Harissa Tofu Bowls (half-hour!)

Harissa tofu bowls with herbed rice, crunchy veggies and a zesty dressing is a simple, flavor-packed weeknight meal that’s very versatile! Make it precisely as-is, or combine and match veggies to make use of what you’ve gotten. Serve in a bowl, or make a wrap!

That is the kind of bowl meal that I like to whip up on busy weeknights: a lot of crunchy veggies; a scrumptious dressing; and protein, like marinated beans or crisp, seasoned tofu. You mix all of it in a bowl with both cooked grains, comparable to rice or quinoa, or some pasta/noodles. This mix is so versatile and works very well! And the most effective half is that for many of them, there’s little cooking time, so it comes collectively rapidly and is completely scrumptious and satisfying. 

The flavour in these harissa tofu bowls comes from the scrumptious crisped tofu seasoned with harissa sauce and herbs, and the zesty garlic lime maple dressing. Plus, there’s all that taste from the totally different herbs and crunchy veggies, as properly.

You possibly can convert this right into a wrap or sandwich, too, should you like! Different versatile meals like this embrace my Vietnamese curry tofu bowl, chili garlic sandwich, gochujang sandwich, and curry banh mi. Or make into hummus bowls like my harissa cauliflower hummus bowl. These may also be served as bowls or as sandwiches or wraps. 

You possibly can change up the veggies in these harissa tofu bowls to make use of whichever veggies you want. It’s also possible to pair it with shredded lettuce or cabbage as a substitute of rice, if you’d like it to be extra like a salad. It’s simply an extremely versatile recipe, so have enjoyable, and make it your personal!

Why You’ll Love Harissa Tofu Bowls

• tremendous versatile, 30-minute meal
• crunchy veggies make this dish so FRESH and scale back cooking time!
• crisp, flavorful harissa tofu is so scrumptious!
• naturally gluten-free and nut-free with simple soy-free choices

Substances and Substitutions

• tofu – That is your protein. If you happen to don’t like tofu or need to make this soy-free, you should utilize soy-free rooster substitute, chickpeas, different beans, or chickpea tofu as a substitute.
• harissa – This can be a spicy chili paste from North Africa that has a powerful bell pepper taste. You can also make this with spicy or delicate harissa paste. To make use of powdered harissa spice mix, combine the harissa spice with a bit little bit of lemon juice and two tablespoons of chopped crimson pepper and use. It’s also possible to use a special sauce or paste. You should use some berbere spice or cajun spice and add in some Asian chili garlic sauce to the tofu together with the spice mix for variation.
• dried herbs and spices – The tofu will get tons of taste from paprika, garlic powder, salt, and dried basil or oregano. The dressing will get a bit warmth from crushed crimson pepper flakes.
• cornstarch – Helps the tofu crisp up within the pan or within the oven.
• rice vinegar – Provides tang to the dressing. You should use white vinegar as a substitute, should you like.
• maple syrup – A contact of candy brings out the dressing flavors.
• lime – Lime juice and zest give the dressing such a tremendous taste!
• garlic – Contemporary garlic provides warmth and umami to the dressing.
• recent herbs – Chopped inexperienced onion and minced cilantro and basil give these harissa tofu bowls a lot freshness!
• crunchy veggies – I’m utilizing cucumber, radish, and crimson onion, however be at liberty to make use of no matter crunchy veggies you want, like carrots, celery, lettuce or cabbage and many others.
• rice or grains – Use no matter rice or grains you want! It’s also possible to use shredded lettuce and/or cabbage for extra of a salad bowl.
• garnishes – Garnish with lime juice and sesame seeds, hemp seeds, or crushed peanuts.

Easy methods to Make Harissa Tofu Bowls

Press the tofu, should you haven’t already, after which tear into bite-sized items. If you happen to don’t need to make them into natural shapes, you can even dice them into 1” cubes. Add to a bowl, add the harissa sauce, and toss properly to coat.

Then combine the paprika, garlic powder, salt, oregano, and cornstarch in a small bowl, and sprinkle it all around the tofu, tossing properly to coat. Then, you’ll be able to bake, pan fry, or grill this tofu. 

To pan fry or grill: Warmth a skillet or grill over medium-high warmth, and add the teaspoon of oil. As soon as the oil is sizzling, add the tofu, unfold it out evenly, then cook dinner till a lot of the tofu is darker in shade and crisp, flipping each 2 to three minutes, then take away from the skillet. 

To bake: Add the teaspoon of oil to the tofu, toss properly to coat, then unfold the tofu on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 400° F (205° C) for 20 to 25 minutes. 

Add the entire dressing elements to a bowl. Combine very well, and put aside.

Slice the inexperienced onion and chop up the basil and cilantro finely, together with the cilantro stems. Slice your crunchy veggies, should you haven’t already, as properly.

Add half of the dressing to the cooked rice together with half of the herbs, tossing properly. Style and modify the flavour, including extra salt, if wanted. For extra tang, add in additional lime juice.

Add the rice combination to your serving bowls and prime with a beneficiant serving of the crunchy veggies. Prime together with your harissa tofu after which add a drizzle of the remaining dressing and the remaining chopped herbs. Garnish with lime juice and sesame seeds, hemp seeds, or crushed peanuts and serve. 

What to Serve with Harissa Tofu

That is actually an entire meal by itself, however you’ll be able to undoubtedly serve it with extras, should you like! If you happen to make this as a salad and need to do a soup-and-salad combo, my West African peanut lentil soup goes nice with this. It’s also possible to serve with a aspect of Atakilt Wat and even use this rather than or along with the crunchy veggies.