Fried Tofu in Tomato Sauce / Dau Hu Sot Ca Chua

I want to preface this entry by saying that I’m a carnivore, through and through – and what that means is that I need to have some kind of meat with every single meal. Otherwise, it just doesn’t really feel like a complete meal. The one exception to that rule, though, is Đậu Hũ Sốt Cà Chua! This popular Vietnamese dish translates to “tofu in tomato sauce.” It’s a simple yet flavorful dish made by simmering fried tofu in a savory tomato-based sauce. The tofu does an incredible job of soaking up all the delicious flavors of the sauce, resulting in a hearty and filling dish. The best part is that dau hu sot ca chua comes together in fifteen minutes or less!

Components of Dau Hu Sot Ca Chua:

Fried Tofu: This dish’s main protein is cubes of fried protein. I like getting mine pre-made at my local Vietnamese grocery store to make this super easy, but this recipe also works with a block of extra firm tofu if you can’t find fried tofu.

Tomatoes: The sauce is made with fresh Roma tomatoes, fortified with some tomato paste, and sautéed with minced shallots and garlic.

Seasonings: To flavor our tomato sauce, we’ll use chicken bouillon and fish sauce for the salty and savory notes and sugar for a touch of sweetness to balance out the acidity of the tomatoes. To make this a vegan-friendly meal, feel free to substitute the chicken bouillon with mushroom powder or MSG and fish sauce for salt. While you’ll lose some of the complexity and depth, you’ll still have a really fantastic meal

Why you should make this recipe

• If you want to reduce the amount of red meat in your diet but still want something hearty and filling, this dau hu sot ca chua is an excellent meal to add to the rotation.
• This recipe also makes a great weekday meal as it comes together super easily, uses common ingredients found just about anywhere, and doesn’t require any difficult cooking techniques or special tools.
• On that same note, if you haven’t had many at-home Vietnamese meals, this one is a great introduction to all the staples my mom used to make. The nostalgia factor here is high for me!