5-Minute Silken Tofu (Soft Tofu)

This savory silken tofu is incredibly simple to prepare and calls for a handful of basic ingredients to make the most flavorful soft tofu in just 5 minutes. Seasoned with a savory sauce with crisp aromatics, this quick & easy dish makes for the perfect appetizer or side dish for any occasion.

What is Silken Tofu?

Tofu is a popular ingredient in Korean cuisine and is used in many different dishes including Dubu Jorim (Korean Braised Tofu), Soondubu Jjigae (Korean Soft Tofu Stew), and Doenjang Jjigae (Korean Soybean Paste Stew) that I’ve previously shared on my blog.

This Korean-style silken tofu is one of my favorite side dishes to prepare, as its ease of preparation and alluring taste make it to be the perfect choice for any time of the day, especially on days that I’m feeling a bit lazy to cook up a full meal.

This soft tofu dish is traditionally served cold directly from the fridge, to be garnished with a soy-based sauce to serve. It is truly one of the easiest & quickest ways to prepare tofu and contains all the essential flavors from Korean cuisine.

It calls for silken or soft tofu, which has a delicate, melt-in-your-mouth texture that pairs wonderfully with the crisp aromatic vegetables that are melded into the sauce.

The neutral taste of the silken tofu coupled with the fragrant, savory sauce is truly a match made in heaven.

This is one of my go-to cold dishes for the summertime as well, as the chilled tofu drenched in the delectable sauce is beautifully refreshing especially in the summer months when it can be too hot to work with heat.

There is absolutely no cooking required for this recipe and the preparation is so effortless with easy cleanup. Truly a life-saver for the busy days! This recipe is also vegan and vegetarian, and can be made gluten-free by using gluten-free soy sauce.

What do I need to make Silken Tofu?

This soft tofu recipe has to be one of the easiest recipes I’ve shared on the blog so far and calls for only a handful of ingredients that are commonly found in the pantry. Here is a list of ingredients you will need:

• Silken tofu: I recommend using silken or soft tofu that is sold in a rectangular shape, and not the cylinder shape that is ideal for soups/stews. Firm or extra-firm silken tofu will also work, but it may not be as silky and delicate as the soft kind.
• Soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, toasted sesame seeds, and Gochugaru (Korean chili flakes) or crushed red pepper: for the sauce.
• Green onion, garlic, and chili pepper: for the aromatics. I used green chili peppers in this recipe, but feel free to use any type of chili pepper and adjust it to taste. You can also skip this entirely if you prefer the sauce to be mild.

And that’s it! All the ingredients you need to make a delicious serving of soy sauce tofu.

How to remove tofu from the box

This recipe requires the tofu to be plated as a whole which can be a difficult task to master, but I wanted to share an easy method to remove your tofu from the packaging without damaging it.

To safely remove the tofu from the package, flip the box over and trim off the edges of the box with a pair of sharp scissors (as per the photo above), turn it over, and peel away the plastic.

If you want to go the extra mile, you can carefully pull the sides of the box to pull apart the tofu from the packaging, then run some tap water in the spacing to create a layer of water in between the packaging and the tofu.

Afterwards, simply remove the excess moisture and cover the tofu with a plate to flip it over, and voila! The tofu should come out in perfect condition for you to enjoy.

How to serve Silken Tofu

This soft tofu dish is served cold straight from the fridge, which makes it incredibly convenient to prepare and refreshing to have during the summertime.

If you don’t prefer the tofu to be cold, you can leave it on the counter for about 20 minutes to bring it to room temperature, poach it for 1-2 minutes in boiling water, or microwave the tofu for about 30 seconds to quickly warm it up.

This silken tofu is incredibly soft and delicate which makes it easy to serve as a whole to be eaten with a spoon, but you can also cut it up into small pieces to serve.

Using a spoon not only makes it easy to consume but also helps to spoon out the delicious sauce to add maximum flavor to the tofu.

I hope you enjoy this easy and delicious soy sauce tofu recipe, and please feel free to leave a comment below or message me on Instagram for any questions you may have!

Other easy Korean recipes you may like:

• Mayak Eggs (Korean Marinated Eggs)
• Dubu Jorim (Korean Braised Tofu)
• Soondubu Jjigae (Korean Soft Tofu Stew)
• Korean Tuna Pancakes (Chamchijeon)
• Gamja Jorim (Korean Braised Potatoes)

Watch how to make it: