Thai Peanut Tofu Quinoa Bowl
This flavorful Thai Peanut Tofu Quinoa Bowl combines crispy tofu coated in a mouthwatering thai peanut sauce, nutty warm quinoa, and crisp vegetables for an easy meal that is high in protein. Not only is this bowl delicious, it’s filled with nutrient-packed healthy ingredients!
This tofu quinoa bowl has the perfect balance of grains, protein, veggies, and fats (kind of like a buddha bowl!) to create an amazing plant-based meal. The thai peanut sauce has great flavor (you will literally want to lick the bowl clean!).
This bowl is easily customizable too with any stir fry veggies you like.
If you love this bowl, I guarantee you will go crazy for this Crispy Asian Tofu Buddha Bowl or my Chili Crisp Tofu Bowl!
Other fabulous tofu recipes:
- These Crispy Buffalo Tofu Bites are easy to make in the air fryer and pair well with vegan ranch!
- This Teriyaki Tofu Stir Fry is another delish weeknight meal with a great sauce.
- You will go crazy for this Miso Glazed Tofu, one of the best tofu marinades of all time!
Ingredients
Ingredient notes:
- Extra firm tofu: I highly recommend extra firm tofu for this recipe for the best texture and taste. Make sure to use a tofu press or wrap your tofu in paper towel or dish cloth and place a heavy object on top of it for ~20 minutes.
- Quinoa: There are lots of variations of quinoa at grocery stores these days ranging from white to red to tricolor to black. I personally like white quinoa as it has a mild nutty flavor, cooks relatively quickly, and the color looks nice with this bowl (I know, aesthetics aren’t everything but it’s nice when your food looks pretty!) I also use white quinoa in this refreshing Quinoa Chickpea Salad!
- Soy sauce: This will add flavor to the peanut sauce. If you are gluten-free use tamari or coconut aminos.
See recipe card for full recipe ingredient list and quantities.
📝Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Dice your drained and pressed tofu into 1 inch blocks. In a large skillet begin heating some sesame oil over medium heat. Add in tofu cubes and cook until golden brown (about 5 minutes per side), adding more sesame oil if necessary.While its pan-frying, cook your veggies in a skillet next to it.
Step 2: In another large skillet add your broccoli and snap peas and cook over medium heat. Optional: add a little bit of oil and salt and pepper.Cook for ~ 10-12 minutes until a little crisp. Halfway through add in a splash of water and cover for 2 minutes to help the broccoli cook through.
Step 3: Whisk together sauce ingredients in a small bowl, adding more water if necessary for desired consistency.
Step 4:With the tofu still in its original skillet, add half the peanut sauce to it. On low heat cook it for 1-2 minutes so the sauce is warm.
Step 5: Assemble your tofu quinoa bowls with the fluffy quinoa, cooked veggies, and peanut tofu. Drizzle more peanut sauce on top. Top with chopped cilantro, crushed peanuts, diced green onion, and/or fresh lime squeeze.
▶︎Love peanut sauce? Check out my flavorful Peanut Tofu Stir Fry!
❓Recipe FAQs
Rinse your quinoa before cooking to get rid of bitterness. Toast your quinoa in the pot over medium heat for 1-2 minutes before adding the water to add more flavor. Cook it with vegetable broth instead of water for more flavor.
In order to get crispy pan-fried tofu, make sure your tofu is drained and pressed for at least 20 minutes to remove excess water. Make sure you use enough sesame oil and let it warm up for 1-2 minutes before adding in the tofu. Cook on medium heat and avoiding flipping the tofu for at least 5 minutes to let it get a good golden brown crisp on one side. At 5 minutes, check it to see if its darkening up. Depending on the heat of your stove or pan, it may need another minute or two. Cook on each side for about 5 minutes (You don’t necessarily need to cook every side of the tofu- I usually just do two sides if it is more a rectangular shape).
Store all the ingredients either in the same container or separate for meal prep in airtight containers in the fridge. Store the sauce in a separate container. If the sauce is too thick after it settles, add in 1-2 more tbsp of hot water to help loosen it up.
Pro Tips
- Rinsing your quinoa before you cook it can remove bitterness. I also love to cook my quinoa in vegetable broth for more flavor.
- If your broccoli is taking a long time to cook through on the skillet, add more water and cover it to steam for 1-2 minutes.
- You can also serve this bowl with other veggies like this Air Fryer Broccolini Recipe!
- For an oil-free recipe, you can bake your tofu instead of pan-frying. Bake in on a parchment lined sheet for 25 minutes at 400F, flipping halfway through until its golden brown.
⇨ Other Delicious Recipes ⇦
♡ Did you love this recipe? ♡
Leave a ⭐️rating and ✏️comment below (I love to read them!) Tag us on Instagram with a photo or video of your dish 📸 @naturallieplantbased.
Subscribe for more delicious recipes!
Thai Peanut Tofu Quinoa Bowl
Save This Recipe
Want to get this recipe in your email? Just enter your email below and get it now along with new recipe updates!
Equipment
- 2 Large skillets for tofu and veggies
- 1 Pot for quinoa
- 1 Small bowl for sauce
Ingredients
- 1 block extra firm tofu drained and pressed
- 1-2 tbsp sesame oil for pan-frying tofu* See note
- 3 cups cooked quinoa (1 cup uncooked)
- 4-5 cups chopped broccoli or 12 oz pre-chopped bag
- 1 cup sugar snap peas
Thai Peanut Sauce
- 1/2 cup drippy peanut butter
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp sriracha
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1 tsp ginger paste or minced ginger or 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 2-4 tbsp hot water
Optional Toppings
- diced green onion
- crushed peanuts
- chopped cilantro
- fresh lime juice
Instructions
- Dice your drained and pressed tofu into 1 inch blocks/rectangles. In a large skillet begin heating some sesame oil over medium heat. Add in tofu cubes and cook until golden brown (about 5 minutes per side), adding more sesame oil if necessary.While its pan-frying, cook your veggies in a skillet next to it.1 block extra firm tofu, 1-2 tbsp sesame oil
- In another large skillet add your broccoli and snap peas and cook over medium heat. Optional: add a little bit of oil and salt and pepper.Cook for ~ 10-12 minutes until a little crisp. Halfway through add in a splash of water and cover for 2 minutes to help the broccoli cook through.4-5 cups chopped broccoli, 1 cup sugar snap peas
- Whisk together sauce ingredients in a small bowl, adding more water if necessary for desired consistency.1/2 cup drippy peanut butter, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tsp sriracha, 2 cloves minced garlic, 1 tsp ginger paste or minced ginger, 2-4 tbsp hot water
- With the tofu still in its original skillet, add half the peanut sauce to it. On low heat cook it for 1-2 minutes so the sauce is warm.
- Assemble your tofu quinoa bowls with the fluffy quinoa, cooked veggies, and peanut tofu. Drizzle more peanut sauce on top. Top with chopped cilantro, crushed peanuts, diced green onion, and/or fresh lime squeeze.
Notes
- This bowl is great for meal prep! Consider doubling some of the ingredients if you want to have it for multiple lunches or dinners.
- Did you know if you rinse quinoa thoroughly before cooking it helps remove bitterness? Cooking quinoa in veggie broth also gives it great flavor!
- Add in any other veggies you like to this stir fry such as red bell peppers slices, onions, bok choy, spinach, and more!
- Instead of cubes, cut your tofu into rectangular shapes. This helps with pan-frying so you essentially only need to fry two sides instead of four if its a perfect cube.
We made this bowl last night for dinner for 3 people. It was a very hearty meal and many forgot that they were eating a vegan meal. The tofu was very flavorful because it was perfectly seasoned and cooked. This meal is now going to be on a weekly dinner rotation.
These images are stunning and make me hungry for this recipe!
I’ve been looking for more high protein recipes that are easy to prep. I came across this and tried it last night! I loved the flavors, especially the peanut sauce! I’m definitely making this again!
Thanks for the review Sheryl! I love that peanut sauce too.