Name: Sesame Broccoli With Crumbled Tofu
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 1-pound block of medium–firm tofu; 1 large head of broccoli (about 1 lb), cut into florets, stem peeled and cut into discs a scant ¼ inch thick; 1 garlic clove, grated; 1 cup cooked butter beans (about one 15 oz. can, drained); 2 tsp. sea salt; ¼ tsp. white pepper; 1 tsp. rayu (Japanese sesame chili oil) or ¼–½ tsp. red pepper flakes; 1 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil; 2–3 Tbsp. toasted white sesame seeds; 2 green onions, finely chopped

Broccoli and crumbled tofu with sesame and butter beans.

Photo by Hetty McKinnon

There are not many recipes in life where I’d call for boiled broccoli. But for this dish, I’m making an exception. The salted boiling water is the unlikely hero here, first seasoning the tofu, and then the broccoli, extracting just enough sweetness, imparting just enough salinity. The texture of the broccoli should be tender yet crisp, while a brief soak gives us tofu that is bouncy and supple. This is a refined dish, with delicate flavors that illustrate how boundless vegetables can be when we exercise restraint. I’ve added creamy butter beans here to make this a hearty one-bowl meal, though you could leave out the beans and serve the tofu and broccoli with a side of brown rice. Though the flavors are chiefly clean, you can lend a heavy hand with the sesame seeds, which add a breath of intensity to the dish.

This recipe was excerpted from 'Tenderheart' by Hetty McKinnon, one of our top cookbooks of 2023. Buy the full book on Amazon. Click through for more must-make Hetty McKinnon recipes.

What you’ll need

Rayu
$6 At Amazon
Toasted Sesame Oil
$9 At Amazon
Toasted Sesame Seeds
$10 At Amazon
White Pepper
$1 At Weee!

Cooks' Note

Use any leftovers for fried rice. Leftovers can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Recipe information

Yield
Serves 4

Ingredients

1-pound block of medium–firm tofu

1 large head of broccoli (about 1 lb), cut into florets, stem peeled and cut into discs a scant ¼ inch thick

1 garlic clove, grated

1 cup cooked butter beans (about one 15 oz. can, drained)

2 tsp. sea salt

¼ tsp. white pepper

1 tsp. rayu (Japanese sesame chili oil) or ¼–½ tsp. red pepper flakes

1 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil

2–3 Tbsp. toasted white sesame seeds

2 green onions, finely chopped

Preparation

Step 1
Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil and season well with salt (taste it—it should taste salty, but not as salty as sea water). Add the whole block of tofu and let it simmer over medium heat for 3–4 minutes, until softened. Remove the tofu with a large slotted spoon (I like to use a traditional Chinese spider ladle) and drain in a colander.
Step 2
To the same pan of water, add the broccoli and simmer for 3–4 minutes, until the broccoli is just tender, but still a little crisp and bright green. Drain immediately and run under cold water until completely cool to stop it from cooking further (alternatively, you could plunge the drained broccoli into an ice bath). Drain again.
Step 3
Place the block of tofu in a large bowl and gently squeeze with your hands to break it up into rough chunks (it doesn’t have to be uniform at all). Squeeze out any excess liquid from the broccoli florets and stem and add these to the bowl as well. Add the garlic, butter beans, sea salt, white pepper, rayu oil or red pepper flakes, sesame oil, sesame seeds and green onion and, using a large spoon (or your hands), toss well to ensure that everything is combined. Serve immediately.

Cover photo of the cookbook "Tenderheart" by Hetty Lui McKinnon

Excerpted by permission of Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

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