These Spicy Tofu Grain Bowls are a healthy vegetarian option that's easy to fit in your meal prep plan. Made with wild rice, roasted sweet potatoes, and kale, plus a game-changing tofu technique that doesn't require any pressing!
Friends, hello! We're still officially in roasted sweet potato season, right? Does kale have a season, or can we consider it officially evergreen? I think delicious meal bowls are most definitely a year round thing, so let's do this!
Whether you're scrounging up ideas for holiday side dishes, or are meal planning for the coming weeks, what I've humbly got on offer is a recipe for Spicy Tofu Grain Bowls with Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Kale, and I think you might just like it.
What's in Spicy Tofu Grain Bowls?
If you're thinking it looks like just another kale salad, well, hold your horses my friends. We've got good stuff going on up in here:
- Wild rice
- Lacinato kale
- Roasted sweet potatoes
- Spicy tofu
- Diced apple
- Crumbled cheese
- Balsamic vinaigrette
Tips for making these grain bowls:
- This recipe has a lot of components to it, but you can prepare just about all of them in advance.
- When I made this grain bowl, I cooked the wild rice, roasted the sweet potatoes, and washed the kale a day in advance.
- The day I assembled the grain bowls, I washed the kale, prepped the tofu, whisked together the dressing.
- At go time all I needed to do was dice the apple, crumble the cheese, and toss the whole thing together. Easy as pie.
- Can this recipe be made vegan? You bet. Just leave out the cheese and it's vegan.
- Is this recipe gluten-free? Yep. Totally.
- Can I assemble the grain bowls in advance? Yes ma'am. These grain bowls are good warm, cold, or at room temperature, and in case you were wondering, yes, it does make a fine packed lunch.
Hey Nutrition Lady, cooking tofu scares me:
Can I tell you a secret? I never press tofu. Never! I honestly don't see the point, because I don't think that tofu turns out all that differently pressed or un-pressed. I think tofu pressing is a scam devised by evil folks who want to waste our time. Don't do it!
But! I will tell you that first pan-frying the tofu and then marinating it has been a total game changer in the tofu department. You can also try making this Baked Tofu recipe if you want to simplify things even further.
What's the deal with wild rice?
Wild Rice isn't actually rice at all. Rather, it's a type of grass, known as an aquatic cereal, which is native to Canada and the United States. It's been part of the diet of the First Nations people in areas where it is grown for thousands of years. Wild rice is a good source of B vitamins including B1 (Thiamine), B6, B9 (Folate) and B12, as well as dietary fiber, which helps steady the pace of digestion and regulate glucose uptake.
Other sturdy salads and grain bowls you might enjoy:
Kale Tabbouleh Salad
Kale and Butternut Squash Salad
Sweet Potato, Lentil, and Kale Salad
Winter Citrus Breakfast Salad with Quinoa and Walnuts
Kale Salad with Quinoa and Smoked Feta
Spicy Tofu Grain Bowls with Roasted Sweet Potato
Ingredients
Roasted sweet potatoes
- 2 medium sweet potatoes
- salt and pepper
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
For the tofu
- 12 ounces firm tofu
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup light soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp Sriracha
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tsp honey or other liquid sweetener
- ¼ cup water
For the dressing
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp honey or other liquid sweetener
- salt and pepper to taste
Remaining ingredients
- 1 cup wild rice
- 1 bunch Lacinato kale de-stemmed and sliced into ribbons
- 1 apple cored and diced
- 3 ounces sharp cheese crumbled
Instructions
To make the sweet potatoes
- Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Peel and dice the sweet potatoes into 2cm cubes. Toss with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Arrange the sweet potatoes into a single layer on the baking sheet, and roast for 20-30 minutes, until slightly browned and fork-tender.
- Remove from the oven and set aside to cool slightly.
To make the tofu
- Cut the tofu into 2cm / 1 inch cubes.
- Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tofu and fry for several minutes on each side until browned and a bit crispy.
- While the tofu is frying, whisk together the soy sauce, Sriracha, sesame oil, honey, and water in a small bowl.
- Once the tofu is browned, reduce the heat to low and pour the marinade over top. Allow it to simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the marinade has been absorbed.
- Remove from the heat and set aside.
To make the bowls
- Cook the wild rice according the package directions (I used 1 part rice to 3 parts water, simmered on low, covered, for 45 minutes). The rice should be chewy and slightly firm and may have burst open.
- Drain the wild rice and let cool.
- Whisk together the balsamic vinaigrette.
- In a large bowl combine kale, wild rice, tofu, diced apple, and roasted sweet potatoes. Add the dressing and toss to combine.
- Top with crumbled cheese if desired.
Notes
- Nutrition values are an estimate only.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published November 20, 2017. It was edited and updated on November 27, 2018.
Jean says
Tofu, wild rice, sweet potato, pistachio, greens, and hemp seeds are my favorite.
Katie Trant says
I love the idea of adding pistachios and hemp seeds!
Jean says
I came back to say I make this recipe all the time! I love to place this salad over greens and use the toppings I mentioned above. Sometimes I add fruits like blue or raspberries. This is the best salad recipe. I can’t thank you enough for sharing. I love your recipes. One of the first places I look for tried and true delicious recipes. ❤️
Gail Hunt says
Katie, this is the best way evah to do tofu!!! We need your readers to boost this recipe to the top ten of all time. Help us! Even better than that mung bean thing that consistently rises to the top.
Thank you again.
Gail
Katie Trant says
Yes! Great initiative to start this campaign, Gail! You've got me thinking, perhaps this tofu cooking technique deserves its own post ????
Gail Hunt says
Katie, I come back to this way of doing tofu time and time again. Can I shout out to your readers to boost this up to top ten recipes evah?????!!!!
Gail
Sandy Avvari Nayani says
I just made the tofu portion of this recipe and frying it first and having it cook in the marinade totally was a game changer! Thank you!
Katie Trant says
I know, right?! It's the only way I cook tofu now!
Gail Hunt says
This is as good a salad as I dream about daily - it has everything in the taste and nutrition departments, and I can see it as my comfort food. Thank you a bunch, Katie.
The only change I will make next time is to use low-sodium soy sauce in the tofu marinade.
It's a winner!
Tessa says
Everything about this recipe looks delicious. I love the tip of prepping veggies earlier in the day. Can’t wait to try it out.
Katie Trant says
You can even prep them the day before! It makes quick work of building this salad when you get to it.
kellie@foodtoglow says
This looks soooo goooood! Is that too many o's.? Seriously, it looks like a salad/side dish I will have to try. I'll forgive those extra tofu steps as I trust you. Have a great American Thanksgiving Day. I'll be in London working, so probably eating something spicy on my own! I can't remember a Thanksgiving that I wasn't working. Maybe next year I'll remember to take it off ????
Katie Trant says
Never too many o's, Kellie! I hope you enjoyed your Thanksgiving even if it was alone with a bowl of spicy something - sometimes those are the best meals, even if not at all traditional.