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    Home » Recipes

    Delicious tofu buddha bowl

    Published: Jan 24, 2020 · Modified: Oct 29, 2022 by Maria · This post may contain affiliate links · 5 Comments

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    Delicious tofu buddha bowl

    Marinated tofu buddha bowl with sweet chili sauce. Easy, healthy and high in protein vegan power bowl made with sweet potatoes, bok choy, red cabbage and sesame ginger tofu. Great recipe to make ahead and meal prep to have ready for an on the go lunch or easy dinner. Full of fiber, veggies and protein.

    Tofu buddha bowl with bok choy, sesame ginger tofu and sweet potatoes.

    Here’s an amazing buddha bowl for when you want to be all healthy and shit. This buddha bowl will make you feel like a veggie-munching health Goddess.

    But seriously, I love making buddha bowls. I know it’s a bit of a pain in the ass to cook five separate things at the same time, but once you do, everything is ready to go for when you need an on-the-go lunch or an easy throw together dinner.

    It’s an investment of time up front, to save time later sort of thing.

    Ingredients

    Feel free to add whatever fresh vegetables or roasted veggies you have on hand. Bell pepper or shiitake mushrooms would be good in this as well. This is what I had on hand and tasted delicious.

    • Brown rice - or white rice
    • Baby bok choy
    • Red cabbage
    • Sweet potato
    • Toasted sesame seeds
    • Sweet chili sauce or chili garlic sauce
    • Toasted sesame seeds

    Sesame ginger baked tofu ingredients

    • Extra firm tofu
    • Soy sauce
    • Toasted sesame oil
    • Maple syrup
    • Garlic - or garlic powder
    • Fresh ginger
    • Corn starch

    Tips for making this bowl

    This tofu power bowl is all about timing.

    In the recipe card below, I laid it out in the order that you will cook everything, so you’re not running around like crazy.

    I start with the tofu first.

    If you want your tofu to be extra crispy, you have to press it.

    This pushes out all the excess water so that it has room to soak up the delicious sesame ginger tofu marinade. It also makes the texture a lot chewier and crispier. So don’t skip this step!

    You can press the tofu either by buying a tofu press ( I waited for years before buying this and now I’m kicking myself in the ass because I didn’t do it sooner) or you can wrap your tofu in a lint-free kitchen towel or paper towels and place a heavy pan on top of the block of tofu.

    Either way, let the tofu press for 15-30 minutes.

    If you need more help cooking tofu, check out my article called how to cook tofu for beginners.

    The best tofu marinade

    I just have to say, I love this marinade.

    All you have to do is mix together soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, maple syrup. Then add some minced garlic and ginger. I’ve been using this for my tofu since I was a baby vegan.

    I got this recipe from my roommate way back when I was going to school in Boston. So, this marinade has been tried and tested for more than a decade.

    I like to put the tofu cubes in tupperware after pressing it and dicing it. Next, I pour the marinade over the tofu and then put the lid on. Then I turn the tupperware upside down.

    This makes sure that the marinade gets all over the tofu. Then I store the tofu, upside down, in the fridge for 30 minutes. It’s better if it’s over night, but honestly, I can never remember to do that shit.

    Add cornstarch to make the tofu crispier

    After the tofu has marinated, fold in the corn starch.

    Grab a flat spoon, like a rubber spatula, and gently mix the tofu until you don’t see the corn starch any more.

    I always stir by tucking the spatula under the tofu and then turning it over. That way it won’t break the tofu apart.

    Put some parchment paper on a baking tray and lay the cubed tofu in a single layer. Make sure they don't overlap, so that the tofu comes out crispy and delicious.

    Tofu buddha bowl ingredients in glass tupperwear containers.

    How to time it all right

    Remember the timing thing? Before you pop the tofu in the oven, let’s pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.

    While the oven is heating up, and after you’ve prepped the tofu, it’s time to get the large sweet potato ready to bake.

    You can either dice it up, or cut it in rounds. I personally like to keep the skins on, but you can peel it if you’d like.

    Throw a little olive oil and salt onto the sweet potato.

    Place the sweet potato on a flat, oiled or lined baking sheet. I love using my silicone baking mat because I never have to scrape nasty stuff off my baking sheets anymore.

    Now pop the sweet potatoes and tofu in the oven at the same time. After about 25 minutes, open the oven and flip your tofu and stir your sweet potatoes.

    Bake for another 20 minutes or until your sweet potatoes and tofu get nice and golden.

    You may need to take the potatoes out about 5 minutes before the tofu.

    Right after you place the sweet potatoes and tofu in the oven, it’s time to get our rice going. Always remember to rinse your rice before cooking.

    It will make it taste a hell of a lot better and it’s crazy to see how much dust and grime gets rinsed off.

    I’ve had my awesome rice strainer for almost 10 years now, and it’s a definite must-have kitchen appliance. I love this one because it also rinses quinoa. How badass!

    Brown rice usually takes 35-40 minutes to cook. While the rice cooks, prepare your other ingredients.

    Once you have about 10 minutes left on your tofu and sweet potatoes, then move onto the fresher vegetables. Shred your red cabbage and then steam the baby bok choy for 5 minutes.

    Once everything is cooked and assembled in your serving bowls, top it with a really good sweet chili sauce or any other pre-made flavorful sauce.

    My favorite is this brand. You can easily find sweet chili sauce in the international section of most grocery stores.

    A note about the dressing

    I chose not to do a homemade dressing for this bowl because honestly, you’re already doing a bunch of stuff and making a dressing just felt too overwhelming.

    Plus, I don’t see many buddha bowls with dressings that don’t involve peanut butter or tahini, so this is a bit refreshing.

    This is a great meal prep idea to take to work for a healthy lunch or any time you need some healthy meals.

    If you need some more easy vegan lunch ideas, check out my easy chickpea salad sandwich.

    It’s similar to a chicken salad or egg salad sandwich but better because it doesn’t involve paying someone to kill an innocent chicken! YAY!

    Enjoy, you sexy veg heads!

    Try these delicious recipes next:

    • Baked peanut tofu
    • Buffalo cauliflower tacos
    • Crispy baked buffalo cauliflower wings

    Loved the recipe? Leave a star rating and comment below. Pin this recipe to your favorite Pinterest board.

    📖 Recipe

    Tofu buddha bowl filled with tofu, rice and vegetables

    Delicious tofu buddha bowl

    Healthy and delicious buddha bowl with sweet chili sauce. Great meal to make ahead and take with you for an on-the-go lunch
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Asian
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour hour
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 581kcal
    Author: Maria
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    US Customary or Metric

    Sesame ginger baked tofu

    • 1 package of extra firm tofu (drained and pressed for 30 minutes)
    • 4 tablespoon soy sauce
    • 2 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
    • 2 tablespoon rice vinegar
    • 2 tablespoon maple syrup
    • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
    • 1 tablespoon minced ginger
    • 3 tablespoon corn starch

    Buddha bowl ingredients

    • 2 cups dry brown rice
    • 2 cups steamed baby bok choy
    • 1 cup shredded red cabbage
    • 1 large sweet potato (cut into rounds or diced)
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • Sweet chili sauce
    • Sesame ginger baked tofu
    • Toasted sesame seeds (optional garnish)

    Instructions

    Press the tofu

    • Take your tofu out of the package and drain it.
    • Either press the tofu in a tofu press for 30 minutes, or wrap tofu in paper towel or towel and place a heavy pan or object over the tofu. Press for 30 minutes
    • Cut tofu in cubes
    • In a mug or bowl, mix together soy sauce, sesame oil, vinegar, maple syrup, ginger and garlic.
      4 tablespoon soy sauce, 2 tablespoon toasted sesame oil, 2 tablespoon rice vinegar, 2 tablespoon maple syrup, 1 tablespoon minced garlic, 1 tablespoon minced ginger

    Marinate the tofu

    • Place the tofu in a storage container with a lid and pour the marinade over.
    • Put the lid on the container and gently turn container upside down, to make sure tofu marinade gets on all sides.
    • Place tofu in the fridge, upside down and let it marinate for at least 15 minutes. 1-8 hours is best, but sometimes we don't have the time
    • Pour corn starch over tofu and gently mix until you don't see the corn starch
      3 tablespoon corn starch
    • Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees
    • Take tofu out of the marinade and place on an oiled, or lined baking sheet

    Sweet potatoes

    • Once you have your tofu ready to bake, wash sweet potatoes and dice, or cut into rounds.
      1 large sweet potato
    • In a bowl, pour over 1 tablespoon of olive oil and stir it around
      1 tablespoon olive oil
    • Add a pinch of salt and stir

    Bake tofu and sweet potatoes

    • Place sweet potatoes on a lined baking sheet and place in the oven at the same time as tofu.
    • Bake them both for 25 minutes, then flip the tofu, and stir the sweet potatoes around. Bake for another 20 minutes.
    • Take out once the sweet potatoes and tofu look golden brown, about 40 minutes.
    • Take out of oven and off of baking sheet and let it cool for 5 minutes to let it firm up

    Cook the rice

    • While tofu is baking, bet your rice started. Cook your brown rice in a rice cooker, or on the stove according to the directions on its package. 2 cups of dry brown rice usually takes 4 cups of water. Usually takes 30-40 minutes to cook brown rice. While the rice is cooking, prepare the other ingredients.
      2 cups dry brown rice

    Prepare vegetables

    • Once the sweet potatoes have have about 10 minutes left, shred the red cabbage.
      1 cup shredded red cabbage
    • Steam your baby bok choy for 5 minutes.
      2 cups steamed baby bok choy

    Assemble the bowl

    • Assemble everything in your bowl.  Start with a base of brown rice. Then place the tofu in one corner, bok choy in another corner, sweet potatoes in another corner and sesame ginger tofu in the other corner.
    • Top with sweet chili sauce or hot sauce or choice

    Video

    Notes

    This is a great meal to meal prep at the beginning of the week. Great, easy dinner or lunch idea. It's also easy to pack up and take with you on the road.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 581kcal | Carbohydrates: 100g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 936mg | Potassium: 707mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 13528IU | Vitamin C: 68mg | Calcium: 232mg | Iron: 5mg
    Tried this recipe? Tag me today!Mention @DamnTastyVegan or tag #DamnTastyVegan!

    The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

    vegan buddha bowl with tofu

    Healthy buddha bowl with tofu

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    About Maria

    Maria is the creator of the blog and YouTube channel Damn Tasty Vegan. She has been a vegetarian since 2005 and vegan since 2015. She loves showing new vegans how easy and delicious living a vegan lifestyle can be. She is passionate about animal welfare and strives to help change the way animals are viewed and treated, by helping people transition to a vegan lifestyle.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Linda

      March 20, 2025 at 12:33 am

      5 stars
      This was delicious! The marinade was so tasty so instead of throwing it out after removing the tofu, I added water and heated it up. It thickened nicely and I used it as a sauce to top the dish off with!!
      Everyone loved it. Thank you Maria!

      Reply
      • Maria

        April 23, 2025 at 3:31 pm

        I love that everyone loved it! thank you for sharing that!

        Reply
    2. Maxine Cooper

      April 03, 2024 at 4:37 am

      My husband and I are new to vegan eating but, we are enjoying most of the dishes we've tried. We like tofu so, we use a lot of that. We haven't found any place that sells vegan cheese yet, but, I haven't really looked either, so I guess that should be my next step? I could really use some helpful tips from some vegan pros.

      i

      i cou

      i

      i

      Reply
    3. Speight Farmer

      February 03, 2023 at 8:16 pm

      5 stars
      I love you put the ingredients under each step. First time I have seen that. So nice! 🙂 making tonight.

      Reply
      • Maria

        February 03, 2023 at 8:54 pm

        Thank you! I really hate having to switch up and down between the ingredient list and directions, so I though that would be a helpful feature to add. Hope you love the recipe!

        Reply
    5 from 3 votes (1 rating without comment)

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    Hi, I'm Maria Rose! I'm a professional singer by night, and recipe developer by day. I run this blog and am also the creator of the One Month (30 minute) Meal Plan. I love helping people learn how to cook easy and delicious plant based meals.

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