Super green, versatile and macro-friendly, our tofu Buddha bowl is a wonderful go-to weeknight meal that works perfectly for leftover lunch.
Nourish bowls have made their way onto our blog before: from our rainbow Buddha bowl to this quinoa veggie bowl, sweet potato bowl, Bibimbap bowl, and Mexican Buddha bowl, they are totally our jam!
free 7-day vegan meal plan
Your next week of eating is planned out with these quick and delicious vegan bowls, meal prepping steps & full grocery list.
We love that you can freestyle with the different components to create all kinds of colorful vegan bowls year-round. From roasted and warm lentil kale bowls to crunchy and cooling summer-approved light dinners, they can come in so many shapes and sizes!
Meet our favorite green tofu Buddha bowl today, which is part of our 1-week vegan meal plan, incredibly healthy and so satisfying.
Find more vegan meal prep recipes here!
Recipe overview & features
- Customizable & nutrient-packed
- Perfect for meal prep
- Portable lunch idea
- Gluten-free & wholesome
- Flavorful, fresh & fun
Our easy tofu Buddha bowl recipe can be adapted to fit many dietary preferences and is a great way to use leftover cooked grains or clean out the fridge!
Ingredients needed
- Tofu — our protein-packed main ingredient.
- Rice — pick your favorite: brown, Jasmine or colored!
- Green veggies — let’s pack this Buddha bowl with broccoli, kale and asparagus!
- Toppings — to keep the green theme going, we went for avocado and green onion.
- Tahini dressing — this creamy topping requires only 4-5 simple ingredients!
Doesn’t that sound like a delicious and nourishing combination? In terms of kitchen equipment, you’ll need a baking sheet, pot, pan and a small bowl.
How to make this tofu Buddha bowl
Preheat the oven to 350° F/ 175° C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Cook rice
If you don’t have any leftover rice you can use for this Buddha bowl, cook your favorite variety according to package instructions.
Once it’s done, set aside.
Prepare the tofu
Drain your tofu and cut it into small-ish cubes. Transfer them to your prepared baking sheet and coat it with ginger powder, salt and pepper.
Toss the cubes to coat them evenly, then place the baking sheet in the oven to roast your tofu for around 30 minutes.
Check in halfway through and give the cubes a toss to ensure they bake evenly!
Prepare the veggies
Wash, chop and de-stem the kale leaves, then wash the broccoli and asparagus and add them to a non-stick pan.
Using a tablespoon of water, soy sauce, veggie broth or olive oil, sauté them over medium heat for 7-8 minutes until they are cooked but still a bit crunchy.
Make the tahini dressing
Add tahini, lime juice, garlic, maple syrup, salt and water to a small bowl and whisk until you’re left with a smooth and homogenous sauce.
For an even smoother result, put all dressing ingredients into a blender and blend for a couple of seconds!
Assemble the bowls
Once you have prepared all components, get two serving bowls and divide the cooked rice.
Top with baked tofu, cooked veggies, avocado slices and green onion. Finally, drizzle with your homemade tahini dressing and enjoy immediately!
Storage & reheating
This tofu Buddha bowl is perfect for meal prep! Just get an airtight food container and assemble the bowls without adding the dressing.
Once you’re ready for your quick pre-made meal, reheat it in the microwave and drizzle with the tahini sauce!
The components can be stored in the fridge for around three days or more but be aware that the dressing might thicken over time, so stir it or thin it out with a splash of water if needed.
FAQs & tips
Ingredient swaps
You can choose any veggies you like for this tofu Buddha bowl. Instead of kale, you can use other leafy greens like beet greens or swiss chard — or go for good old crunchy lettuce.
Feel free to roast the veggies alongside the tofu cubes in the oven instead of sautéing them! Cauliflower, onion, bell peppers, mushrooms and zucchini all taste great in this bowl, too.
If you don’t want to use rice for this recipe, swap it for quinoa, millet, pasta, beans, lentils, potatoes or cauliflower rice. These swaps offer lots of dietary flexibility!
Instead of tofu, you can also roast or fry some tempeh and add it to your Buddha bowl. If you don’t want to heat the oven, use homemade tofu feta instead!
Dressings + toppings
You can swap our tahini dressing for any of these:
Add more protein to your tofu Buddha bowl by serving it with a dollop of hummus!
Do I need to press the tofu?
We usually don’t press our tofu before we prepare it. However, if you like your tofu to absorb more flavor and become crispier, it’s better to squeeze out most of its moisture.
You can either do so using a dedicated tofu press, but any steady weight will do! Simply wrap a towel around a weighted object like a frying pan and put it on your drained tofu.
Let it sit on a wooden cutting board for 20 minutes or longer, then use it for your recipe!
Tofu coating ideas
You can coat your tofu cubes in so many different spices! Some examples include garlic powder, nutritional yeast, paprika or chili.
For a proper marinade, check out our Thai veggie stir-fry recipe. Adding around 1-2 teaspoons of cornstarch or arrowroot powder to your tofu coating helps to make it crispier!
More easy dinner recipes
If you liked our tofu nourish bowl, try the following plant-based recipes next!
Did you make our recipe and like it? We’d love to read about it, so be sure to leave a review and share it in the comments below. You can also Pin this recipe here!
Ingredients
- ½ cup brown rice dry (92 g)
- 7 oz firm tofu 200 g
- 1 teaspoon ginger powder
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 4-6 fresh kale leaves
- 1 cup broccoli florets
- 4 asparagus stems chopped
- 1 avocado peeled and sliced
- 2 green onions chopped
Tahini Dressing
- 1.5 tablespoons tahini
- 2 limes juice only
- 5 tablespoons water
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F/ 175° C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Cook the rice according to package instructions. In the meantime, drain the tofu, cut it into small cubes and transfer it onto the baking sheet.
- Sprinkle with ginger powder and toss to coat evenly, then arrange the cubes into a single layer.
- Bake for 30 minutes, stirring the tofu cubes halfway through to make sure they roast evenly.
- Once they are golden brown, remove the tofu cubes from the oven.
- While the tofu is baking, prepare the rest of the ingredients. Wash, chop and de-stem the kale leaves and add them with the broccoli and asparagus to a non-stick pan.
- Heat it and sauté the veggies for 7-8 minutes with a tablespoon of water or olive oil over medium heat. Stir occasionally to make sure they don’t burn and turn off the heat once your veggies are cooked but still a bit crunchy.
- Add all ingredients for the dressing to a small bowl and whisk to combine. You can create a smoother sauce by processing it in the blender for a few seconds!
- Get two bowls and divide the brown rice. Top with baked tofu, cooked vegetables, avocado slices and green onion. Drizzle with tahini dressing and enjoy!
Notes
- Instead of kale, you can use swiss chard or beet greens.
- This recipe is great for meal prep, so store the assembled tofu Buddha bowl (minus the dressing) once cooled in an airtight container in the fridge and reheat at your convenience. It keeps well for at least 3 days.
- The dressing might thicken over time, in which case you need to thin it out with water before using.
- Adding around 1-2 teaspoons of cornstarch or arrowroot powder to your tofu coating helps to make it crispier!
- Find more customization ideas in the article above.
Alena Schowalter is a Certified Vegan Nutritionist who has been a vegetarian since childhood and vegan since 2012. Together with her husband, she founded nutriciously in 2015 and has been guiding thousands of people through different transition stages towards a healthy plant-based diet. She’s received training in the fields of nutrition, music therapy and social work. Alena enjoys discussions around vegan ethics, walks through nature and creating new recipes.
Perfect for meal prep and incredibly healthy, this tofu Buddha bowl comes with a creamy tahini dressing and lots of delicious flavors! It’s protein- and fiber-packed and easily customizable.