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Lemongrass Tofu (Đậu Hũ Sả)

January 12, 2015 by Lisa Le 54 Comments

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Lemongrass tofu (also known as đậu hũ sả) is one of my favourite ways to enjoy tofu. It’s super easy to make, quick to serve, and delicious in fresh spring rolls, over rice, or rice noodles.

Lemongrass Tofu

My mom makes this dish anytime I come home to visit with some frozen tofu she has in the fridge. Back before my family went vegetarian, my mom would always have the ingredients for đậu hũ sả at the ready since this was a crowd-pleasing dish.

Lemongrass tofu is super easy to make and the main ingredients are shallots/onion, lemongrass, tofu, and a bit of soy sauce. This dish is pretty common in a lot of Vietnamese restaurants! However, you may find restaurants use fish sauce unless it explicitly says “chay” (which means vegetarian).

Lemongrass Tofu

Over the years I’ve made versions of this lemongrass tofu with fresh lemongrass, frozen lemongrass, shallots vs onions vs scallions, frozen fried tofu or regular fried tofu. Out of laziness, my go to tends to be using frozen lemongrass (about 1/3 cup), shallots, and regular fried tofu.

Lemongrass Tofu
Print Recipe

Lemongrass Tofu

Prep Time5 minutes mins
Cook Time15 minutes mins
Total Time20 minutes mins
Servings: 4
Author: Lisa Le

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 medium sized onion diced OR 1 bunch of green onion, diced OR two shallots, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 stalks lemongrass cleaned and chopped (discard the dryer outer layers, because they will have flavour but will be hard to eat. You can save those for making a flavourful broth.) OR 1/3 cup frozen lemongrass
  • 1/2 tsp dried red chilli flakes
  • 1 lb fresh or frozen* fried tofu sliced into strips
  • 2-3 tbsp soy sauce depends on how salty you like it, start with 2, then add more if needed

Instructions

  • Over medium heat, saute the onions in oil until translucent. Add garlic, chopped lemongrass and red chilli flakes, and stir until the lemongrass looks "melted".
  • Add the tofu and soy sauce and stir fry, mixing well until the tofu has absorbed the flavour and is cooked through (about 5-10 minutes).
  • Serve over rice, rice noodles, or even in rice wraps!

Notes

*I used fresh for this recipe because honestly it looks nicer, but frozen tofu will yield a different texture that’s a bit more spongey from the freezing process. The water in the tofu will create pockets that are great for absorbing flavour. My mom always makes this with frozen tofu and frankly I think it’s tastier, but both fresh and frozen taste good.[br]___[br]If you’re using a garlic and lemongrass mixture, use about 1/4 cup of the mixture instead of the fresh lemongrass stalks
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Filed Under: Appetizers & Sides, Gluten-Free, Lunch, Vegan recipes, Vietnamese Tagged With: dinner, easy, lemongrass, quick, tofu

About Lisa Le

Lisa is the thirty-something, nerdy, procrastinating, feminist blogger and photographer behind The Viet Vegan. She loves spicy foods, noodles, and food in bowls.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Caroline says

    January 12, 2015 at 2:38 PM

    This looks delicious and super easy to make. Thanks. :)

    Reply
    • Lisa Le says

      January 12, 2015 at 8:24 PM

      Glad to share one of my favourite dishes ^_^

      Reply
  2. June Burns says

    January 12, 2015 at 7:10 PM

    Mmmm that sounds awesome! Such a lovely flavor, lemongrass is :)

    Reply
    • Lisa Le says

      January 12, 2015 at 8:25 PM

      Right? Not enough people live lemongrass the time of day. It’s so easy to cool with too =)

      Reply
  3. Lisa Le says

    January 12, 2015 at 8:24 PM

    I’ve never heard of kanom jean. What is it?

    Reply
    • Dorien says

      April 24, 2017 at 4:29 PM

      Hi Lisa, love your blog and LOVE Vietnamese food. It’s so fresh and healthy! I’m half Thai, living in the Netherlands ( next to Germany) . Khanom Jean is a noodle salad with white Japanse noodles and a fresh coconut dressing with normally ginger, pineapple , chili and dried shrimp in it. I love it. The tofu looks great. I will defenitely try it !

      Reply
    • Marilou Hakuta says

      June 26, 2022 at 9:54 AM

      Hi, Lisa,

      I’m going to make the lemon grass tofu but I’m also interested in getting the recipe for Kanim Jean next week for a supper I’m having with neighbors this coming Tuesday. Would it be possible to have the recipe today or tomorrow so I can shop ahead? Thanks much in advance!

      Please email me at [email protected]. I really love Vietnamese food and have been to Vietnam four times since the 90’s, mainly to Hanoi and neighboring places around there. I’d move to Hanoi in a heartbeat!

      Reply
      • Lisa Le says

        June 27, 2022 at 9:43 AM

        Hi Marilou, I’m not sure what Kanim Jean is?

        Reply
  4. Katie @ Produce on Parade says

    January 13, 2015 at 2:56 PM

    Thanks for the tips about the lemongrass. One time, I just added it all chopped up in my soup and I ended up having to fish out all the “woody” bits…it was horrible. Good to know about saving them for later! You’re so smart. OMG, your second to last paragraph definitely summed up my life as of late. It’s okay, don’t beat yourself up! Sometimes we all need a sleeve or Oreos and some binge watching ;)

    Reply
    • Lisa Le says

      January 13, 2015 at 5:35 PM

      Yeah my mom actually cooks with the woody bits too but they just get stuck in my teeth and I have to chew them a lot and it feels like I’m literally eating grass or something. Not pleasant, and I’d rather avoid it if possible haha.

      Reply
    • Harpreet says

      November 15, 2023 at 12:44 AM

      Hi! Could I make this with lemongrass paste?

      Tia!

      Reply
      • Lisa Le says

        November 15, 2023 at 1:21 PM

        I haven’t tried it but I don’t see why not :)

        Reply
  5. Jenny says

    June 15, 2015 at 4:43 AM

    Just made this for my 10 yr old. Big smiles as he wolfed it down. He wants it every week. Thankyou!

    Reply
    • Lisa Le says

      June 17, 2015 at 10:21 AM

      Aw I love hearing that. Thanks Jenny!

      Reply
  6. Emma {Emma's Little Kitchen} says

    September 17, 2015 at 9:53 AM

    This is one of the first meals I ever ate in Vietnam, and I’ve been searching for a recipe for YEARS (seriously!). So happy I stumbled upon your site :)

    Reply
    • Lisa Le says

      September 18, 2015 at 8:13 PM

      =) So glad you will once again enjoy the amazingness that is lemongrass tofu <3

      Reply
  7. Sonya says

    September 28, 2015 at 11:05 PM

    Hey, we’re practically neighbours! I love your blog and LOVED this recipe:) I googled “fast and healthy lemongrass tofu stirfry” and was not disappointed. Great flavour, fast and simple enough that my 4 year old could ‘help’ me make it, and all our young kids loved it! I will make this again and definitely share it. Thanks for posting!

    Reply
    • Lisa Le says

      September 29, 2015 at 4:05 PM

      So glad you liked it Sonya! Yay Torontonians =) Although I just moved out to Mississauga so I don’t think I can call myself a Torontonian anymore T_T

      Reply
  8. Sonya says

    November 16, 2015 at 5:25 PM

    This recipe never disappoints! It’s my second time making your recipe – my go-to whenever we get lemongrass and tofu:) Our young kids love it and eat it up, and it’s FAST and easy. Ideal for a busy weeknight meal. AND it’s healthy! Thanks so much for sharing, Lisa!

    Reply
  9. Christina says

    February 27, 2016 at 1:16 AM

    Hi Lisa, when you use frozen tofu do you defrost it first?

    Reply
    • Lisa Le says

      February 28, 2016 at 6:48 PM

      Hi Christina,

      Yes! Defrost it first =) My mom sometimes defrosts it in a bowl of warm water, I’ve defrosted it in the fridge overnight before.

      Reply
      • Christina says

        February 28, 2016 at 10:02 PM

        Thank you so much! I’ve already tried this recipe once with fresh tofu and it was AWESOME! Loved it

        Reply
        • Lisa Le says

          March 1, 2016 at 12:38 AM

          Glad you liked it!! It’s forever one of my favourites =D

          Reply
  10. Jezus Santos says

    October 27, 2016 at 7:52 PM

    I can torally relate to always im proving but trying best to remain unbiased! Just went vegan 2 months ago. Started meditatig twice a day. Constantly changing. Constsntly adapting. Constantly tweaking and refining. Finding that middle ground. Have fun on your journey. Found your article after ordering lemon grass tofu at a vietnamese restaurant at my home in O’ahu Hawai’i. Thanks for the blog, totally relatable.

    Reply
  11. Celyne says

    November 15, 2016 at 10:50 PM

    Hi! Can you tell me where I can find Lemon grass and other Vietnamese cooking supplies near Orleans? I want to try to make your lemongrass tofu… thanks! :)

    Reply
    • Lisa Le says

      November 16, 2016 at 1:27 PM

      Hi Celyne! I’m not sure. I don’t live in Ottawa anymore, the places I would have gone would be any Asian grocery store in Chinatown, but I’m not sure if they have any in Orleans.

      Reply
    • Isabelle Gosselin says

      May 31, 2017 at 6:46 PM

      have you found it? Loblaws and Farm boy (those two are where I grocery shop the most) carry it. It’s delicious.

      Reply
  12. Tiffany says

    August 24, 2017 at 12:54 PM

    Hi Lisa,

    Can you add other veggies to this? OR have you you tried that? Such as bell pepper, onion etc.

    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Lisa Le says

      August 28, 2017 at 2:47 PM

      You do you! This recipe already has onion in it but add whatever ya want, you’re the Goku of your lemongrass tofu.

      Reply
  13. Teresa says

    September 5, 2017 at 8:03 PM

    Thank you so much for the lemongrass tofu recipe. I made it last night and my husband and I devoured it all. I was looking for a recipe that was close to the lemongrass tofu I used to order all the time at Chateau Saigon in Atlanta. This recipe met our expectations. I can’t wait to make it again. We had no leftovers, but I wish we did!

    Reply
  14. Alana says

    October 11, 2017 at 8:56 PM

    Hi I just wanted to ask your opinion on something.
    I work in a vietnamese restaurant and I am vegan.
    I have so many people asking me each day if we have tofu on the menu and each time I have to inform them that we don’t.
    Our vegan options is basically a vegetable only banh mi or removing the meat and fish components from any menu item which isn’t always the most exciting thing when you wanna go out for a meal.
    When I bring it up to the boss and suggest we add tofu to our menu my boss gets all funny about it and says that in Vietnam it’s not really traditional and that we are a Tradition Vietnamese Restaurant…
    I just wanted to hear your thoughts on this because everywhere I read online says that Vietnam is one of the best places for vegan and tofu dishes…

    Reply
    • Lisa Le says

      October 12, 2017 at 8:55 PM

      Hi Alana,

      Tofu is pretty prevalent in Viet culture, at least it was for where my family is from (Saigon). If they still don’t think tofu is traditional, you could go about the angle of supporting more Buddhist or catering to more people: Since more and more people are going vegetarian/vegan these days, and even if an entire family isn’t vegan, they will often pick a place that has vegan options if one member family is.

      Reply
  15. Helaine Shpritz says

    January 30, 2018 at 1:12 PM

    This looks delicious. Will this recipe yield crispy tofu or so I need to bake it first?

    Reply
    • Lisa Le says

      January 31, 2018 at 1:52 PM

      The tofu is typically fried first, the end result isn’t crispy though. Using fried tofu just gives it extra texture to hold up during the stir-frying process

      Reply
      • Jennine says

        March 27, 2021 at 1:12 AM

        Would you mind providing instructions for pre-frying the tofu? How long is it fried for, at what heat setting, and how much oil do you use? Also, do you not press the tofu first?

        Reply
        • Lisa Le says

          March 27, 2021 at 4:19 PM

          I usually just buy pre-fried tofu, but for frying your own firm tofu, check out this post for the details you’re looking for!

          Reply
  16. Bob Bush says

    February 5, 2018 at 2:16 PM

    Thank you! I love Tofu with Lemongrass and Chilies, and this looks like a great one to try. I’ll probably make it spicier. I like it hot!

    Reply
  17. Anami says

    April 24, 2018 at 8:39 AM

    Hey, I have a question: every time I make this, the lemongrass/onions/spices burn terribly after the first batch of tofu.. How do I make sure that doesn’t happen? Is that because of my pan, or do I reduce the heat? I’m so confused..
    Oh and another one, do you just fish out the tofu with chopsticks and clean the lemongrass bits off, or do you serve it all together? Thanks!
    Also, my (viet) dad told me to marinate the tofu in soy sauce and lemongrass overnight and it was a great idea!
    Love.

    Reply
    • Lisa Le says

      April 27, 2018 at 11:07 PM

      Hi Anami! Yes marinating would definitely make the flavour much bolder! You serve it with the lemongrass, the idea is that once it’s processed, the bits are quite small and easier to eat. If you’re finding that they burn quickly you may need to reduce the heat OR cook for less time.

      Reply
      • Anami says

        May 26, 2018 at 1:23 PM

        Thank you so much, Lisa!! You’re awesome.

        Reply
  18. Supriya says

    September 20, 2018 at 7:44 PM

    Just tried this for the first time, and it’s delicious! I used lemongrass paste from a tube and also garlic paste, just to save time. We all loved it! The only thing I would change for next time is to go easy on the pepper flakes…just a sprinkle would do it for the kids, I think. Thanks for the great recipe! Going into rotation.

    Reply
  19. paula rothman says

    August 31, 2020 at 10:02 AM

    looks great, for frozen.. do you just freeze the packet of te fried tofu? then do you cook them frozen or let them thaw?

    Reply
    • Lisa Le says

      September 1, 2020 at 3:55 PM

      Freeze the fried tofu, then thaw, slice, and cook :)

      Reply
  20. Rw says

    June 25, 2021 at 1:28 PM

    Very dry and sauce didn’t soak into tofu. I think the lemongrass in Canada isn’t fresh.

    Reply
    • Lisa Le says

      July 8, 2021 at 6:56 PM

      Lemongrass doesn’t really soak into the tofu, it’s more of a coating/herb? You’ll want to cook mainly with the lower white bulb and remove the woodier layers. It’ll be more like a firm onion when cooked.

      Reply
  21. Catherine says

    October 12, 2021 at 9:15 PM

    Love this recipe, will cook again. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  22. jk says

    June 13, 2023 at 2:05 PM

    Thank you for this website and recipe. I found it when looking for ways to feed a vegan friend who is in town right now. Can you explain what you mean by “stir until the lemongrass looks ‘melted'”? I made this dish with frozen lemongrass, to which the term “melted” may not apply. Either way, I didn’t know what you meant or what I should be looking for. Please advise!

    Reply
    • Lisa Le says

      June 25, 2023 at 10:07 PM

      The lemongrass goes from holding its shape well to wilting and looking kinda wet/caramelized!

      Reply
      • jk says

        June 29, 2023 at 1:21 AM

        Thank you!

        Reply
  23. Lucy says

    December 2, 2023 at 9:19 AM

    Hi, is this ok to make ahead and freeze? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Lisa Le says

      January 24, 2024 at 10:59 AM

      Hi Lucy! I haven’t tried this before but freezing tofu often changes its texture. I usually recommend freezing tofu in its package before adding to recipes, since it absorbs flavours really well after freezing. I’m not sure how freezing tofu after cooking it would fare.

      Reply
  24. Juliana says

    January 1, 2024 at 9:14 PM

    Just made this tonight for New Year’s! It was delicious. Thank you for the simple and satisfying recipe!

    Reply
  25. Que New Gangang says

    January 20, 2025 at 2:34 PM

    Hi Lisa!
    Thank you for writing all these great recepies.
    I recently became vegan and moved to Vietnam. In your recipe you said that your mother uses frozen tofu. Is it a fresh one from the market that you froze by yourself or special kind that need to buy in the supermarket?

    Reply
    • Lisa Le says

      February 27, 2025 at 10:41 AM

      Any fresh one we froze! My mom often would buy the vacuum packed fresh fried tofu and we would freeze that.

      Reply

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