Q: I recently bought a bulk-sized batch of tofu, only to get home and discover it is of the silken kind.
What can I do with silken tofu? Most of the recipes I see are for firm tofu that you either bake or sauté. What can I do with the silken kind?
Sent by Joyce
Editor: Joyce, we love using silken or soft tofu in nearly any dish that calls for firm tofu. Its texture is more delicate and silky; it just takes a little more skill to keep it from crumbling into pieces. Here's a good post that might be helpful, too:
• Good Question: How Can I Use Soft Tofu?
Readers, how would you advise Joyce?
Related: Terrific Tofu: 5 Tips for Cooking With Tofu
(Image: Mori-Nu)
TW Salt Mill by Wil...

Alton Brown's mooless chocolate pie!! It's incredible, takes minutes to make, and is delicious. Plus my guests are always surprised at the secret ingredient!
Make a cake! This vegan flourless orange cake from a wierd defunct blog is to die for
http://gaylourdes.blogsome.com/2008/02/21/flourless-orange-and-almond-cake/
It's a great addition to smoothies. I've also used it as a substitute for some or all of the ricotta in lasagna to make things slightly healthier....
Cooking Light has a recipe for chocolate mousse that uses tofu. Even though the recipe specifies firm, I've used silken tofu with good results.
Make Korean soondubu (soft tofu soup)!
http://www.maangchi.com/recipe/soondubu-jjigae
mark bittman's mexican chocolate tofu pudding!
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/20/dining/201mrex.html
I agree with @kosher foodies - the Bittman tofu pudding is out of this world (and I'm seeking other tofu puddings - please post here if you know of others).
A bit more down to earth: I mush silken tofu with nonfat milk, and use that as my liquid for oatmeal. Extra creamy!
Harumi Kurihara has some recipes that use silken tofu. A few examples:
http://cattypants.multiply.com/journal/item/395/Japanese_Tofu_Steak_-_Harumi_Kurihara
http://indonesia-eats.blogspot.com/2011/01/shrimp-tofu-and-mushroom-ankake-donburi.html
It's great for a healthier version of a cream sauce! I throw it in a food processor with some garlic, olive oil and salt and process it until it comes out smooth. As others said, it's great in desserts too, like vegan cheesecakes.
Chocolate pie - I'm sure it's just tofu pudding put in a graham cracker crust. Yum!
Agreed on Mark Bittman's tofu pudding! Really easy to make (just go a little easy on the cinammon, imho)
Main dish option: "Happy Tofu"!
Dice silken tofu up into thin 1/2 inch pieces (about 1/4 inch thick, 1/2 inch squares). Combine 2 TB soy sauce, 2 TB Mirin (Japanese cooking rice wine - carried in most grocery stores next to soy sauce, etc.), and 2 TB brown sugar in a small bowl. Mince up 2 cloves garlic. In a saute pan, heat 2 TB oil (any mild-flavored works fine; sesame oil is also good!) over medium-high heat and saute garlic until fragrant (don't let it burn!). Add the soy/mirin/sugar mixture (give it a stir before putting it in the pan) and the sliced and diced silken tofu. Cook until sauce reduces to thick syrup, stirring frequently.
I love to serve this with brown rice and some steamed seaweed (other dark, leafy veggies are great too). It's a great pantry recipe, since the silken tofu (if it's the Mori-Nu vacuum-sealed type) can be kept on the shelf and the other ingredients are easily kept on-hand. I've found that meat eaters and vegetarians alike really love this dish, and it only works with silken tofu - firm tofu doesn't absorb the flavor in the same way, while the silken tofu is just delicious and flavor-soaked all the way through.
I make these two tofu puddings that are really tasty and ridiculously easy:
http://munchkinfood.blogspot.com/2010/11/chocolate-tofu-pudding-with-variations.html
http://munchkinfood.blogspot.com/2010/12/tofu-peanut-butter-and-banana-spread.html
drain, dice in cubes, top with soy sauce, red pepper flakes, sesame oil, scallions and fresh pea sprouts!
Yes to Mark Bittman's tofu pudding! When I made it I actually left out the spice and used it as a topping for vanilla ice cream.
I use it all the time as a vegan/healthier replacement for sour cream or mayo in dips. I make a terrific spinach, artichoke dip by adding about half the box (mori-nu) into the food processor as I'm making the dip. Delish!
My mom always makes this healthy delicious appetizer with silken tofu.
You just take the cube and drain it, and then cut it into cubes, and on top, you put a dash of soy sauce, some soy paste, sesame oil, and some green onion! Don't start off with too much soy sauce or soy paste because they're salty. That's it! You eat it cold, and it takes ilke 3 minutes to prepare.
So simple, but you'll be surprised at how delicious it is!
The cookbook Veganomicon has a fantastic ceasar salad dressing that uses silken tofu for the base
Its a great addition to soups - to make them creamy. I steam some broccoli, add silken tofu, broth, garlic, and any other seasonings. Then, blend it in blender or with immersion blender. Healthy, yummy, creamy soup!
@merckurybubbles' idea is approximately how I'd do it, only I'd leave it as a solid and put finely chopped green onion and cucumber and grated ginger on top, then pour on a little bit of soy sauce. Can be eaten warm (boiled for a few minutes) or cold. Tofu eaten as tofu is tastier than tofu pretending to be something else.
the mac and cheese recipe that was listed on here a few months ago is a great recipe that uses silken tofu - I add leeks to mine:
http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/best-healthy-casseroles/recipe-bighearted-mac-cheese-with-artichokes-best-healthy-casseroles-contest-137483
I've used it as a replacement for Mayo in Tuna Salad before - I just mix it with some whole grain mustard... Or I've also used it in place of the yogurt in the Tuna/Cabbage Salad recipe here on thekitchn. :)
Just adjust with salt and whatever spices you like!
I use it for my peanut sauce. I find that peanut sauces often get too salty or sour by the time you add enough liquid to thin them out, and if you add too much water, they're well...watery. So, I throw a block of silken tofu, 1/4 to 1/2 c. peanut butter (natural or not), a little soy, lime juice and/or rice vinegar, chili garlic sauce (the jar is better than the sri racha sauce IMO), and ginger. Whiz it all away in the blender, taste and add more soy and/or sour if needed, and add cilantro if desired. Perfect sauce for noodles, steamed veggies, etc.
Grate some ginger on it. Throw on some bonito flakes and green onions, a splash of soy sauce and eat as is...a refreshing summer appetizer. It's delicious!
You can make Korean spicy tofu stew!
http://www.ambitiousdeliciousness.com/2009/09/14/soon-du-bu-spicy-tofu-stew/
I love the Teeny Chocolate and Green Tea Pudding recipe -- one of my very favorite desserts, and it's super easy. I make it with a stick blender in a big Pyrex measuring cup, and then I pour it into those little 1/2 cup Gladwares, dust with matcha, and take them to work instead of yogurt for a change.
I've made it with all silken tofu in the past (instead of mostly silken and some soft), and it turned out wonderfully, too.
I agree with those suggesting the chocolate tofu pudding. I made it once and it was so delicious! I had no idea I was eating tofu!
Alton Brown's No-Guilt Caesar Salad dressing. It's very good! http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/no-guilt-caesar-recipe/index.html
Sohui Kim’s Pork-and-Chive Dumplings from Good Fork uses Soft silken Tofu and the dumplings are spectacular!
Here is the recipe:
http://nymag.com/restaurants/recipes/inseason/17301/
I know that the recipe says firm tofu but, she made them on Bobby Flay's Throwdown and definately specified and used soft silken tofu, so thats what I've been using and they are wonderful.....
i love making this sweet ginger tofu "soup"
http://tankitchen-dessert.blogspot.com/2009/06/tofu-in-ginger-soup.html
This pie is DIVINE! I make it all the time. It's so simple. I always add extra chocolate.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tamasrepus/5034655047/
miso soup, korean seafood tofu soup, mapo tofu...
Peanut butter pie . . . my family loves it and it's super-easy!
Silken Tofu + Chocolate Chips ='s awesomeness
Throw it in a blender and get chocolate mousse.