Tofu Glow Bowls

Tofu Glow Bowls feature fluffy quinoa, sauteed vegetables with crispy tofu over greens and avocado for a 100% plant-based lunch or dinner that’s filling, packed with protein and fiber and feels a little more indulgent than your regular weekday lunch. Give yourself the gift of nourishing meals with this recipe that you can meal prep in advance!

Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Egg Free, Nut Free

Hallelujah I’m sharing a new recipe and (finally) getting back into the kitchen in 2025!

We just moved the first week of January for the third time in 5 years and one of the main reasons was to have a bigger kitchen for creating delicious recipes and entertaining. We’re finally in the home I see us raising our babies for the next 15 years and from the day after moving in and unpacking my kitchen I’ve just felt so at home and at ease in the kitchen.

A well-designed kitchen makes all the difference in cooking with ease. It’s not always about size, but how smart you are in how you organize your kitchen. But this sounds like a tangent for another day.

The past three months leading up to the move were crazy with work, the kids, vacation and packing (so much packing – I need to become a minimalist!) that my creativity felt totally zapped. On top of that, I’ve been nursing what I like to call a “functional cold,” meaning I can keep going about my daily life, but with a cloudy head, for the past 2 weeks. 

So when I returned home the other day from my trip to Home Good and The Container Store, I needed some extra self-care. I decided to spend a few extra minutes creating a drool-worthy lunch (which I never do! Perhaps you can relate??).

The result was these unbelievably delicious Tofu Glow Bowls that are so filling, nourishing, and kinda felt like a hug from the inside out.

Tofu Glow Bowls are…

• Easy to prep in advance (or prep components in advance)
• Nutritionally balanced
• 100% plant-based
• Customizable based on whatever veggies you have in your fridge/freezer
• Packed with plant-based protein and fiber to support your best health
• Full of 6 different plants, helping improve your plant biodiversity and your gut health

I loved them, my husband loved them, and there were no leftovers between the 2 of us, but this is a great meal to prep in advance (see the tips below).

Ingredients to Make Vegan Tofu Glow Bowls

You’ll need a handful of ingredients to make this recipe, but you can also customize based on what’s in your pantry right now (see notes below)…

1. Quinoa is the grain of choice for these bowls because that’s what I had around and it cooks quicker than rice. You can use any whole grain you’d like!
2. Vegetables you choose for this bowl are really up to you, but I chose white button mushrooms and bell peppers because the combination of umami mushrooms and sweet bell peppers just goes so well together.
3. Spices, including smoked paprika and black pepper season both the vegetables and tofu. The smoked paprika is a must with mushrooms because it adds a hint of smokiness. Add garlic if you’re not sensitive like I am 🙂 
4. Avocado oil is best for cooking the vegetable sand tofu in this recipe because it’s mild tasting and has a high smoke point. I also use this avocado oil spray in the recipe.
5. Extra firm tofu makes for the best crispy tofu, but only if you press it to remove excess water (see the notes below under How to Make Tofu Glow Bowls).
6. Cornstarch helps make crispy tofu. The added starch absorbs excess liquid and helps the tofu crisp up when you pan-fry it. Don’t skip this step. But if you don’t have cornstarch, you could use some all-purpose flour.
7. Soy sauce or tamari adds so much flavor without needing to concoct a separate sauce for this recipe. There are so many different flavors between the umami in the mushrooms, sweet bell peppers, earthy tofu, creamy avocado, and sharp scallions that the salty soy sauce or tamari really helps add an extra pop of flavor without being overwhelming. If you wish, however, you can add any storebought stir fry sauce too.
8. Extras for the bowls include a base of mixed greens, thinly sliced baby cucumbers, avocado and scallions. They just work together, so trust me on this one, but customize based on what you have at home!

Kitchen Tools You’ll Need to Make Tofu Glow Bowls

You’ll need a few tools in your kitchen to make this recipe, including:

• Tofu press *optional* (*see method to press tofu without tofu press below)
• Sharp knife – this is the knife I’ve had since grad school & LOVE when you know how to use it!
• Saute pan (they key to use stainless steel is to let the pan get really hot before adding any ingredients or oil)
  • People swear by their Caraway pans too, but it’s much more expensive
• Saucepan to cook the quinoa
• Shallow bowls for serving

How to Make Tofu Glow Bowls

First, press your tofu. 

The ingredient list calls for “extra firm tofu, pressed with excess water removed, cut into ½-inch cubes,” so this does require some prep work.

You don’t need a fancy tofu press to remove the excess water that tofu soaks in. Just open the package and wrap the tofu in a few paper towels or clean dish cloth. Put it on a plate and place something heavy-ish on top. A heavy-bottomed pan will do. 

Let sit for at least 30 minutes so all that extra water is removed and you get the crispiest, most flavorful tofu.

Next, prep the quinoa.

You’ll add the rinsed quinoa to a saucepan with water. You could also use a broth, if desired.

Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cover for 10-15 minutes. 

The key to the fluffiest quinoa is to leave the saucepan covered on the stove for an extra 15-20 minutes after all the water is absorbed and it’s done cooking.

Then we’ll get to cooking the vegetables.

You’ll saute the mushrooms and peppers with smoked paprika and black pepper. I avoid adding extra salt to this recipe because soy sauce is salty and we’ll add it at the end.

I also do not cook with onions or garlic most of the time because it simply doesn’t agree with  my belly. However, if you love it, add an onion to saute with the mushrooms and definitely add fresh garlic or granulated garlic.

Now it’s time to prep & cook the tofu.

You’ll toss the cubed tofu in the cornstarch in a bowl and season with the same smoked paprika and black pepper.

Transfer the vegetables to a bowl from the pan and re-oil the pan. Add the tofu, cooking for just a few minutes on all 6 sides until crispy. This requires your attention, but it’s so worth it for the best crispy tofu.

Putting it all together…

When the tofu is done, add the vegetables back to the pan with soy sauce. Let it cook for just a few minutes and the sauce will become glossy and a bit thicker, thanks to the cornstarch we used in the recipe.

Now it’s time to assemble your bowls…

Add a base of greens and quinoa to your bowl. Top with the tofu and vegetables. Garnish with thinly sliced cucumber, avocado and scallions. You could also add some sesame seeds, but I’m allergic.

Add an additional slight drizzle of soy sauce over the quinoa and greens before digging in! Delish!

Meal Prep Tips to Make Tofu Glow Bowls

• Batch prep quinoa. You can make double or triple the amount of quinoa and use it for various recipes throughout the week, like this Arugula & Artichoke Salad or Quinoa Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
• Saute vegetables in advance. This can help
• Use a frozen stir fry bag of vegetables instead of fresh to save money and chopping time
• Crisp tofu in advance. This is the most time-consuming part of the recipe because to get the best crispy tofu you should cook it for a few minutes on all 6 sides. However, you can do this ahead of time and leave out any soy sauce to maintain crispiness. When it’s totally cooled, store in the fridge in an airtight container. I do suggest re-heating in a pan stovetop for the best results.

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