One of my favorite simple meals when I need something satisfying, flavorful, and with a bit of crunchy texture. These crispy tofu bowls feature oven-roasted torn bits of “popcorn” tofu with a starch and nutritional yeast coating. Whisk together your spicy garlic tahini sauce (or peanut sauce would also be great) while the tofu roasts. Finish with warm brown rice and a lightly dressed mix of kale and cabbage. A 40-minute vegan dinner that just feels good!
I tried my baked tofu bits recently without the cornmeal (was out) and used extra nutritional yeast instead. I liked the results so much that I started thinking of a way to share it with you! Once your tofu is pressed, you’re off to the races with this one.
A lot of meals that I share here are loaded up with garnishes and some fancier touches. Of course I try to make everything look beautiful so that folks will want to make the recipe! Some weeks though, I’m in a real “food as fuel” mindset and find myself simply craving a rice bowl with crunchy tofu pieces, whatever veg is around, and a good sauce. I’ll do it multiple nights in a row!
I love how the “popcorn” tofu bits mingle with the creamy and spicy tahini sauce. It feels indulgent somehow. I pretty much always have kale and cabbage on hand. In this crispy tofu bowl recipe, the shreds get a quick toss in olive oil and lime juice before settling on the warm rice.
Each bite has fluffy soft rice, a little crunchy well-seasoned greens tangle, the shattering chewy edge of tofu, and the gorgeously flavorful sauce. It hits all the cravings for me with ease on any given weeknight!
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Crispy Popcorn Tofu Bowls with Spicy Garlic Tahini & Greens
Ingredients
Tofu
- 500 grams firm or extra firm tofu
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- 2 tablespoons arrowroot starch
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon mild paprika
Spicy Garlic Tahini
- ⅓ cup tahini
- 1 clove garlic, finely minced with a Microplane
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1-2 tablespoons hot sauce
- salt, to taste
- ¼ – ⅓ cup ice cold water
Assembly
- ½ small head red cabbage
- 5-6 leaves lacinato kale
- 2 green onions
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- salt and pepper, to taste
- warm brown rice, for serving
Equipment
- Tofu Press
Notes
- I have the EZ Tofu Press and it is effective! There’s lots of methods for pressing tofu available online if you search “how to press tofu without a press”.
- You could use an equal amount of cornstarch or potato starch instead of arrowroot for the tofu.
- The tahini sauce can be made up to 5 days in advance and held in the fridge. It may need a tiny bit of water added and some re-whisking to get it back to pourable consistency.
- Cholula is my default hot sauce. Use whichever one you like!
- You should have 4 cups total of sliced kale, cabbage and green onions.
Instructions
Prepare and bake the tofu
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Press your tofu for 15-30 minutes.
- Once the tofu is pressed, tear it up into small 1 to 2-inch pieces. Place the pieces in a large bowl and blot them dry with a clean kitchen towel, removing as much moisture as you can.
- To the bowl, add the oil, salt and pepper. Toss to evenly coat. Then, add the nutritional yeast, arrowroot starch, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika. Toss with a spatula to evenly coat all of the pieces.
- Spread the coated tofu bits out on your prepared baking sheet, giving each piece as much space as possible. Slide the baking sheet into the oven. Bake tofu until golden brown and crisp/dry on the edges, about 30 minutes. Stir and flip the tofu at the 15 minute mark.
While tofu is baking, prep the sauce and greens.
- In a medium bowl, combine the tahini, garlic, lime juice, hot sauce, salt and ¼ cup water. Whisk until the tahini pales in color and the mixture is super creamy and slightly fluid. If it needs more water, add it by the tablespoon until you’ve reached the desired consistency. Set aside.
- Slice the kale, cabbage and green onions thinly and place in a large bowl. Toss the greens with the lime juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.
Assemble the tofu bowls
- Spoon a portion of warm rice into an individual serving bowl. Top with some of the lightly dressed kale and cabbage mix. Then, top that with some of the crispy popcorn tofu. Drizzle some spicy garlic tahini on top and enjoy immediately!
Thank you for this delicious recipe! It’s amazing how crispy and flavorful your method gets the tofu with no frying required! 10/10!
This was so delicious and I’ll be making it again soon. I didn’t have cabbage or kale on hand but made the popcorn tofu & sauce and had it with rice & roasted cauliflower.
Such a perfect weeknight meal, my husband and I both loved it. The only change I made was using lemon juice in place of lime juice. Thanks for the healthy meal inspiration!
Quick. Easy. Delicious !
YUM! This is a new favourite for me. The tofu is just delicious and the tahini sauce is 10/10. And pretty easy to put together too. Thank you!
Hi Laura, I made this today and…..it was excellent / easy to pull together. The tofu was nice and crunchy with a definite popcorn taste. My husband loved it too. The only change I made was the cooking method / time. I have a “convection roast” feature on my gas oven which allows me to cook for a shorter time (20 minutes total), at a lower temperature (375). Definitely will keep it in rotation.
Susan,
Thank you for your notes re: using convection gas oven. I know this will help people looking at the recipe going forward!
-Laura
This was such a clever, easy and delicious tofu method. Made this last night after seeing the recipe pop up and was delighted to have everything on hand to bring it to life. Thanks for sharing!
This is going on my meal plan for next week!
this looks right up my alley! how do you think this would work with super firm tofu (higher protein and no pressing necessary)? imma try it!
Hi Kathy, Is super firm tofu a step up from extra firm tofu? Or are they the same? I’m sure it would be fine! Just blot the pieces dry before tossing with oil, starch, spices etc.
-Laura
it’s the tofu that comes vacuum-packed, not in water.
What is a tofu press, please?
Hi Ellen,
I use a product called the EZ tofu press. You can find it sold on retailers like Amazon. Once you set it up, it presses the excess water out of a brick of tofu. There are methods to press tofu without a dedicated piece of equipment though. I would recommend searching “how to press tofu without a press” in your preferred search engine to find a method that works for you.
-Laura
yum, thanks Laura. we’re not vegan but i use many of your recipes. love your creativity and willingness to share. also, love that you always post your pups on the sat piece!