Name: Vegetarian Sushi Bowl with Sesame Tofu
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Asian
Ingredients: 2 cups cooked sushi rice; 1 cucumber, chopped; 1 avocado; 2 large carrots, grated, peeled, or chopped; 1 cup shredded purple cabbage; 1 block extra firm tofu (I like the brand Soy Boy); 1 tbsp avocado oil; 2 tbsp + 1 tbsp arrowroot powder/starch; 2 cloves garlic, finely minced; 2 tbsp toasted sesame oil; 2 tbsp maple syrup; 1 tbsp vegetable broth; 1/4 tsp ground ginger; 1 tbsp sesame seeds; Optional: chopped nori

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This vegetarian sushi bowl and sesame tofu recipe is a quick and easy weeknight dinner. Crispy, delicious, loaded with plant protein and sesame goodness.

Finished sushi bowl with sesame tofu and black chopsticks on the side.

If the thought of tofu makes you squirm and think of bland blocks of mush, think again!! This sesame tofu is crispy, PACKED with flavor and ready in just 10 minutes. This is what Tuesday night (or any night really) dinner dreams are made of.

Sushi bowls (and my new favorite poke bowls) are a lazy gal’s go to dinner. I mean who doesn’t love sushi? But who wants to spend extra time delicately rolling your filling into a piece of seaweed only to have everything fall apart?! Not I!!! So it’s sushi bowls to the rescue. They’re everything you would want in sushi, only put in a bowl instead. I like to top mine with some chopped nori to give the ultimate sushi feel.

Sesame tofu in a black skillet with sesame seeds sprinkled on top.

How to make crispy tofu

More often than not, super crispy tofu is deep fried. I didn’t want to go that route, so I’ve come up with an easy pan fried method that makes the ultimate crispy sesame tofu.

Take a block of extra firm tofu and remove it from the package. Drain off any excess liquid and place the tofu between a kitchen towel or a few paper towels.
Since most of us don’t have a tofu press, I like to take a tea pot filled with water or a couple of heavy books to press the excess liquid out of the tofu. You ideally want to do this for about 30 minutes, but even just 10 minutes will help the tofu firm up and get extra crispy.
Chop the tofu into small cubes and add to a bowl.
Toss the tofu in the arrowroot powder/starch until each piece is well coated. You can also sub for corn starch.
Add the tofu to a pan with a small amount of avocado oil and let cook on each side until golden brown. The secret here is to not touch the tofu while it’s cooking on each side to make sure it gets ultra crispy.
Once every side is golden, add in the sauce and simmer over low heat to let the sauce thicken.
After a few minutes, stir the tofu in the sauce to make sure everything is well coated.

A few notes on this sesame tofu recipe

It’s important you use a high quality toasted sesame oil. Not all sesame oils are created equal, but this one has never let me down!
Once prepared, the tofu should store in the fridge for about 3 days. Keep it in an air tight container for best results.
If you want to make a big batch of the sauce to use with chicken, chickpeas, or other stir fries, it will keep in the fridge for about 1 week in an air tight container.
I tried to go along a traditional sushi bowl theme with the veggies, but you can use whatever you like! Some of my favorites include carrots, cabbage, cucumber, scallions, radishes, or even some broccoli.

Sesame tofu and sushi bowl in a white bowl with sesame seeds sprinkled on top.

Try these other easy and high protein dinner recipes next!

Lastly, if you make this sesame tofu, don’t forget to tag me on instagram so I can see your creation! Leave a comment and rating below and let me know how they turn out!