Tofu bowls full of fluffy coconut lime rice, triangles of sticky, caramelized baked tofu and toasty around the edges roasted broccoli all brought together with a hefty drizzle of peanut sauce!
Tofu Bowls are where it's at friends! We're talking the combo of all combos here. Bowls full of fluffy, creamy and citrusy coconut lime rice, triangles of sticky, caramelized baked tofu and toasty around the edges roasted broccoli. And then it gets even better with a hefty drizzle of peanut sauce.
It's got all of the sticky, toasty, zesty fresh flavours and textures going on and has been my dinner of choice for weeks now. I just can't get enough!
How to make a tofu bowl
(For detailed measurements and instructions, see the printable recipe card).
These tofu bowls with peanut sauce come together really easily. Here's how it's done:
Step 1 - Make the peanut sauce. Just blend or mix it all up. It's so quick and easy!
Step 2 - Mix up the tofu marinade and dip or brush the tofu triangles in it then lay them out on a lined baking tray and bake.
Step 3 - Prep the broccoli and toss in a little oil, salt and pepper. You can toss it all together right on the baking tray to save an extra bowl to wash up.
Step 4 - Add the broccoli to the tray with the part-baked tofu and bake it all a bit more. It's sort of a sheet pan tofu and broccoli type situation.
Step 5 - Then while that's baking we cook the delish rice.
Step 6 - Tofu rice bowls here we come. Fill bowls with rice, top with tofu and broccoli then drizzle with peanut sauce.
Success tips
My tips for making the perfect peanut tofu bowl:
The rice -
- It’s important to use my combination of coconut milk and water so the rice ends up fluffy and not stodgy.
- Keep the lid closed while the rice is cooking! I know it’s tempting to check on it, but it will help the rice cook more evenly and prevent it from being wet upon serving. The number one mistake people make when cooking rice is opening the lid!
- My instruction to turn off the heat and leave the pan alone for 10 minutes is also very important and will prevent goopy or wet rice.
- When it’s done cooking, use a fork to fluff up the rice and stir the juice and cilantro through. A fork will keep the texture of the rice nicer than if you were to use a spoon.
The tofu -
- Don't be tempted to use anything other than extra firm tofu.
- You must use a metal baking tray. Don't use a glass or ceramic dish. They don't distribute the heat the same and your tofu will not caramelize and get the correct texture.
- Be sure to line the baking tray. The glaze can get a bit burned on otherwise. Use a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
- Don't cut the baking time down. It might seem like a long time but it's necessary to dry the tofu out and get a really good texture and slight charring around the edges and on the corners.
The sauce:
- Sesame oil gives a lovely flavour but if you don't consume added oils or don't have any, feel free to omit it.
- Adjust the thickness to suit your tastes. Add the liquid gradually until it's just right the right thickness for you.
- Use the recipe as a guide. This is the kind of sauce that should be tweaked to suit your own personal tastes. Add more or less garlic, hot sauce, maple syrup or ginger. Taste and tweak as you go.
- Use a different nut or seed butter. The sauce is great with almond butter or cashew butter and also works well with sunflower seed or pumpkin seed butter.
Other tofu bowl ideas
- Instead of making your tofu bowl with rice use quinoa as the base. It's great with tofu ..Did you try it in my Tofu Quinoa Stir Fry?
- Make your vegan tofu bowl with cauliflower rice (use the recipe from my Cauliflower Rice Bowls)
- Simplify by just cooking plain rice instead of coconut lime rice
- Add some avocado
- Add some chopped raw veggies like cucumber and green onions
- Roast up any veggies to use instead of or as well as the broccoli
- Drizzle your vegan tofu bowl with any sauce you like instead of the peanut sauce. My Easy Teriyaki Sauce would work well or you could use a store-bought sauce to make things extra easy.
- Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds
Storage & reheating
All of the individual components of these vegan tofu bowls meal can be cooked/made in advance and reheated.
The toasted coconut - Can be toasted and stored in an airtight container weeks ahead. It will keep indefinitely.
The tofu - You can prep it in advance and leave it soaking in the marinade in the fridge for up to 3 days before baking, or you can make it and bake it as instructed and store it in the fridge. Reheat it when you want to put your tofu bowls together. I love the texture of it, even more, when it's reheated!
- To reheat in the oven - Bake on a baking tray at 350°F (175 °C) for about 15 minutes.
- To reheat in an air fryer - Pop it in on 350°F for about 10 minutes making sure to flip halfway.
The sauce - Can be made and stored it in a jar in the fridge. It will keep for about 7 to 10 days if you made it with water, and about 4 to 5 days if you used coconut milk. It does thicken up as it sits so thin it with a little water or coconut milk when you come to use it. You can also freeze it for up to 2 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge and thin as necessary with a drop of water or coconut milk.
The broccoli - You can prep it then store in a sealed container in the fridge for a couple of days before cooking. You can also roast it along with the tofu and store it in the fridge. It reheats really well.
- To reheat in the oven - Bake on a baking tray at 350 °F for about 10 minutes.
- To reheat in an air fryer - Cook it on 350 °F for about 5 minutes shaking at half-time.
The rice - Best cooked fresh but you can prep it ahead or store leftovers if you need to. This should be done in the safest way possible because if not done right there is a possibility it could cause food poisoning.
Put the freshly cooked rice in a shallow container and refrigerate or freeze as soon as possible. The shallower the container the quicker it will cool. Do not let it sit out on the counter. leave the lid off at first to encourage quicker cooling, then once it’s completely cool, cover and store in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days or freeze for up to 1 month.
To reheat on the stovetop - Place in a pan over low heat. Add 1 or 2 tablespoons of water to the pan, cover with a lid, and stir occasionally until it’s piping hot (165ºF preferably).
To reheat in a microwave - Place in a dish with 1 or 2 tablespoons of water. Cover with a lid and microwave for 3 to 4 minutes or until heated through.
Do not reheat rice more than once.
To defrost - Do not defrost the rice at room temperature. Either reheat it straight from the freezer or let it defrost in the fridge overnight.
For meal prep - Make the peanut sauce and keep in a sealed container in the fridge. Toast the coconut and keep it in an airtight container. Add the cooked rice to the meal prep containers and cool it very quickly, then top it with baked tofu and roasted broccoli. Store in the fridge for 3 to 5 days. Reheat in a microwave until piping hot then top with sauce and coconut when serving.
TOP TIP - Leftover toasted coconut is great on Bircher Muesli, oatmeal, overnight oats, smoothie bowls and curry!
Hungry for more?
If you love tofu check out these recipes too:
📖 Recipe
Tofu Bowls
Author:
Ingredients
For the baked tofu
- 1 block extra firm tofu sizes vary depending on brand but one that's about 350g - 400g (12 - 14oz)
- ⅓ cup / 80 mls tomato ketchup
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce or Tamari , or coconut/liquid aminos
- 1 tablespoon sriracha or Sambal Oelek, or any other hot sauce or chili paste
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil (omit to make oil-free)
- 1 clove garlic minced or grated very finely
- 1 big pinch freshly ground black pepper
For the broccoli
- 2 medium heads broccoli , cut into florets
- a drizzle of oil , sesame oil, olive oil (or any other oil you have)
- salt and pepper
For the coconut lime rice
- 1½ cups / 300 grams long-grain white rice Jasmine or Basmati is best
- 400 mls / 13.5 oz canned coconut milk light or full fat
- 140mls / ½ cup + 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon / 4.7 fl oz water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 limes zest and juice
- 20 grams / ⅓ cup unsweetened shredded or flaked coconut
- 1 big handful fresh cilantro OPTIONAL
For the peanut sauce
- ½ cup / 125 grams peanut butter or seed butter almond/cashew butter works well too
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce or Tamari , or coconut/liquid aminos
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil omit to make oil-free
- 1 medium lime zest and juice
- 2 cloves garlic (just use 1 if you want a more subtle garlic flavour)
- 1 inch piece fresh ginger
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup or brown or coconut sugar
- 2 to 3 teaspoons Sriracha or sambal oelek (or other hot sauce)
- up to ½ cup / 120 mls water or canned coconut milk to thin
RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT
INSTRUCTIONS
- Add all of the peanut sauce ingredients to a blender or food processor starting with only half of the coconut milk/water. Blend until smooth. Once smooth, add more water or coconut milk to thin as necessary and pulse in between additions. The amount of liquid you need to add will depend on how thick or runny your peanut butter was. Add as much as you need to get the sauce thickness you like. Bear in mind that it will thicken as it sits so a touch thinner will likely be perfect by the time you use it. No blender? If you don't have a blender, grate or mince the garlic, ginger and zest very finely, then whisk everything together in a bowl.
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200 °C).
- Rinse the rice well in a sieve until the water runs clear. Be sure to let it drain really well and shake out any excess water.
- Add the rice to a medium saucepan. Pour in the canned coconut milk, water and salt. Zest the limes and add it to the pan. Give it all a stir then leave the pan of rice on the stovetop but don't turn it on just yet. Keep the limes aside to juice later.
- Open the tofu, drain any excess water then lay it on its side and cut carefully lengthways into ½ inch thick large slices. Different blocks of tofu are different thicknesses but most you will get 2 or 3 slices. Take each of those slices and cut them into triangles. Lay the tofu triangles out in a large dish or plate and set aside for a minute while you make the glaze.
- In a small bowl mix up all of the glaze ingredients. Pour the glaze over the tofu triangles and coat each one. Make sure the bottom, top and sides are covered. I find it best to use one clean hand to do this. When using tongs or other implements you end up breaking little pieces of tofu off no matter how careful you are.
- Line a large metal baking tray (it must be metal not a glass dish) with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Ideally and for easier cleanup, use an extra-large tray that will enable you to add the broccoli too a bit later on. Don't worry if you don't have one big enough though, you can always use another.
- Lay each tofu triangle onto the tray (at one end if the broccoli will be sharing it later). Don't overlap the triangles and make sure they are in a single layer. Keep the dish with the remaining glaze in it as you will need it later. Bake the tofu for 15 minutes.
- Remove from the oven. Flip over each triangle and brush it with some more glaze (keeping the remaining glaze remnants for later). Then add the broccoli florets to the other side of the tray (or another lined tray if it won't fit). Drizzle the broccoli with oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss it about a bit then make sure it is spread out in a single layer, ideally with a little space around each floret.
- Put the tofu and broccoli in the oven and bake for another 25 to 30 minutes.
- As soon as the tofu and broccoli have gone in the oven turn the burner under the pan of rice to medium-high. Don't put the lid on the pan. As soon as it starts to bubble, but just before it reaches a rolling boil, turn the heat to the lowest setting and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Cook for 10 minutes then turn off the heat and leave it alone for another 10 to 15 minutes. Do not open the lid at all during this time.
- Keep an eye on the tofu while it bakes. You want the tofu to be really caramelized (dark brown, almost black around the edges and on the corners and the broccoli to be golden in places and getting crispy. If it starts to look done before the rice is ready, turn the oven down to its lowest setting.
- While you are waiting put the shredded coconut in a small frying pan (just dry, no need for any oil) and toast it over medium-low heat. Keep it moving and remove from the heat as soon as it's starting to turn a deep golden brown. It will only take a couple of minutes. Don't leave it alone during this time as it can turn from golden to black very quickly. Leave it to cool. Note that you can do this at any time in advance and store it in an airtight container.
- After the resting time is up, remove the lid from the rice. Squeeze over the juice from the 2 limes you zested earlier and fluff it up with a fork (don't use a spoon). Then add the optional cilantro and give it a quick stir through with the fork. Pop the lid back on for a minute to keep it warm.
- Remove the tofu and broccoli from the oven and brush the tofu quickly again with the last remnants of glaze to make them shiny and sticky.
- Assemble the bowls. Put some coconut rice in each one. Scatter it with the toasted coconut. Top with the broccoli and tofu then drizzle generously with peanut sauce.
NOTES
You will probably have some peanut sauce leftover. It can be used as a dip, salad dressing, stir fry sauce, marinade, or tossed through noodles. It also freezes well. Gluten-free? To make this recipe gluten-free use gluten-free soy sauce, gluten-free Tamari, coconut aminos or liquid aminos. Oil-free - Sesame oil gives a lovely flavour to the sauce but if you don't consume added oils or don't have any, feel free to omit it. Peanut allergy? - Use a different nut or seed butter. The sauce is great with almond butter or cashew butter and also works well with sunflower seed or pumpkin seed butter. All of the individual components of these vegan tofu bowls meal can be cooked/made in advance and reheated. The toasted coconut - Can be toasted and stored in an airtight container weeks ahead. It will keep indefinitely. The tofu - You can prep it in advance and leave it soaking in the marinade in the fridge for up to 3 days before baking, or you can make it and bake it as instructed and store it in the fridge. Reheat it when you want to put your tofu bowls together. I love the texture of it, even more, when it's reheated!
- To reheat in the oven - Bake on a baking tray at 350°F (175 °C) for about 15 minutes.
- To reheat in an air fryer - Pop it in on 350°F for about 10 minutes making sure to flip halfway.
- To reheat in the oven - Bake on a baking tray at 350 °F for about 10 minutes.
- To reheat in an air fryer - Cook it on 350 °F for about 5 minutes shaking at half-time.
NUTRITION
Nutritional information is provided for convenience & as a courtesy. The data is a computer generated estimate so should be used as a guide only.
Debbie says
Thank you. Made this today, Hubby loved it! Trying to eat more vegetarian, so new recipes are a must. After the success with this I can't wait to try others from this site. FYI this was the second time I've tried to cook tofu, first time I cooked tofu was in 1980's, it was so bad no one would eat it, never tried again till now.
Melanie McDonald says
I'm really pleased you both enjoyed it Debbie! Thanks for stopping by to leave a review. It's much appreciated!
KAY says
I used eggs instead of tofu, mashed potato instead of coconut rice and bottle sauce instead of making yours and we served it with green peas. Really good!
Melanie McDonald says
So basically you made a completely different non-vegan recipe?
Heather W says
My family made this last night! We all loved it!!
A Virtual Vegan says
Glad you all enjoyed it Heather. Thank you for taking the time to leave a review!
Ulrike says
This was absolutely delicious, a restaurant quality dish. Didn't have the shredded coconut or cilantro but didn't miss it. Will definitely make this again!
Anne says
This combination was amazing! Love the sauce & tofu glaze. Added some cabbage for fun. ???
Valerie Kurtz says
Can you make the rice in a rice cooker?
A Virtual Vegan says
I have never owned/used a rice cooker so I haven't tried this recipe in one. It's really easy to do on the stovetop though. If you do try it let us know how it goes!