Baked Broccoli Tofu Bowls with Orange Ginger Dressing
I’m so happy to see that some of you are open to the idea of challenging yourself to eat vegan for a week. Giving up your favorite foods (hello cheese!) might seem a little daunting at first but I think sometimes it can be beneficial to experiment with your diet and see how your body reacts.
I know I mentioned that I felt a little more bloated than usual after completely eliminating animal products but the more I think about it, I wonder if maybe my body just needed a little more time to adjust. That and maybe my brain needed more time to figure out how to incorporate certain foods to make it easier on my digestive system.
By the way, is all of this GI talk making you hungry yet?
I’m confident that these tofu bowls would have made a great addition to my week of vegan eats because they’re about as light and clean as it gets. Crispy baked tofu and broccoli are layered on a bed of fresh cabbage and topped with a tamari, citrus and ginger dressing.
It’s just enough to fill you up and entertain your taste buds without making you look like you’re carrying a food baby. Because nobody likes being asked if they’re pregnant when they’re not, amiright?
Outside of pressing and marinating the tofu, it’s a pretty easy meal to put together. I like to make the dressing and press the tofu the day before and then let it marinate in the refrigerator overnight so that it’s ready to throw in the oven when I get home from work.
I have tried only marinating the tofu for an hour as well and it was still really good so you could probably get away with letting it marinate it for at least 30 minutes if you want to make it the same day.
I also found that topping it with a little bit of orange vinegar (the same one from Trader Joe’s I used in the Orange Avocado Salad) in addition to the dressing helps the flavors pop more, but if you don’t have any that’s okay. I originally made it without and we still loved it.
Well, I hope you guys are loving citrus as much as I am lately because I’ve got a few more up my sleeve. In the meantime, enjoy this one. It’s sure to leave you feeling like a champ! :)
Ingredients
16 ounces extra firm tofu, pressed*
4 cups broccoli florets
1 small head green cabbage, thinly sliced (approx. 5 cups)
2 cups shredded carrots
6 green onions, diced
Orange Ginger Dressing
juice and zest of 2 large oranges
3 inches fresh ginger (approx. 3 tablespoons minced)
4 garlic cloves (approx. 2 tablespoons minced)
4 tablespoons tamari (low sodium, if necessary or preferred)
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar (or orange vinegar)
2 tablespoons olive oil
additional tamari and orange vinegar for topping/to taste (optional)
Instructions
- After the tofu has been pressed of excess water, dice it into 1” inch squares and then transfer to a large shallow bowl.
- Prepare the dressing by stirring all of the ingredients together (or you can avoid mincing the garlic and ginger by placing everything into a food processor and blending) until smooth. Reserve 1/2 cup of the dressing for later then pour the remaining portions into the bowl with the tofu. Stir until the tofu is evenly coated then cover the bowl with plastic wrap or tinfoil and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 24 hours.
- When you’re ready to eat, preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper (or greased tinfoil). Transfer the tofu to the baking sheet and bake in the oven for 12 minutes on each side.
- Next toss the broccoli with one tablespoon high heat oil then place in the oven with the tofu and cook for 15-20 minutes, until light brown on the edges.
- Meanwhile prepare the bowls by layering the cabbage and carrots in the bottom of 4 separate dishes and topping with 1/2 of the remaining dressing.
- Once the tofu and broccoli are done cooking, distribute them into each of the bowls. Finish off with remaining dressing and top with green onions, additional tamari (to taste) and orange vinegar (optional). Serve immediately and store cooled leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Notes
*To press tofu, place between two kitchen towels or multiple paper towels and then lay a heavy book on top. Allow it to press for 1-2 hours or you can use an actual tofu press to remove excess water.
Time does not include pressing tofu or marinating it as both will vary depending on method. I prefer to prepare the tofu and the dressing the day before to save time and let the tofu marinate overnight in the refrigerator.
I’m so relieved to hear I’m not the only one who gets the poo belly bloat when I eat primarily veggies! We bloaters need to stick together, so you can GI talk me anytime you want ;) This meal looks faaaaabulous! I admit I have zero experience with cooking tofu at home, but I’m always open to a new food adventure That orange ginger dressing is slapping.me.silly! I want all the broccoli bowls! :D
I have been vegetarian for the last 3 weeks or so and I think my brain is foggy – I completely forgot that I could eat tofu – and tofu with that Orange Ginger Dressing of yours just might de-fog my brain! This looks delicious!
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. :-) Have you tried using a tofu press? I absolutely love mine. Works well for re-hydrating the tofu too. Happy Friday!
Is it weird that GI talk actually fascinates me? :lol: It’s one of those things that I feel like everyone is curious about, but no one really admits to. And it’s been forever since I’ve had baked tofu, but you’re seriously making me crave some… especially with that amazing dressing. I don’t know what it is, but I’ve been craving citrus like a madwoman lately, and I love the idea of using it in salads!
I love using fresh ginger, and also making broccoli tofu bowls – so healthy & nourishing! Ginger gives meals such a nice spicy sort of zest.
Can I come to your house for a photo lesson (and lunch)!? I’m hating my photos lately =/
This looks so yummy!! What a healthy recipe!! SO nourishing and delicious!! :) Great idea girl!
This looks so good! I love tofu with citrusy flavours. I once made tofu in an orange marinade that tasted incredible but I forgot to write down what I did, so when I went to try to recreate it I totally forgot how I made it! I’ve never been able to make it as good since haha.
Oh gosh… this crispy baked tofu is calling my name!! Looks so delicious! And this dressing is divine! pinned!
I really should try eating vegan for a week. This would probably be the first recipe I would try!
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Yummy! I should start marinating tofu. It’s a product that I consume quite regularly but without enthusiasm. I am going to try this intriguing citrus-y recipe.
Oh the dressing alone is making me want this dish everyday of the week! Love when you can get tofu nice and crispy! I’ve got to try this! Thanks for sharing, Pinning!
haha oh food babies – I definitely get those – ugh bloating is the worst!! And I don’t mind the GI talk :) Is that weird??? lol
These bowls sound delicious! I can’t get enough broccoli lately or citrus – so these sound perfect!
For next day serving, should the tofu and broccoli be warmed up. It seems when it’s made the first day the tofu and broccoli are oven warm which sounds delicious along with the cooler items. However the next day, the tofu and broccoli are stored in the refrigerator and taking it out in advance to get at room temperature will not capture the warmth of the first day’s oven bake, so I thought maybe warming up the tofu and broccoli would reproduce the same experience.
Thanks.
Hi Kazy! You can store the leftover broccoli and tofu separate from the remaining ingredients and then reheat them when ready to serve. :)
Hey Sarah, sorry but I got a few more questions about your recipe. It’s in the directions. I’m confused. In step 2 you say to divide the dressing in half. One half for later, the other half to marinate the tofu. In step 5 you say to top the cabbage and carrots with 1/2 of the remaining dressing. But then in Step 6 you say to finish off the remaining dressing over the cooked tofu and broccoli. That’s 3 x as to when the dressing is applied.
Now on another note, which might explain this dilemma in step 3 you say to transfer the marinated tofu to a baking sheet. You don’t say what to do with the marinade afterward. Set aside, pour over the tofu on the baking sheet. Is the dressing that soaked the tofu the dressing in step 5 or step 6?
Confused. The other question I have – sorry – is about the baking of the tofu and broccoli. Are these done at the same time or is the broccoli added later? The problem I am having with the baking of the broccoli and tofu together is that, that is an awful lot of tofu and broccoli to be baked together on one baking sheet. Are you sure there will be enough room for everything?
Sorry for the confusion, Kazy! Yes, the leftover marinade is what I meant to be used for the final topping. The tofu is baked first and then the broccoli is added halfway through the time that the tofu bakes, in a separate baking dish. So they will be in the oven at the same time but in separate pans.
I hope that helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions!
Thank you so much. That helps me out a lot. Sorry for being so dense in reading directions.