Ginger Soy Tofu Bowl
Ginger Soy Tofu Bowl, a plant-based protein-packed brown rice bowl with crispy ginger soy tofu, edamame, shaved carrots, and green onions. An easy yet flavorful healthy tofu bowl recipe!
This vegan tofu bowl with ginger soy sauce is a favorite recipe on repeat in our weeknight menu. Fiber-packed brown rice is topped with crispy tofu, crunchy edamame, shaved carrots, and sliced green onions and is topped with a deliciously easy ginger soy sauce.
👉 Here are three reasons why you need to make a grain bowl with tofu, brown rice, and ginger soy sauce:
- It's as easy as it gets. Clocking in at under 40 minutes to make, this recipe is a perfect weeknight meal that works great for lunch leftovers the next day.
- It's flavorful. Between the naturally sweet veggies, crispy tofu, nutty rice, and bold ginger soy sauce–this recipe is full of flavor. It has the perfect balance of sweet and spicy, not to mention you can add your own spices and seasonings based on your preferences.
- It's plant-based. Whether you follow a vegan diet or just want to add more veggies to your plates, this tofu bowl is packed full of nutritious veggies and fiber-rich whole grains. You'll also get some protein from the tofu and edamame, so it will keep you full and satisfied.
Ready to learn how to make a Ginger Soy Tofu Bowl? Let's do it!
🥕 Ingredients
This simple tofu bowl recipe uses lots of tasty ingredients, including the following:
- Tofu: You'll want to use super firm tofu for this recipe, otherwise it will end up soft and mushy.
- Sweet Potato and Carrots: The veggies that add flavor, color, and nutrients to this dish!
- Edamame: Brings some plant-based protein to the tofu bowl.
- Oil: We used olive oil to roast the sweet potato, and sesame oil to cook the tofu.
- Soy sauce: The base of the gingery sauce. Make it heart-healthy by using low-sodium soy sauce. Or opt for tamari to make it gluten-free.
- Ginger: One teaspoon of minced ginger is all you need to bring the bold, spicy flavor to the recipe.
- Brown Sugar: To bring some sweetness (and to balance out the strong flavor of the ginger), you'll mix in 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar along with the rest of the ingredients.
- Brown Rice: Fiber-filled brown rice makes the tofu bowl more nutritionally balanced, and adds a tasty nutty flavor.
- Recommended tools: Cast iron skillet
🥣 How to make (step-by-step photos)
1️⃣ Step One: Cook rice
The first step is to make the brown rice. For best results, follow the package instructions but the general stovetop steps are:
- Add 1 cup brown rice and 2 cups water to a medium saucepan.
- Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer.
- Cook until rice is soft, about 20 minutes.
2️⃣ Step Two: Cook tofu until crispy
Next, you will cook the tofu. Heat sesame oil in a pan over medium-low heat. Add the tofu to the pan, and allow it to sit without moving for 3-5 minutes, or until brown.
Stir the tofu, and let it brown again. Repeat until the tofu cubes have dried and begun to crisp, which takes about 15 minutes.
3️⃣ Step Three: Prep vegetables
Next it's time to prep the vegetables! Here's what you'll do:
To make edamame: Bring bring 2 cups water to a boil, add edamame, and cook 5 minutes. Then remove edamame to a bowl until ready to build bowls.
To prepare carrots: Simply wash carrots and then shred with a vegetable shredding tool. Set aside until ready to build bowls.
To prepare the green onions: Simply wash and thinly slice white and green parts, then set aside.
4️⃣ Step Four: Make the ginger soy sauce
Add soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, mirin, ground ginger, and ground garlic to a small bowl and whisk to combine.
5️⃣ Step Five: Build the bowl
To build the bowl, add brown rice to a bowl and then top with edamame, shredded carrots, and tofu.
Then sprinkle sliced green onions and a sprinkle of sesame seeds, and drizzle a few tablespoons of ginger soy sauce on top.
❓ Recipe questions + quick tips
The perfect trick for getting crispy tofu every time is time, heat, and patience. You will want to give yourself about 15-20 minutes for browned and crunchy tofu. Start the heat on medium-low to first dry out the tofu, and then add a bit of heat at the end to brown and get the crispy texture you crave. Try not to move the tofu too frequently or it will not brown well. Have patience and let the tofu cubes slowly brown and get crispy.
Yes, most grain bowls are good for you. To make our grain bowls, we typically combine a fiber-filled grain, beans or edamame, roasted veggies, spices, and homemade sauce. These are all healthy ingredients that provide vitamins, minerals, and disease-fighting antioxidants. Additionally, these tofu bowls are a good source of plant-based protein.
There are many different ways that you can add new flavors to soy sauce. One of our favorite ways to spice it up is by combining it with minced ginger, like how we did in this recipe. We also add a bit of sugar to help the sauce thicken once it's reduced, as well as a bit of sesame oil for the perfect drizzle. Some other ways to flavor up soy sauce are adding spices and seasonings like garlic, chili powder, or even cinnamon. You can combine it with creamy peanut butter to make a delicious peanut sauce. Get creative and try it with your favorite spice combinations!
🍲 How to serve
You can serve this tofu bowl any way you like. Here are a few of our favorite ways to enjoy it:
- Enjoy as a meal on its own. Have this bowl for lunch, dinner, or even breakfast. It provides a variety of vitamins and minerals, as well as filling protein and fiber–just what you need for a satisfying meal.
- Wrapped up in a tortilla. Skip the bowl and enjoy the ingredients inside of a tortilla instead.
- Experiment with other ingredients. Tofu bowls are easy to adjust based on your preferences. Try making them with other roasted veggies, like broccoli or brussels sprouts. You could also swap the brown rice for quinoa or couscous. Switch it up every time you make the bowls and you'll never get bored!
🧊 How to store
It's super easy to keep prepped or leftover tofu bowls in the refrigerator or freezer.
- Refrigerator storage: If you have leftovers or prepped a bowl in advance, you can store them in a sealed container. Enjoy within 5-7 days. Pull out for work lunches and busy weeknights!
- Freezer storage: Store tofu bowls in a freezer-safe container before placing in the freezer. For the best quality and flavor, enjoy within one month.
♻️ Sustainable kitchen tips
Looking to take your sustainable kitchen a step further? Check out these eco-conscious tips to keep in mind when assembling Ginger Soy Tofu Bowls:
Adjust the recipe with the seasons. Choose seasonal ingredients when making tofu bowls. You can switch up the veggies based on what's in season. Use this guide to plan your meals with the seasons.
Repurpose or compost veggie scraps. Sweet potato ends and peels, as well as any scraps from the carrots and edamame can be tossed in homemade vegetable broth. At the very least, they should end up in your compost bin.
Use leftover ginger soy sauce in other recipes. You can make a big batch of ginger soy sauce while making this recipe, and use the leftovers in other recipes. It would taste great with a salad or even as a dipped for roasted veggies, like our Roasted Sweet Potato Rounds.
🍚 More simple veggie bowls
Want more plant-based bowl recipes? We've got you covered:
Ginger Soy Tofu Bowl
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown rice, dry
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 8 ounces extra firm tofu
- 1 cup edamame
- 1 large carrot
- ½ cup green onions, sliced
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon mirin
- 1 teaspoon ground dried ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground dried garlic
Instructions
- Cook rice: Add 1 cup brown rice and 2 cups water to a medium sauce pan and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until soft, about 20 minutes.
- Cook tofu until crispy: Heat sesame oil in medium-low heat. Add tofu and let sit without moving for 3-5 minutes, or until brown. Stir and let tofu brown again. Repeat until tofu cubes have dried and begin to become crispy.
- Prep vegetables: To make edamame, bring 2 cups water to a boil, add edamame, and cook 5 minutes. Then remove edamame to a bowl until ready to build bowls. To prepare carrots, simply wash carrots and then shred with a vegetable shredding tool. Set aside until ready to build bowls. To prepare the green onions, simply wash and thinly slice white and green parts, then set aside.
- Make the ginger soy sauce: Add soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, mirin, ground ginger, and ground garlic to a small bowl and whisk to combine.
- Build the bowls: Add brown rice, edamame, carrots and tofu to bowl. Top with the ginger soy sauce and sprinkle with sesame seed. Then enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition Information
UPDATE: This recipes was originally published in February 2018 and was republished in January 2022 with new photos and recipe instructions.
This bowl is too pretty to eat. I love that you give such precise instructions for ensuring that your tofu is crispy and has some good texture. I also love that you used sesame oil to add extra depth of flavor.
Almost too pretty…but I definitely still ate it! 😉 I’ve been trying to make the perfect crispy tofu for years and I feel I’ve finally found the perfect technique so I just had to share. Thanks for stopping by!
The flavors here sound so delicious! I love the way you shaved the carrots!
Yum, this bowl sounds amazing. I recently posted a very similar recipe, except no tofu and a mixture of millet and quinoa instead of brown rice. Thanks for sharing those tofu frying tips!
That sounds delicious! I can’t get enough of bowls lately, love playing around with a mixture of seasonal veggies and different grains. I’ll have to try millet!
I’m raising my hand high and waving it. I’ve been served so many flavorless soggy tofu that I could write a book about it. Your tofu looks stupendous! What great flavor combinations! And it’s a pretty bowl to boot. I can’t wait to try it!
I swear I’ve been trying to find the perfect way to make tofu for years and finally found the trick that works for me. To get it really flavorful I also add the sauce once it’s dry and the tofu sucks up the flavor. Works every time!
Sounds delicious!
And I like your very clear directions for the tofu – more people need to know this!
Thank you! Yes, I agree. It took me years before I figured it out, but I was also just told about a technique for baking as well so I’ll update this post if it’s good advice!
We love tofu. Another great recipe to try. Thanks for sharing!
Of course! I’m happy to share, this has quickly become a favorite in our house.
I used to be very skeptical about tofu and I never really liked it until I visited my daughter in Hanoi. When I was there we cooked some Vietnamese dishes at a friend’s house and the crispy tofu was outstanding. Thanks for sharing a great recipe!
These do look like a fantastic weeknight meal – I’d be looking forward to the leftovers for lunch, too! Love your clear instructions for getting the tofu nice and crispy. I think many people could be persuaded over to the tofu-loving side if they had it really well-prepared like this!
Exactly! I love crispy tofu that I eat in restaurants, but I didn’t know how to make it at home. This is my tried and true technique and I hope it helps some people choose plant-based proteins over meat.
Love everything about this recipe, from the crispy tofu to the ginger soy sauce, the brown rice, the edamame!, and the fact that it is a lovely bowl of goodness!
“A lovely bowl of goodness” is always the goal!
You had me at ‘crispy tofu’. 🙂 I bet each mouthful of this is like an explosion of flavors!
Thanks for this recipe!
If it’s not an explosion of flavors, then I’m not interested.
So many colors in this tasty looking tofu bowl! I’ll definitely have to try it out!
I’m not one for boring looking food or boring flavored food. Give me the drama! And all of the flavors.
I’m not a big fan of tofu, but if I were ever going to try it again, THIS would be the recipe – it looks so good!
I used to feel the same way, but this recipe will reform you!
That is totally my kind of meal and I can literally see myself making this again n again. Love the addition of Japanese spice in it.
I’ll sneak in spice however (and wherever) I can.