Gochujang and Ginger Marinated Tofu with Butternut Squash, Peppers and Onions
I tend to not like my food too spicy, (I joke with my husband that it’s because I’m a supertaster… I’m not) but the heat from gochujang is one of my favorites. I learned about gochujang in my Asian Cuisine class a few years ago and I’ve been in love with it since. It isn’t a sharp spicy, but rather a mellower, more palatable, warming spicy. Gochujang is a Korean condiment made of red pepper paste which is fermented and sweetened with a little rice starch, so it’s full of flavor too. You can find it in any Asian market or at a good grocery store.
In this recipe everything is cooked on one parchment paper lined sheet pan, and the cleanup involves literally no dishes. The tofu needs to be started before the peppers and onions so that it can get nice and crispy, but all you need to do is throw those veggies right on top and cook them off for the last ten minutes all together. The marinade is perfect in this dish because it gets tossed with everything and becomes a spicy, sticky glaze. This would be perfect for a weeknight meal along with a side of rice.
Have fun!
- 14 oz block extra firm tofu, in one inch cubes
- 2 Tbsp gochujang
- 2-3 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1-2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 2 Tbsp maple syrup
- 1 Tbsp chopped fresh ginger
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups cubed butternut squash
- 2 small red peppers, cut into 2 inch pieces
- 1/2 onion cut into 2 inch pieces
- kosher salt to taste
- drizzle of olive oil
- chopped green onions to garnish
- Press tofu between two plates with a few layers of paper towles for a minimum of one hour and up to 8 hours.
- Combine marinade ingredients in a shallow dish and add cubed tofu. Let marinade 1-4 hours.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper and lay out marinaded tofu in a single layer, leaving the rest of the marinade in the dish. Toss the butternut squash with reserved sauce and also lay out on sheet pan in a single layer. There should still be some marinade left in the pan at this point, but if there isn't don't worry about it.
- Bake the tofu and squash on a rack in the bottom third of the oven for 10 minutes. Turn tofu and cook another 5 minutes or until tofu starts to brown. Meanwhile, toss peppers and onions with any remaining marinade and a drizzle of olive oil.
- Add peppers and onions to sheet pan and toss everything together. Cook another 10 minutes, turning once, and until peppers and onions take on a little char but aren't too soft.
- Remove from oven when peppers and onions are cooked to desired doneness, and season with kosher salt.
- Garnish with chopped green onions and enjoy with rice.
