This Protein Buddha Bowl recipe is a healthy quinoa bowl loaded with crispy tofu coated in almond sauce and crunchy vegetables and packed with 25 grams of protein for a meat-free protein lunch.
The most common question we all have about a vegan lifestyle is how to get enough protein. This vegan protein bowl is a perfect answer to that question with a recipe that everybody will love! It’s a great protein-rich lunch to serve to non-vegan friends and show them that vegan lunches can be delicious and protein-rich.
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Protein Bowl (Vegan Buddha Bowl)
This Protein Bowl recipe is a healthy quinoa bowl loaded with crispy tofu coated in almond sauce and crunchy vegetables and packed with 25g of protein for a meat-free protein lunch.
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Servings: 4 bowls
Calories: 495.5 kcal
Ingredients
Baked tofu
- 1 block Firm Tofu - drained (note 1)
- 1 tablespoon Sesame Oil - (note 2)
- 1 tablespoon Cornstarch - (note 3)
- ¼ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Ground Ginger
For the 4 bowls
- 3 cups Cooked Quinoa - equivalent 1 cup uncooked
- ½ cup Cabbage - thinly shredded
- ½ cup Red Bell Pepper - thinly sliced
- 1 cup Cooked Edamame - lukewarm
- 1 large Carrot - peeled, thinly sliced
Protein dressing
- ¼ cup Almond Butter - (note 4)
- 3 tablespoons Rice Vinegar - (note 5)
- 2 teaspoons Maple Syrup - (note 6)
- 2 tablespoons Soy Sauce
- 1 teaspoon Sesame Oil - (note 2)
- ¼ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Red Chili Flakes
- 2-3 tablespoons Coconut Milk - (note 7)
Protein Toppings
- 2 teaspoons Hemp Seeds
- 1 teaspoon Sesame Seeds
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a baking sheet with oiled parchment paper. Set aside.
- Cook 1 cup quinoa following the packaging instructions or follow my tutorial on how to cook quinoa in a rice cooker to help you.
- Wrap the tofu in absorbent kitchen paper, place it on a plate, and top it with heavy weight like a cookbook. Wait 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl whisk tofu marinade: sesame oil, cornstarch, garlic powder, and ginger.
- Cut the drained tofu into cubes and place in the bowl with the marinade, stir to coat. Set aside 10 minutes.
- Arrange tofu cubes on the baking sheet, don't touch cubes, and bake for 25-30 minutes, flipping them halfway, until crispy and golden.
- Meanwhile chop all the vegetables thinly: cabbage, red bell pepper, and carrots. Set aside.
- Cook edamame following packaging instructions. I simply cover frozen edamame with boiling water, drain and use lukewarm in the recipe. Set aside.
- In a non-stick saucepan add all the almond butter dressing ingredients, bring to low-medium heat and whisk gently to combine and cook until thick.
- Stir the baked tofu cubes into the thick sauce.
- To assemble the bowls, divide evenly the cooked quinoa at the bottom of each bowl (3/4 cup each) then top with an even amount of tofu (100g each) and raw vegetables.
- Sprinkle seeds on top for a boost of crunch and proteins.
Storage
- Store leftover in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 3 days.
- Eat cold or warm.
Notes
Note 1: You have to use firm tofu. Silken tofu tends to crumble and won’t hold its shape.
Note 2: Sesame oil brings the best flavor, but you can use other oils, like canola oil or sunflower oil.
Note 3: Or tapioca starch.
Note 4: You can also use peanut butter or sunflower seed butter.
Note 5: Or white wine vinegar.
Note 6: You can also use coconut nectar, agave syrup, or sugar-free maple-flavored syrup.
Note 7: Any dairy-free milk works in this recipe.
– Cooked Buckwheat
– Cooked High-Protein Pasta like edamame noodles or black bean noodles
– Cooked Brown Rice
– Cooked White Rice. Can I Eat The Protein Bowl Cold? Yes, you can store leftovers and eat this bowl cold, or just rewarm the quinoa and tofu before assembling. Can I Decrease The Calories Of My Bowl? The most important calorie intake in the bowl is quinoa and oil. You can remove the oil from the almond dressing and decrease the quinoa. Increase your protein by adding more tofu instead.
Tips
I Don’t Like Quinoa, What High-Protein Grain Can I Use? There are other options for this protein bowl. In order of protein content from high to low:– Cooked Buckwheat
– Cooked High-Protein Pasta like edamame noodles or black bean noodles
– Cooked Brown Rice
– Cooked White Rice. Can I Eat The Protein Bowl Cold? Yes, you can store leftovers and eat this bowl cold, or just rewarm the quinoa and tofu before assembling. Can I Decrease The Calories Of My Bowl? The most important calorie intake in the bowl is quinoa and oil. You can remove the oil from the almond dressing and decrease the quinoa. Increase your protein by adding more tofu instead.
Nutrition
Serving: 1bowl | Calories: 495.5kcal | Carbohydrates: 48.3g | Protein: 24.8g | Fat: 23.8g | Saturated Fat: 2.6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9.5g | Trans Fat: 0.003g | Sodium: 525.7mg | Potassium: 625.2mg | Fiber: 9.3g | Sugar: 8.7g | Vitamin A: 661.6IU | Vitamin B12: 0.1µg | Vitamin C: 29.4mg | Vitamin D: 3.8µg | Calcium: 253.3mg | Iron: 5.5mg | Magnesium: 169.5mg | Phosphorus: 408.8mg | Zinc: 2.8mg
Ingredients and Substitutions
So this is a Japanese-inspired protein bowl made of tofu and a delicious almond butter sauce. Let’s see what you need to make this vegan protein bowl.
To make crispy tofu for the bowl, you need.
- Firm Tofu – Tofu is a great vegan ingredient that can be used as a meat replacement in recipes like Crispy Orange Tofu, Tofu Red Curry, or Vegan Butter Chicken.
- Sesame Oil – Sesame oil brings delicious sesame fragrances to the dish.
- Cornstarch – You can skip this ingredient, but the tofu won’t be as crispy without it.
- Garlic Powder
- Ground Ginger
- Edamame – This is another great vegan protein source along with tofu and quinoa. Edamame is the beans that are then turned into tofu or soy sauce.
- Hemp Seeds – Hemp Seeds are a great source of protein and don’t contain any psychoactive substance.
- Sesame Seeds
A protein bowl would be bland without a dressing. So we serve our bowl with a high-protein sauce made of almond butter. Almond butter is high in healthy fat and vegan proteins.
- Almond Butter
- Soy Sauce
- Chili Flakes
- Garlic Powder
- Coconut Milk
- Soy Sauce or tamari sauce, if you want gluten-free ingredients.
- Rice Vinegar
- Maple Syrup
How To Make A Protein Bowl
There are many ways to make a protein bowl because it mostly depends on the flavors you are after.
More High-Protein Vegan Recipes
Below are some more high-protein plant-based recipes for you to try:
Oh my, that was something. I wasn’t expecting too much to be honest, it looked like a fairly simple recipe but gosh, it delivered! Thank you sooooo much.