tofu & sweet potato grain bowl (revisited)

To the uninitiated, grain bowls appear to be a collection of sundry bits and bites casually piled together moments before mealtime. But behind every bowl is the choreography of preparing all the component parts with minimal sweat and mess. For months I’ve been refining this choreography for my weekly tofu grain bowl, which I first posted about in 2023. My process and some of the ingredients have evolved since then.

The primary goal of these evolutions was to achieve tofu cubes that are well-seasoned, crispy on the outside, and spongy in the center; but I also made other updates for the sake of ease and efficiency (for instance, wilting the greens in the oven instead of on the stove, swapping out the brown rice for quicker-cooking quinoa, and using raw red onion instead of pickled). That said, I invite you to combine your favorite elements of both these recipes for your own weekly grain bowl.

To me, sinking a fork into the bowl to mix together all these lovingly crafted elements more than makes up for the tedium of some steps in this process. So, go forth and grain bowl. May your tofu be crispy and your appetite strong.

Watch the video!

Serves 2

Ingredients

1/2 block tofu 

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 tablespoon nutritional yeast (for a nutty, cheesy effect)

1/4 teaspoon each of onion powder and garlic powder

salt and pepper

olive oil

1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cubed

1/4 cup dry quinoa

1 hearty spoonful of mayonnaise

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar

1 heaping cup chopped red cabbage

1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion

1/3 cup chopped cucumber

2 big handfuls chopped kale

oil and vinegar

sesame seeds (optional)

1 avocado

1/4 cup crumbled feta

Honey Dijon Yogurt Dressing

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon plain Greek yogurt

1-2 teaspoons water

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Slice the tofu block in half horizontally. Store half of it in water in a sealed container in the fridge for up to three days. Wrap the other half in a clean towel and use something heavy to press it for 15–20 minutes.

2. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the cornstarch, nutritional yeast, onion powder, and garlic powder with a pinch of salt and pepper. 

3. Slice the pressed tofu into 24 cubes (6 by 4) and add them to the bowl. Toss to coat the cubes in the dry mix. Then drizzle about 1 tablespoon olive oil over the tofu and toss again. The oil and dry mix create a paste that sticks to the tofu cubes.

4. Spread out the tofu cubes in a single layer on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Then dump the cubed sweet potato into empty bowl. Hit ‘em with a drizzle of oil and some salt and pepper, toss to coat, then spread them out on the other half of the oiled baking sheet.

5. Roast the tofu and sweet potato at 400°F for 15–20 minutes. In the meantime, follow the next steps to prep the quinoa, slaw, and kale.

6. Pour the dry quinoa and 1/2 cup water into a small pot. Cover the pot and heat it over medium high heat until the water boils. Then turn the heat to low and simmer until all the water has been absorbed (about 8–10 minutes). Take the pot off the heat but keep it covered until you’re ready to serve.

7. In your mixing bowl, whisk together the mayo and 1 tablespoon vinegar to make a smooth dressing. Season with salt and pepper. Then toss in the red cabbage, red onion, and cucumber. Toss until everything is coated in dressing, then set aside.

8. In another mixing bowl, toss the kale with a light drizzle of both oil and vinegar. I use my hands for this to make sure all the kale is coated—doing so also helps tenderize the kale. Season the kale with salt and pepper and a sprinkling of sesame seeds.

9. When the tofu and sweet potato come out of the oven, flip each tofu cube. Use a spatula to move the sweet potatoes into a pile to make space for the kale. Spread the kale out on the sheet and put everything back in the oven for 5 more minutes.

10. During those last 5 minutes, whisk together the Dijon mustard, honey, and Greek yogurt in a small bowl. Thin out the dressing with 1 to 2 teaspoons of water.

11. Divide everything you’ve prepped between two serving bowls. Add to each bowl half an avocado and 2 tablespoons crumbled feta. Drizzle the bowls with dressing and dive in.