Tofu and Pesto Bowls

These tofu and pesto bowls with roasted vegetables and quinoa are the perfect plant-based bowl recipe. A homemade parsley and sunflower seed pesto is easy and versatile, and perfect for any time of the year. Crispy baked tofu is packed with protein and flavour. Nobody will miss the meat in this recipe!

Healthy bowls are one of my favourite weeknight meals. They’re colourful and packed with flavour and nutrients. These tofu and pesto bowls are part of the weekly rotation in our house. You can enjoy them at any time of the year; just vary the roasted vegetables according to what’s in season!

If you love bowl recipes, try my Moroccan Chickpea Bowls, Scrambled Egg and Broccoli Pesto Bowls, and BBQ Meatball Bowls next!

Jump to:

• Why You’ll Love This Recipe
• Tofu Bowl Ingredients
• Instructions
• Recipe Notes and Tips
• Substitutions and Variations
• Kitchen Tools
• Storage Instructions
• More Tofu Recipes
• Tofu and Pesto Bowls

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Simple: While these tofu and pesto bowls have a few different elements, they all come together quickly–especially if you make the pesto ahead of time!
• Versatile: These bowls are easy to customize based on vegetables and proteins that you have on hand. Not a fan of tofu? Feel free to use grilled salmon or chicken, falafel, or marinated lentils.
• Healthy: Packed with protein, healthy fat, fibre, and antioxidants, this meal makes you feel as good as it tastes.

Tofu Bowl Ingredients

• Veggies: For the roasted vegetables, you’ll need cauliflower and red bell peppers, along with some extra-virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper.
• Tofu: The protein source in these bowls is tofu. I love making it extra tasty and crispy with some seasonings that I’ll discuss next.
• Seasonings for the tofu: Extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice, tamari, nutritional yeast, and arrowroot starch. Tofu is pretty bland on its own, so these seasonings help to give it a flavour boost. A coating of arrowroot starch helps it crisp up in the oven.
• Parsley pesto ingredients: You’ll make a homemade pesto consisting of parsley, sunflower seeds or pepitas, lemon juice, extra-virgin olive oil, nutritional yeast, garlic, salt, and pepper.
• Cooked grains of choice: I used quinoa, but rice, buckwheat, farro, and millet are all great options.

Instructions

1. MAKE THE ROASTED VEGETABLES: Line a second baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the cauliflower florets and chopped red pepper in a bowl. Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to coat and place the vegetables in an even layer on a baking sheet. Roast at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 30-35 minutes, or until cauliflower and peppers are tender and browned around the edges. 
2. MAKE THE CRISPY BAKED TOFU: Chop the tofu into ½-inch cubes. Place in a bowl. Whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, tamari, and nutritional yeast in a small dish. Pour over the tofu cubes. Sprinkle with the arrowroot and gently toss to coat. Place on a baking sheet (I usually line the baking sheet with parchment paper first) and bake at 400 degrees F for 25-30 minutes, or until browned and crispy to your liking. 
3. MAKE THE PESTO: Add the parsley, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, garlic, sunflower seeds, salt, and pepper to a blender. Start blending, and gradually add the olive oil through the upper tube. Process until smooth, and transfer into a container until ready to serve. 
4. SERVE THE BOWLS: Portion out the tofu, roasted vegetables, and quinoa into bowls. Top with pesto and serve. 

Recipe Notes and Tips

• I use a lot of lemon in my pestos. I like them tangy! But feel free to reduce the amount of lemon juice to your taste. 
• These bowls are great for meal prep lunches. You can make all the components on Sunday and enjoy them throughout the work week. They also travel well. 
• Don’t forget to cook the quinoa or whichever grain you’re using right after you put the tofu into the oven so that it’s ready when you need it. 

Substitutions and Variations

• Use other vegetables: In the summer, broccoli, zucchini, and eggplant are some good alternatives or additions to cauliflower and bell peppers. In the fall and winter, try butternut squash and mushrooms.
• Parsley: Instead of using parsley in the pesto, feel free to use basil or cilantro.
• Tofu: If you don’t love tofu, swap it out for grilled chicken or salmon, falafel, chickpeas, black beans, or marinated lentils. Or try my Mediterranean White Beans.
• Pasta: For a fun variation, toss the pesto with cooked pasta and serve the crispy baked tofu and roasted vegetables over top.

Kitchen Tools

Before you start cooking, make sure that you have the kitchen tools you’ll need:

• Food processor
• Two large rimmed baking sheets
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Mixing bowl
• Glass storage container

Storage Instructions

Store the roasted vegetables, tofu, pesto, and quinoa in separate containers in the refrigerator for up to four days. If meal prepping, portion out servings into individual containers and store them for the same amount of time.

More Tofu Recipes

Looking for more tofu recipes? Try these next!

 

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Enjoy! 

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