Garlic Chives Recipe with Tofu

This Garlic Chives Recipe checks all the boxes. It's quick and easy to make, healthy, and best of all, absolutely delicious! It's great on its own or when served as a vegetable side dish as part of a larger family-style Thai dinner.

My Thai father-in-law introduced me to this Garlic Chives Recipe. It's one of the easiest and quickest stir fries I know, and has quickly become a favorite in my kitchen. With just four ingredients and less than 15 minutes of cooking time, this dish is perfect for busy weeknights or when you want something simple and healthy, yet delicious.

Why You'll Love this Garlic Chives Recipe

• Quick and Easy: This stir fry takes just 15 minutes from start to finish, making it perfect for busy days when you need a meal in a flash.
• Few Ingredients: This recipe requires just four ingredients, two of which can be found at your local Asian market, and two of which are Thai pantry staples you should already have at home if you cook Thai food.
• Healthy: Garlic chives are a good source of dietary fiber as well as essential vitamins and minerals, while tofu is a great source of protein.
• Delicious: Best of all, this garlic chives recipe is incredibly delicious. The crisp tofu, aromatic and garlicky chives, salty soy sauce and kick of white pepper combine in the best way possible to create a vegetable dish that's surprisingly delicious!

What are Garlic Chives?

Garlic chives, also known as Chinese chives, are a versatile herb commonly used in Asian cuisine. Unlike regular chives, which have a mild onion flavor, garlic chives have a distinct garlicky taste with a hint of sweetness. They are characterized by their flat, green stalks and delicate white flowers, which are also edible.

In Thai, garlic chives are known as Gui Chai (กุยช่าย). They can be found in many dishes, from dumplings to noodles and stir fries such as this one. Garlic chives are perhaps most famously used in Pad Thai, as both an essential stir fried ingredient and a crunchy garnish. The flavor of garlic chives intensifies when cooked, adding a wonderful aromatic flavor to a variety of savory recipes.

Ingredients

• Garlic Chives: Garlic chives can often be found at Asian markets in the spring and summer months. The bottom 3-4 inches of each stem can be tough, and should be cut off before using. The remaining stalk can be cut into 1-2 inch lengths.
• Firm Tofu: Tofu should be sliced into medium thin segments, then pan fried until golden brown and crispy. Firm tofu works best, as it will then need to stand up to some quick stir fry action.
• Thin Soy Sauce: Known as See Ew Cow in Thai, this soy sauce adds a lot of salty umami to the dish. You can use either the normal variety or the mushroom version. See this article about Thin Soy Sauce for more information.
• Ground White Pepper: Known as Prik Thai, white pepper is an essential ingredient in Thai cooking. It adds a subtle but very aromatic spice to this dish.

How to Make Garlic Chives with Tofu

Step 1: Cut the Chinese chives into 1-2 inch long pieces, discarding the last few inches which are too tough to eat. Slice the firm tofu into thin, bite-sized rectangles. Blot dry on a paper towel.

Step 2: Add a little oil to your pan and heat to medium-high heat. Pan fry the tofu pieces until they are crispy and golden brown on all sides.

Step 3: Once the tofu is done, add the garlic chives, thin soy sauce, and ground white pepper. Stir fry everything together until the chives are slightly tender, but still bright green.

Step 4: Remove from the heat and serve with warm jasmine rice. It can be served alone for a quick and easy dinner or as part of a larger Thai meal.

Variations

Garlic chives with tofu is a classic combination, but if you're looking for some variety, feel free to change the protein. You can pair the chives with shrimp, eggs, or pork for a similar, yet completely different dish.

Storage

This Garlic Chives dish is best when eaten fresh as the tofu is crisp and the chives are slightly crunchy. If you don't finish it, it can be saved in the refrigerator and reheated in the microwave. The tofu and chives will loose a bit of their crispness, but all of the delicious flavors will still be intact.

Garlic Chives FAQs

What to Serve With this Garlic Chives Dish

This Garlic Chives with Tofu stir fry can be eaten on its own with jasmine rice for a light and healthy meal. It's also a great side dish to serve as part of a larger Thai meal. You might consider serving it with a Thai noodle stir fry, Thai curry, or Thai soup such as one of these:

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Recipe

Garlic Chives with Tofu

This simple vegetable and tofu stir fry has only four ingredients, but is loaded with so much delicious flavor!

5 from 2 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Vegetable

Cuisine: Thai

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 4

Calories: 57kcal

Author: Rachel

Ingredients

• ▢ 2 cups garlic chives
• ▢ 8 ounces firm tofu
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon thin soy sauce
• ▢ 1 dash white pepper powder

Instructions

• Prepare the Ingredients: Cut the garlic chives into 1-2 inch long pieces, discarding the last few inches which are too tough to eat. Slice the firm tofu into thin, bite-sized rectangles. Blot dry on a paper towel.
• Pan Fry the Tofu: Add a little oil to your pan and heat to medium-high heat. Pan fry the tofu pieces until they are crispy and golden brown on all sides.
• Stir Fry the Chives: Once the tofu is done, add the garlic chives, thin soy sauce, and ground white pepper. Stir fry everything together until the chives are slightly tender, but still bright green.
• Serve: Remove from the heat and serve with warm jasmine rice. It can be served alone for a quick and easy dinner or as part of a larger Thai meal.

Notes

This dish is best eaten right away, as the tofu will be crisp and the garlic chives slightly crunchy.  If you have leftovers, they can be saved in the refrigerator and reheated in the microwave; however, they won't be as crisp as when originally made. 

Nutrition

Calories: 57kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 0.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 254mg | Potassium: 69mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 871IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 91mg | Iron: 1mg

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