Imagine opening your fridge and having a stack of glass containers filled with colorful, healthy meals. Sounds amazing, right? You can have this scenario with these easy crispy tofu bowls. The crispy tofu is the star of these bowls and is accompanied by a rainbow of plant based foods. Nourishing, filling, and exactly what you need on your lunch break.
These bowls are a favorite of mine. The sweet from the mango, the savory from the tofu and the crunch from the veggies satisfy my senses. This salad is easy to meal prep on the weekends to grab and go throughout the week. You can literally eat the rainbow with this bowl and feed your gut microbiome with the wealth of plant based fiber.
Crispy tofu bowl ingredients
For the crispy tofu
Tofu- Use firm or extra firm for best results.
Tamari- Tamari helps to keep this recipe gluten free. Sub soy sauce if gluten is not an issue.
Oil- I use extra virgin olive oil in this recipe, but avocado oil works too!
Garlic powder- Onion powder works as well.
Arrowroot Starch- This ingredient provides the outer coating to achieve the crisp. You could also substitute corn starch.
For the bowl
Greens- For this bowl I used spinach. Any leafy green will work.
Legumes- This recipe features edamame. To save time use frozen, pre-shelled edamame. Just thaw before adding to your bowls.
Fruit- The mango is so refreshing in this bowl and pairs well with the other ingredients.
Veggies- Cucumbers and bell pepper and crisp and sweetness to this bowl.
Nuts- Cashews add crunch to this crispy tofu bowl.
For the vinaigrette
The vinaigrette comes together with these simple ingredients- tahini, water, lemon juice, garlic, honey, salt and pepper.
How to make crispy tofu bowls
Make the crispy tofu
The first and most time-consuming step is preparing the tofu. Once the tofu is cooked, the bowls come together in minutes!
First press the moisture from the tofu. No need to have a tofu press. I just wrap the block of tofu in a kitchen towel and place a heavy pan atop the tofu. The pan acts as a weight and presses the excess liquid from the tofu. Let the tofu sit for about 10 minutes.
After pressing the tofu, cut the block into 1-inch cubes. Add the cubes to a large bowl. I like to put mine in a large bowl that has a lid so that I can shake and tilt the bowl later to coat the tofu with the marinade.
Next mix the tamari, olive oil and garlic powder in a small bowl and pour over the tofu. Let the mixture sit for a few minutes until the liquid is absorbed by the tofu. If your bowl has a lid gently shake the bowl and tilt it upside down to make sure the cubes are evenly coated. Then add the arrowroot starch and gently toss the tofu to coat.
Place tofu on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake in a 425 degree oven for 30 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden and crisp.
Assemble the bowls
Next to assemble the meal prep crispy tofu bowls line up 4 containers, preferably glass with lids. Divide the greens, cucumbers, edamame, peppers and mango evenly among the bowls. Add an even amount of crispy tofu to each container. Top each bowl with cashews and fresh cilantro.
Make the vinaigrette
To make a lemon tahini vinaigrette, thin the tahini with 2-4 tablespoons of warm water. Whisk in the lemon juice, garlic, honey, salt and pepper. If the vinaigrette is too thick, add a bit more warm water to thin until it reaches the desired consistency. Store in a glass jar or in individual small containers to accompany the crispy tofu bowls.
Serving suggestions
I have shown how to prepare these bowls in a meal prep fashion. Obviously you can enjoy these bowls right away for a quick, satisfying weeknight meal. Here are some topping ideas, ingredient variations and additions.
Add a grain:
A grain such as brown or black rice, jasmine rice, quinoa or farro would make a perfect addition to these bowls.
Add more toppings:
These crispy tofu bowls feature cashews and fresh cilantro as toppings. Other topping ideas include diced avocado, toasted sesame seeds, sliced jalapeños, green onions or my pink pickled onions.
Ingredient variations:
The beauty of bowl meals is the flexibility to change up the ingredients based on what is in season, what you have in your fridge or what your tastebuds are in the mood for. Switch out the spinach for kale or the peppers and cucumbers for carrots, broccoli or sugar snap peas. Pineapple is the perfect substitute for mango in these bowls. You can even substitute chickpeas for the edamame.
Storing the crispy tofu bowls
Store the bowls in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can eat the tofu cold or you can crisp it up in a toaster oven or warm it in the microwave before serving.
Recipe
Crispy Tofu Bowls
Ingredients
For the crispy tofu
- 1 14 oz package of firm tofu or extra firm
- 2 Tbsp tamari
- 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp onion or garlic powder
- 2 Tbsp arrowroot starch
For the bowls
- 8 cups spinach
- 1 ⅓ cups edamame shelled
- 1 ⅓ cups mango cubed
- 1 cup cucumber sliced into bite-sized pieces
- 1 small orange bell pepper sliced into strips
Toppings
- cashew pieces and fresh cilantro
For the lemon tahini vinaigrette
- 1/2 cup tahini
- 2-4 Tbsp warm water
- 4 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 large clove of garlic minced
- 2 tsp of honey
- salt and pepper
Instructions
For the crispy tofu
- Preheat oven to 425.
- Remove tofu from packaging. Wrap the tofu in a kitchen towel and place onto a plate. Place a heavy pan atop the tofu to press out excess liquid. Let sit for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, cut the tofu into 1-inch cubes and place in a large bowl.
- To make the marinade mix the tamari, olive oil and garlic powder in a small bowl. Pour the marinade over the tofu. Let the mixture sit for a few minutes until the liquid is absorbed by the tofu.
- Add the arrowroot starch to the tofu and gently toss to coat.
- Place tofu on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden and crisp. Set aside.
For the bowls
- Divide the spinach, edamame, mango, cucumbers and peppers evenly bowl among 4 lunch containers.
- Add the crispy tofu and top with cashews and cilantro.
For the vinaigrette
- To make a lemon tahini vinaigrette, thin the tahini with warm water starting with 2 tablespoons and adding an additional tablespoon as necessary.
- Whisk in the lemon juice, garlic, honey, salt and pepper. If the dressing is still too thick at this point add in a little more warm water until you reach desired consistency.