Vegan Gado-Gado
This Indonesian-inspired platter is a feast for the eyes and the stomach — a colorful spread of blanched green beans, carrots, cabbage, bean sprouts, and tender boiled potatoes arranged alongside golden pan-fried tofu and rice cakes. The real star is the peanut sauce, a rich, velvety blend of natural peanut butter and full-fat coconut milk seasoned with tamari, fresh lime juice, coconut sugar, sambal oelek, and warm spices that comes together in under five minutes on the stovetop. Every component here is completely plant-based, so there's no need to swap or substitute a thing — it's built that way from the ground up. The tofu gets pressed, cubed, and seared in a hot skillet until each side is deeply golden and satisfying in a way that even skeptics tend to appreciate. Blanching the vegetables in stages keeps everything bright and just-tender rather than soggy, which makes the final platter look as good as it tastes. Serves four, and the sauce is generous enough that everyone gets a proper drizzle — plus a little extra for dipping.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the tofu
- 14 oz firm tofu, pressed and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 tbsp neutral oil (such as canola or sunflower)
- ¼ tsp salt
For the vegetables
- 8 oz green beans, trimmed
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch matchsticks
- 2 cups bean sprouts
- ½ small head cabbage, cored and cut into 2-inch wedges
- 2 medium waxy potatoes, boiled until tender and sliced
For the peanut sauce
- 1 cup natural peanut butter (smooth)
- 1 can (13.5 oz) full-fat coconut milk
- 3 tbsp tamari
- 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
- 1 tbsp coconut sugar
- 2 tsp sambal oelek
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ cup water, plus more to thin
For serving
- 4 rice cakes or steamed rice, for serving
- ¼ cup roasted peanuts, roughly chopped (optional)
- 2 tbsp crispy fried shallots (optional)
- lime wedges, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the potatoes and cook until a knife slides through without resistance, about 15–18 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon, let cool slightly, then slice into rounds about 1/2 inch thick. Keep the water at a boil for the remaining vegetables.
- 2
Working in batches, blanch the cabbage wedges for 2 minutes, then transfer to a colander. Blanch the carrots for 2 minutes, then transfer. Blanch the green beans for 3 minutes until bright green and just tender, then transfer. Finally, blanch the bean sprouts for 30 seconds, then transfer. Rinse all blanched vegetables briefly under cold water to stop cooking and drain well.
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