BBQ Tofu Bowls

Close up of triangles of BBQ tofu on a bed of kale, coleslaw, and quinoa.

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5 from 2 votes

These bowls are loaded with creamy coleslaw, marinated tofu, sautéed kale and quinoa! Perfect for lunch or meal prep.

Prep Time30

Cook Time15

Marinade Time15

Total Time1

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: servings

Calories: 621kcal

Author: Cassidy Reeser, MS, RD

Ingredients

BBQ Tofu

14 ounce block extra firm tofu
⅓ cup sweet barbecue sauce of choice plus more for topping
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon hot sauce optional
1 tablespoon neutral oil

Kale Cabbage Slaw

4 leaves curly kale about 4 ounces
olive oil as needed
2 cups coleslaw mix or shredded cabbage
15 ounce can chickpeas drained and rinsed
¼ cup pumpkin seeds
1 tablespoon hemp hearts optional

Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 heaping tablespoon stone ground mustard
1 heaping tablespoon honey adjust to taste
kosher salt to taste

Bowl Assembly

1 cup dry quinoa
1 ¾ cups vegetable broth or water
kosher salt to taste
3 chopped pickles for serving

Instructions

Press the tofu for 10 minutes. To do this, use a tofu press or place tofu between two plates. Weigh down the top plate with a bag of beans or a can.
After pressing, cut tofu into 1-inch triangles that are about ¼-inch thick.
Stir together the marinade ingredients in a small bowl: BBQ sauce, apple cider vinegar, optional hot sauce. Coat the tofu in the marinade. Let marinate for at least 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the quinoa. Combine 1 cup quinoa, 1 ¾ cup vegetable broth, and a pinch of salt in a small pot. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a gentle simmer over low heat. Cover and simmer until the quinoa is cooked through, about 15-20 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving.
Heat a cast iron or non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Add one tablespoon neutral oil, or enough to coat the skillet. Once hot, add the tofu without the marinade (reserve the marinade!) Cook the tofu until golden, about 6-8 minutes. Flip and repeat on the reverse side.
Once the tofu is golden on both sides, reduce heat to low. Stir in the reserved marinade, cooking for just a minute to warm. Turn off the heat and set aside.
To make the vinaigrette: In a jar or bullet blender, combine the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, mayonnaise, mustard, honey, and pinch of salt. Taste for honey and mustard, adjusting to taste.
Remove stems from the kale. Roughly chop the kale into small pieces and transfer to a large bowl. Drizzle with a small amount of olive oil and massage with clean hands for a minute to tenderize the kale.
To the kale add the coleslaw, drained and rinsed chickpeas, pumpkin seeds, and optional hemp hearts. Toss to combine. Stir in just ⅔ of the honey mustard vinaigrette, tossing to combine again.
Assemble bowls by making a bed of quinoa and topping with the kale slaw and BBQ tofu. Drizzle with remaining vinaigrette before serving. Optionally, top each serving with a chopped pickle.

Video

Notes

BBQ sauce: This recipe works best with sweet BBQ sauce. If using a tangy, vinegar-based sauce I recommend replacing the apple cider vinegar in the mariade with an equal amount of vegetable broth.

Makes 3-4 servings. Nutrition calculations are an estimation will vary based on ingredients used.

Storage & reheating:

There are two ways to store leftovers. Either store the quinoa and tofu together (warm components) and the salad separately (cold component), or portion out into meal prep containers and serve everything chilled.
Reheat leftover tofu on the stovetop over medium heat until crisp. You can also reheat it in the microwave.

Nutrition