I may have had tofu a couple of times in college, but it wasn’t until I actually went to China that I realized the delicious variety of this vegetarian staple. Granted, I’m not a vegetarian, but I do love tofu.

Here are several of my favorite ways to have this versatile soybean treat:

Stir-fry. Simple as that, y’all – tofu is chockfull of protein and makes an excellent meat substitute (or supplement) in any stir-fry dish. The ol’ stand-by, soy sauce, is good, but I also like oyster sauce. (Gotta go easy on it, though, b/c it does contain some sugar.)

Soups. Tofu is excellent in soups, as it doesn’t break down much and makes a hearty protein ingredient. The traditional Vietnamese “Pho” soup is particularly wonderful with tofu.

Do Jiang. The Chinese pronounce tofu with a “d” sound at the beginning: dough-foo. Do Jiang is a breakfast drink that is hearty and delicious. I have not found it stateside since I visited an Asian grocery store in Dallas, but it is tops on my list for the next time I visit a metropolitan Chinatown. It is thick and creamy like a smoothie and oh-so-good.

Dofu Nao. From what I can tell, this dish is served two ways: savory and sweet. I’ve only ever had it sweet, as a breakfast dish. There were street vendors in the town where I lived in China who would sell slices of hot tofu from a slab in their kiln (best word to describe the street oven, I think) and smother it in something like syrup. Heavenly!! I’ve tried my best to duplicate this dish with warm tofu, syrup and Splenda, and it’s not bad, but it’s just not quite the same. One of these days, I will figure out the traditional recipe.

Noodles. I have not perfected this technique, but if you use “firm” tofu and slice it in fettuccine-size slivers, it can make a good noodle substitute. Tofu tends to take on the flavor of the sauce/spices used, and it has the same consistency as pasta.

You don’t have to be a vegetarian to enjoy tofu. Give it a try!