Brown Stew Tofu

Brown stew tofu is a flavourful, hearty dinner inspired by traditional Jamaican cooking—but with a vegan twist! It combines marinated tofu with a rich, savoury sauce packed with aromatic spices and fresh vegetables.

Brown stew chicken is a classic Jamaican dish. The traditional version is made with chicken marinated in herbs and spices, then braised until tender in a rich brown sauce. The key to its deep, rich flavour is the use of browning, which is a caramelised mixture of sugar, vinegar, and spices. I used all those flavours and cooking techniques with tofu to create this vegan version!

• 16 ounces firm tofu, pressed for at least 30 minutes (or use jackfruit)
• ¼ cup vegetable stock, for marinating
• ½ large yellow onion, ¾ cup, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3 scallion stalks, ⅓–½ cup, diced
• ½-1 Scotch bonnet pepper, deseeded (or leave seeds for extra heat), finely diced
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons browning
• 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• ¾ teaspoon smoked paprika
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pimento, or ground allspice

• 1 ½ cups vegetable stock
• 1 plummy tomato, diced
• ¼ red bell pepper, diced
• ¼ green bell pepper, diced
• 1 long carrot, sliced (about ½ cup)
• 3 tablespoons oil, for frying tofu
• 1 tablespoon oil, for sautéing vegetables
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• Optional: 1 teaspoon more browning for color