tofu

noun

to·​fu ˈtō-(ˌ)fü 

: a soft food product prepared by treating soybean milk with coagulants (such as magnesium chloride or diluted acids) : bean curd

… tofu is our most versatile form of nonanimal concentrated protein, as well as the least processed and the most traditional.

—Mark Bittman

The tofu … was sliced uniformly and stacked neatly in the bowl of clear, seafood-flavored broth.

—Karen Hayes

Vegetarian cooking has never been so simple. Supermarkets carry packaged convenience foods like tofu hot dogs …

—Norine Dworkin

Examples of tofu in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Try tossing them with cucumbers, olives, cherry tomatoes, and feta-style tofu. —Lauren Panoff, Verywell Health, 27 Nov. 2025

Lili Gattyán likes to balance proteins like chicken and tofu with different vegetables like kimchi, purple cabbage, and artichokes and healthy fats like avocados. —Audrey Noble, Vogue, 24 Nov. 2025

This fall, the chain launched its Power Max Protein Bowl with 106 grams of protein, along with chicken and tofu portions increased by 25%. —Krysta Escobar, CNBC, 22 Nov. 2025

Connie Masuoka, of Ikoi no Kai, an elder nutrition program run by the Japanese Ancestral Society of Portland, Oregon, shares a recipe for a tofu salad dressing. —CBS News, 21 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Japanese tōfu

First Known Use

1771, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

tofu

noun

to·​fu ˈtō-fü 

: a soft food product prepared by coagulating soybean milk

called also bean curd