Where we live one of the most challenging things, I’ve found, about eating a plant based diet is finding good food at non vegan restaurants. There are of course exceptions but most non vegan places tend to rely on dairy and meat for flavor so when you don’t eat those things the food tends to be bland. This proved to be very true at our local coffee shop when we discovered something called the Hangry Vegan burrito so we gave it a whirl and while it was ok, we felt it could be improved so we set about to create a version full of flavors we love that we could easily make at home.
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This is an easy recipe to modify to your personal tastes, adding more or less of something, and can be eaten as a bowl or wrapped in a warmed tortilla. This meal works as a savory breakfast, lunch or dinner.
If this is your first time working with tofu, I’ve included visual step by steps for pressing and cutting into cubes. After the first few times of pressing tofu with heavy books and having to clean multiple things afterward I switched to a tofu press and it has been such a convenient little tool. Literally open your tofu package and place tofu in the middle of the press, then use the cranks on each side to begin pressing the tofu and releasing the liquid. Pressing the liquid out allows for it to absorb the seasonings you adding to it later.
Once your tofu is pressed it’s time to cut it into cubes. I begin by cutting the thickness in half, from there the tofu is cut into quarters, strips and cubes.
Once tofu is cubed into the oil and salts mixture it goes. The longer it sits the more flavor it has but honestly sometimes I’m really hungry and didn’t plan well so it only gets a few minutes. Do what you can.
Cook your tofu either in a pan with a little bit of oil on high heat or in an air fryer. Air fryers work perfectly for tofu because you aren’t touching it except to flip it once, which if you’re using a fry pan (especially if you don’t get all the water out) it can become crumbly and sort of frustrating to work with. It will still taste good it just may not be in perfect cubes. However you choose to cook it, all sides should be a nice light brown and crispy.
While you’re waiting for your tofu to crisp up, cook your onions. I work at a higher heat with little oil and a pinch of salt at the beginning and add liquid as I go. I try to limit the oil and just add coconut aminos so the onions caramelize a little bit but each pan is different so you may find you need to start with more oil or add more as the onions cook.
While you’re waiting for the onions and tofu to cook, divide the other ingredients into separate bowls. I like more cabbage and greens so I cut more for myself and that’s the joy of bowls like this, you can customize them to your liking.
Once the tofu and onions are ready and all veg is chopped divide into bowls and top with peanut sauce and enjoy!
I’ve included my recipe for peanut sauce but if you’re in a rush or don’t feel like making your own there are really good store bought options as well, just make sure if you’re worried about it being vegan that it is plant based as some brands add fish or oyster sauce to their ingredients.
Rainbow Veggie Tofu Bowl
Ingredients
- 1 package tofu
- 2-4 Tbsp oil of choice, divided
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic salt
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1 medium red onion, cut in half and sliced to crescent moon shapes
- 1 Tbsp coconut aminos or tamari
- 2 large carrots, chopped, julienned or shredded (however you like them)
- 1 large avocado, cubed or sliced
- 1/4 small red cabbage, shredded
- 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
Sauce
- 3/4 cup smooth peanut butter
- 2-3 Tbsp coconut aminos
- 2 Tbsp dark brown sugar or coconut sugar
- 1/2 lime juice
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 small piece ginger, about the size of your thumb nail
- 1/4 tsp crushed chili flakes
- 1/4 cup hot water
Instructions
For the bowl
- Press the tofu, if you don't have a tofu press simply sandwich the tofu between two plastic cutting boards. Put a kitchen towel under the bottom cutting board to catch the liquid and then place a few cookbooks on the top cutting board. Press the tofu for 15 minutes.
- In a medium bowl mix 1 Tbsp oil, salt, garlic salt and onion powder, set aside.
- Once tofu is pressed, cut it into cubes (see photos), and put in the bowl with oil and salts mixture and mix well so all sides of the tofu are covered. Let it sit at least 10-15 minutes, the longer it marinates the more flavor it will absorb.
- To cook the tofu either preheat a pan on medium high with 1 Tbsp oil or cook in an air fryer. If using a pan after it's preheated, add tofu and flip every 3-4 minute until golden brown on each side, adding oil as needed. I prefer using an air fryer because it requires less oil, the tofu is evenly cooked and crispy on all sides and I only have to flip it once. Check your air fryer recipe book for specific recommendations, I cook mine at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, flipping halfway through.
- While tofu is cooking, heat a large fry pan on medium high and add 1 Tbsp oil. Add onions and a pinch of salt. Occasionally stir, turn the heat down if they start to brown too quickly. Once the onions start to turn translucent add coconut aminos and cook another 3-4 minutes. They should be a nice dark brown.
- Once the tofu and onions are cooked, divide them and the remaining ingredients into bowls, top with sauce and enjoy.
For the sauce
- Blend all ingredients together, except water
- Once everything is combined and smooth, add water 1 Tbsp at a time until you reach desired thickness of sauce. Taste and adjust as desired.
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