Crispy Balsamic Tofu & Quinoa Bowls. Turning a boring “quinoa salad” dinner into a delicious bowl that is still packed with all the healthy components, but it warm and cozy for fall weeknights. We’re making a tabbouleh-inspired quick cucumber salad, fluffy quinoa, crispy balsamic glaze tofu and topping it off with some hummus and chili oil. Combining the warm quinoa and tofu with the vibrant parsley-cucumber-tomato-lemon salad is the best of both worlds, cozy and warm with a kick of freshness. And the best part? It’s the easiest healthy weeknight dinner to prepare.
How to make Crispy Balsamic Tofu & Quinoa Bowls…
Start with the quinoa. Add 2 cups of water to a pot with a pinch of salt and boil on high. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and add 1 cup quinoa. Cover and let cook about 20 minutes until fluffy.
Next, combine the cucumber salad ingredients and let it sit so the flavours have a change to marinate.
For the tofu, simply cut firm tofu into small cubes and toss with salt, pepper and corn starch. Fry in a skillet with olive oil and garlic until golden. Add balsamic glaze (I get mine from Costco and I put it on evvvvverything, it is so delicious!) and fry a few minutes until coated and crisp.
The perfect weeknight dinner AND packed lunch!
Thats it! Plate it all up with some hummus and I love adding a drizzle of chili oil to finish it off.
What I love most about this recipe is that it is so balanced! We’ve got protein, carbs, healthy fats and fresh vegetables. Whats not to love! I also love that it makes great leftovers. So simple and quick to make a larger batch of everything to have bowls all week long! This makes a great meal prep for packed lunches too!
Looking for more weeknight dinner ideas? Try these…
Vegan Pumpkin Alla Vodka Pasta
Sheet Pan Open Face Tomato Basil Sandwiches & Roasted Potatoes
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Crispy Balsamic Tofu & Quinoa Bowls
- Total Time: 35 mins
- Yield: 2-3 servings
Description
A vegan tabbouleh-inspired quick cucumber salad, fluffy quinoa, crispy balsamic glaze tofu bowl topped with some hummus and chili oil.
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry quinoa
- 1 block firm tofu, pressed and cubed
- 2 tbsp corn starch
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tbsp balsamic glaze
Cucumber salad:
- 1 cup chopped cucumber
- 1 cup chopped tomato
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1–2 cloves garlic, minced
- salt and pepper
For serving (optional):
- hummus
- chili oil
Instructions
- Add 2 cups of water to a pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add quinoa and a pinch of salt and reduce heat to low. Cover and cook about 15-20 minutes until fluffy.
- Combine all cucumber salad ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, toss tofu with a pinch of salt, pepper and the corn starch.
- Heat a skillet to medium-high with olive oil. One hot, add garlic and tofu and fry about 8 minutes, stirring a few times to crisp all sides, until tofu is golden and crisp.
- Reduce heat to low, add balsamic glaze (add more or less depending how much you like) and stir to coat.
- Assemble bowls and top with hummus and a drizzle of chili oil is desired. Serve.
Notes
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge up to 4 days.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
This bowl recipe is fantastic! 4 reasons why: super quick to make, simple to prepare, lots of flavor and healthy. It’s great because you can prep items ahead of time and throw the bowls together easily before serving. I loved the crispiness of the tofu and the balsamic glaze was surprisingly really good. (I used Trader Joe’s Balsamic Glaze.). I served it with warm pita as well. My husband, who really isn’t the biggest fan of quinoa, said it was super good. Will definitely make again!
★★★★★
Delicious!! I’m a fairly novice cook, and this was easy, and dare I say fun to make.
I also liked the timing of it all, that while the quinoa simmered, I could make the salad, and while the tofu fried I could do up the dishes. 10/10
★★★★★