• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Bun Bo Bae

  • Home
  • About
  • Recipe Index
  • Life
    • Travel
    • Reviews
  • Contact
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • About
  • Recipe Index
  • Life
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Braised tofu and pork belly in tomato sauce (đậu hũ sốt cà chua)

    Braised tofu and pork belly in tomato sauce (đậu hũ sốt cà chua)

    Published: May 11, 2019 Modified: Jun 25, 2020 by Suzanne Nuyen This post may contain affiliate links · This blog generates income via ads

    Tweet
    Share
    Pin27
    Share17
    44 Shares
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    I think that tofu gets a bad rap. Almost everyone I've met that says they don't like tofu, when questioned, admits that they've only eaten tofu as a sad, under seasoned meat substitute. Tofu actually has so much potential! It comes in different textures from silken to extra firm. Sometimes its fried. Sometimes it's puffy and perfect for sopping up sauce. One of my favorite tofu recipes is đậu hũ sốt cà chua, or braised tofu and pork belly in tomato sauce.

    This recipe is one of my mom's go-to weeknight meals. Tofu, pork and tomato are a common trifecta of ingredients in Vietnamese cooking (check out my recipe for bún riêu , a crab noodle soup with tofu, pork spare rib and tomato) This version of đậu hũ sốt cà chua uses soft tofu and pork belly. It's rich, tangy and extremely comforting over a warm bed of rice.

    Braised tofu and pork belly in tomato sauce (đậu hũ sốt cà chua): Full recipe instructions

    This recipe has very few ingredients. You'll need pork belly, tomato, scallion, garlic, shallot and tofu.

    Slice the pork belly into ¼ inch slices. Season with fish sauce, shallot, garlic, salt and pepper (remember, this is the basic Vietnamese seasoning!)

    Heat up some oil in a heavy bottomed pot. Add the pork belly and for a minute or two until golden. After the pork is a little cooked, add the tomato slices and continue to cook until tomatoes start breaking down and softening.

    After the tomatoes have begun to wilt, add about a cup of water, or enough to submerge the ingredients. Gently layer the cubed tofu into the pot. This tofu will be very soft, so make sure to be gentle!

    If your water isn't quite covering all of the ingredients after you add the tofu, add a little more. Bring it to a boil and then lower the heat back down to a simmer. Simmer it for 15-20 minutes, and then add roughly chopped scallions. Simmer again until most of the braising liquid has evaporated.

    Serve with rice.

    Notes

    My favorite brand of tofu is House Foods. My parents used this growing up and they'd tell me which one to buy by color. I used the green (soft) tofu for this recipe. If you don't have a gentle hand and you're scared of breaking the tofu, opt for firm (red).

    For a bit of a kick, add some chili flakes into the braising liquid.

    Tofu and pork belly in tomato sauce đậu hũ sốt cà chua)
    Print Pin
    No ratings yet

    Braised tofu and pork belly in tomato sauce (đậu hũ sốt cà chua)

    Tomato, pork and tofu are a common combination in Vietnamese cooking. The pork belly brings richness to the dish, and the tomatoes balance it out with some acidity.
    Servings 4 -5

    Ingredients

    • ½ - 1 lb pork belly cut into ¼ inch slices
    • 3 cloves garlic
    • 1 small shallot
    • 2 tablespoon fish sauce
    • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 1 tablespoon canola oil
    • 2 medium tomatoes cut into wedges
    • 1-1 ½ cups water
    • 1 package 14 oz soft tofu, cubed
    • 2 scallions cut into 1 inch segments
    • chili flakes optional

    Instructions

    • Season pork belly with fish sauce, garlic, shallot, salt and pepper
    • Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pot on high heat. Cook pork until slightly browned, about 2 minutes
    • Add tomatoes and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes
    • Add water
    • Gently layer tofu into the pot. Add more water if necessary. The water should just brush the surface of the tofu.
    • Bring to a boil, and then simmer for 15-20 minutes.
    • Add scallion, and continue to simmer until most of the liquid has reduced
    • Serve over rice

    Did you make this recipe? Tag @bun.bobae on instagram and hashtag it #bunbobae!


    Don't miss a single recipe! Sign up below for recipes in your inbox:

    Tweet
    Share
    Pin27
    Share17
    44 Shares
    « Hando Medo hand roll bar
    Bandoola Bowl's southeast Asian salads »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Lauren

      May 06, 2022 at 8:58 am

      I just made this tonight. It was delicious! my liquid did not really reduce but it wasn't a problem as it added to the dish. Not too salty, perfect flavor! Thanks for the recipe!

      Reply
      • Suzanne Nuyen

        May 09, 2022 at 2:31 am

        I'm so glad you liked the recipe! If you'd like the liquid to reduce faster/more easily, you could try using s shorter, wider mouth pot or pan so there's more surface area to encourage evaporation.

        Reply
    2. Lan

      September 25, 2019 at 12:30 am

      Looks amazing. I look forward to giving your recipe a try!

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi! I'm Suzanne, your Bun Bo Bae. I'm a journalist, professional amateur baker, noodle enthusiast and food photographer living in Washington, DC. My immigrant parents taught me everything I know about Vietnamese home cooking, and now I want to share it with you!

    More about me →

    Newest Recipes

    • Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken (Gà Chiên Lá Quế Đài Loan)
    • Vietnamese Red Rice (Cơm Đỏ)
    • Vietnamese Shaking Beef (Bò Lúc Lắc)
    • Vietnamese Shrimp Toast (Bánh Mì Nướng Tôm)

    Sign up for my newsletter here!

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About
    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility
    • Contact
    • Media Kit

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    As Seen On

    Copyright © 2019 - 2020 Bun Bo Bae

    Copyright © 2023 Bun Bo Bae on the Foodie Pro Theme