controlled study found oxalates had zero measurable effect on iron absorption. The real inhibitors are polyphenols and calcium. This stir-fry has no dairy calcium and pairs spinach with bell pepper (vitamin C), fermented soy sauce, and garlic, all of which research has independently linked to improved plant-iron absorption.
Read the full evidence reviewCan I meal-prep this for lunch the next day?
The quinoa and stir-fry hold up well overnight. The soy sauce and Sriracha actually develop more flavor as the tofu absorbs them. Store in a sealed container and reheat in a pan rather than a microwave to keep the tofu from getting rubbery. The spinach darkens but the taste stays the same.
