White Bean Tofu from Only 2 Ingredients!
Watch the video
If you want to diversify your tofu dishes with a soy-free version, you can make tofu from almost any legume you have!
This is a very easy and basic recipe that can serve as a jumping-off point for so many different variations.
It all started when I came across a vague recipe on an outdated, old blog—probably American—but I couldn't quite figure it out completely.
God knows how I even found it.
The recipe intrigued me, and I just had to try and see if it actually worked.
The original recipe was long and very cumbersome, requiring a thermometer, a special cotton cloth, and a sterile environment.
It all seemed quite unnecessarily complicated to me, and as you know, I love the simple life. So, I decided to research and test the method myself, and here is the result.
A bit about white bean tofu
The recipe is based on white beans, but you can absolutely make this tofu using kidney beans, split green peas, or even chickpeas.
Note that you cannot make tofu from dry soybeans using this exact same method. Soy tofu is prepared like this—that's a recipe I published in 2016, and the photography is terrible!! But it's still fun to make at home to see how it works.
The original recipe uses Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate). I found that regular table salt (sodium chloride) does the job quite well too.
The original recipe also insisted on heating the "milk" to a precise temperature of 70 degrees. I discovered this is unnecessary. You can bring it to a boil and remove it from the heat, and the result will still be very good.
Please note that this is very soft tofu, more similar in texture to silken tofu, panna cotta, or malabi.
It is excellent eaten as is with soy sauce and a refreshing Asian salad. It is not intended for stir-frying or deep-frying like regular firm tofu.
2-Ingredient White Bean Tofu!
Ingredients
- 1 cup white beans
- 4 cups water
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cotton cloth (cheesecloth)
Instructions
-
Rinse the beans under running water to remove dust and any debris.
-
Transfer to a deep bowl and add 3 cups of water.
-
Soak the beans for at least 8 hours.
-
After about 8 hours, transfer the beans with their soaking water to a food processor and add an additional cup of water.
-
Blend the beans with the water thoroughly until you get a smooth, liquid mixture.
-
Line another deep bowl with a cotton cloth (like a cheesecloth or diaper cloth) and pour in the bean mixture.
-
Lift the cloth with the beans and squeeze tightly until no liquid remains in the cloth, and only a white liquid is left in the bowl.
-
Pour the bean "milk" into a pot and add a teaspoon of salt.
-
Bring to a boil while stirring constantly.
-
After a few minutes, the milk should begin to curdle and thicken.
-
Pour the mixture into a small container and place it in the refrigerator for two hours.
-
After about two hours, remove from the refrigerator, flip onto a plate, and carefully release from the mold.
-
Serve with a fresh Asian salad, soy sauce, and sesame oil.
