Crispy Tofu Bowls with Basil Sauce
These Crispy Tofu Bowls with Basil Sauce is super easy to make, packed with nutrients and flavor. It's the perfect plant-based dinner to make any time of the year.
Prep Time2 hours hrs 15 minutes mins
Cook Time35 minutes mins
Total Time2 hours hrs 50 minutes mins
Course: Entree
Cuisine: New American-Inspired
Diet: Vegan
Servings: 4
Calories: 610.36kcal
Basil Sauce Ingredients:
- 1 cup packed basil leaves
- 1 cup cashews soaked for at least 2 hours
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- ¼ cup filtered water
- Pinch of salt black pepper, and red chili flakes, plus more to taste
Crispy Tofu Bowls
- 7-8 oz tofu - We used Wildwood's Organic Extra Firm Tofu
- 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
- 1 tbsp lime zest
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp red chili flakes
- 1 ½ cup cooked brown basmati rice - We used Lotus Foods Brown Basmati Rice
- Veggies: Broccolini and Radicchio or use Bok Choy or Broccoli.
Prepare the cashews by soaking them in water for about 2 hours.
Prepare the tofu by wrapping it in a clean kitchen towel. Either use a tofu press or place a heavy plate on top of the tofu to press out all the extra liquid. This step can take up to 1-2 hours, depending on the water content and how dense it is. Check at the 1-hour mark to see if it's ready. To do this, wrap a new clean towel around the tofu and see if it absorbs any additional liquid. If so, continue pressing for another hour.
Preheat the oven to 400°F and make 1/2 cup of rice per the instruction package. This will make about 1 and 1/2 cups of cooked rice.
Prepare the chili lime oil by whisking together the lime juice and zest with the olive oil and seasoning.
Chop up the veggies and cut the tofu into cubes. Carefully toss the chili lime oil with the tofu in a medium bowl and place the tofu on a baking sheet.
Add veggies to the bowl to soak up the leftover oil and add it to the baking sheet.
Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the radicchio and give a good toss to the broccolini and tofu.
Bake for 5-10 additional minutes and remove the broccolini. Toss the tofu one more time, and continue baking for about 5 minutes, or until they become crispy.
Make the Basil Sauce:Rinse the soaked cashews with water and add to a high-speed blender. Add the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth and creamy. Make the tofu bowls:Add 1/2 cup of cooked basmati rice, half of the veggies, and tofu to a bowl. Add the basil sauce on top before serving!
Serving: 1g | Calories: 610.36kcal | Carbohydrates: 67.98g | Protein: 16.28g | Fat: 32.02g | Saturated Fat: 5.04g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6.08g | Monounsaturated Fat: 18.93g | Sodium: 350.92mg | Potassium: 467.47mg | Fiber: 4.53g | Sugar: 2.54g | Vitamin A: 473.18IU | Vitamin C: 7.38mg | Calcium: 119.22mg | Iron: 4.53mg