• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Three Little Chickpeas

  • Home
  • About Me
  • Contact Us
  • Resources
  • Recipes
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • Resources
  • About Me
  • Contact Us
  • Follow Us

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Main Course

    Tofu Buddha Bowl with Peanut Sauce

    Published: Apr 7, 2022 . Modified: May 20, 2022 by Allie

    Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

    This website is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

    This flavor-packed baked tofu Buddha bowl is loaded with veggies, sweet mango, and a delicious spicy peanut sauce.

    tofu Buddha bowl with mango, peanut sauce, cucumber, and red bell pepper

    These nourishing bowls are how my family and I eat many of our meals, hence the list at the bottom of the page for more vegan Buddha bowl recipes to try (like my Mustard Tempeh Buddha Bowl).  It’s actually a running joke that we’re “bowl people,” because our dishwasher rarely has plates in it.  

    This tofu nourish bowl is merely a suggestion for mealtime; mix and match your grains, veggies, and sauces.  Make it your own to suit your preferences.  They also work great for meal prepping!  

    Tips for this Tofu Buddha Bowl Recipe

    • The recipe calls for extra firm tofu, but firm tofu can be used.  It will be a little softer than extra firm.  If your tofu comes vacuum-packed and there’s no liquid to drain, you can probably skip the pressing.  
    • The mango is hit or miss in my house, leave it out if you'd like.  I personally like the sweet mango with the spicy peanut dressing. 
    • If you have kecap manis (which is an Indonesian sweet soy sauce), replace 1 tablespoon of tamari and the maple syrup with 1 tablespoon of kecap manis.  The sweet soy sauce is thick, so I try to gently spread it over the tofu.  
    • Take about 1-2 tablespoons of peanut sauce and massage it into the kale after the stem has been removed and the kale has been torn into bite-size pieces.  This will break down some of the fibers, and it will reduce in volume.
    • I use natural peanut butter, the kind that’s just peanuts and maybe salt.  It will have natural oil separation, stir it back into the peanut butter before measuring.  If you substitute with regular peanut butter that has a sweetener and oil, it may alter the taste and texture of the peanut sauce.

    How to Prepare the Baked Tofu

    Drain then press the tofu for 20-30 minutes.  Then mix the tamari and maple syrup together, and add the cubed tofu.  Gently toss the pieces to coat them in the sauce.  Then sprinkle on the nutritional yeast and gently toss again. 

    Next, spread the cubes out on a silicone mat or parchment paper-lined baking tray.  Bake for 40 minutes in a preheated oven set to 350 F (180 C).  Flip the tofu halfway through.  

    uncooked tofu with tamari and nutritional yeast

    How to Make the Peanut Sauce

    To make the peanut sauce for this tofu Buddha bowl, simply mix all of the ingredients together and start with 3 to 5 tablespoons of water.  How much water you’ll need will depend on thick the peanut butter is and how thin you like your sauces.  

    The sauce can be mixed with a blender, a whisk, or just a fork.  I prefer a whisk, it creates a smoother sauce compared to a fork, and there's no need to wash a blender (which creates a smoother sauce).

    Natural peanut butter has oil that separates at the top of the jar, it will need to be stirred back into the peanut butter.  Even after doing this sometimes with natural peanut butter the contents at the bottom of the jar can be drier than what’s at the top.  Before I measure nut butter, I like to give the contents another good stir (not including the initial stir).

    peanut sauce in a glass container

    How to Build a Buddha Bowl

    My method for building a Buddha bowl is splitting my plate into quarters: ¼ for beans, soy products, or lentils, ¼ for a grain, ¼ for vegetables other than greens, and ¼ for green leafy vegetables (but it actually takes up a lot more than ¼ of my plate to fit in all those greens).  So, here are some vegan bowl ideas for you to build your own.

    Beans, Soy, or Lentils

    • Any kind of bean
    • Chickpeas
    • Oil-Free Crispy Tofu
    • Oil-Free Marinated Tofu
    • Tempeh
    • Lentils (Walnut Lentil Taco Meat)
    • Leftover chili (Red Lentil Chili or Plant-Based Quinoa Chili)
    • Oil-Free Refried Beans
    • Edamame

    Grain or Pseudo-Grains (not a grain but used like a grain)

    • Any kind of rice
    • Mexican Inspired Brown Rice
    • Cilantro lime brown rice
    • Millet
    • Quinoa
    • Barley
    • Couscous
    • Pasta
    • Starchy vegetables like potatoes

    Vegetables or Fruit

    • Roasted or raw broccoli
    • Roasted or raw cauliflower
    • Roasted or raw red pepper
    • Roasted or raw carrots
    • Roasted Brussels sprouts (Mustard Glazed Brussels Sprouts)
    • Roasted red onions
    • Roasted squash
    • Roasted sweet potatoes
    • Roasted potatoes
    • Roasted mushrooms
    • Cherry tomatoes
    • Cucumbers
    • Apple (delicious with a mustard sauce and tempeh)
    • Mango (I like it with spicy peanut sauce and tofu)

    Greens

    • Kale
    • Baby kale
    • Spinach
    • Romaine
    • Red or green cabbage
    • Steamed, sautéed, or grilled bok choy

    Sauces

    • Spicy Peanut Dressing
    • Vegan Mustard Sauce
    • Dijon Tahini Dressing
    • Creamy cashew dijon dressing
    • Cashew lime crema
    • Oil-Free Hummus
    • Cilantro cashew dressing
    • Smoky Tahini Dressing
    • Vegan Guacamole
    • Salsa

    Other toppings

    • Toasted or raw nuts
    • Seeds like pumpkin, sesame, or sunflower
    • Fresh herbs like cilantro, parsley, dill, chives
    • Green onion
    • Crumbled nori sheets (like in this Vegan Sushi Bowl)
    • Avocado
    • Sprouts
    • Pico de Gallo
    • Pickled radishes
    • Pickled red onions
    • Crushed red pepper flakes
    tofu Buddha bowl with mango, peanut sauce, cucumber, and red bell pepper

    Storing Tofu Nourish Bowl

    I prefer to store the grains and tofu together and store the fresh vegetables separately, then wait on adding the sauce until it’s time to eat.

    More Vegan Nourish Bowls

    • Mustard Tempeh Bowl
    • Vegan Sushi Bowl
    • Vegan Taco Bowl
    • Butternut Squash Buddha Bowl
    • Roasted Sweet Potato Bowl
    • Chickpea Vegetable Rice Bowl
    • Peanut Tempeh Bowl

    As always, I hope you enjoy this recipe for a Buddha bowl with tofu!

    Print
    clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
    tofu Buddha bowl with mango and a peanut sauce

    Tofu Buddha Bowl with Peanut Sauce


    ★★★★★

    5 from 1 reviews

    • Author: Allie
    • Total Time: 55 minutes
    • Yield: 4 servings 1x
    • Diet: Vegan
    Print Recipe
    Pin Recipe

    Description

    This flavor-packed baked tofu Buddha bowl is loaded with veggies, sweet mango, and the most delicious spicy peanut sauce.


    Ingredients

    Scale

    For the Tofu

    • 1 (14-ounce) block of extra firm tofu
    • 2 tablespoons tamari or low sodium soy sauce
    • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
    • 1 tablespoon flake nutritional yeast

    Spicy Peanut Dressing

    • ⅓ cup natural peanut butter, stir before measuring
    • 3 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
    • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
    • 2 tablespoon maple syrup
    • ½ inch fresh grated ginger
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • ¼-½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
    • 3-5 tablespoons water (depending on how thin you want the sauce)

    To Finish the Bowl

    • 1  ½ cup uncooked brown rice
    • 2 cups diced mango (thaw if frozen)
    • 1 cucumber, diced
    • 1 red bell pepper, sliced
    • 3-4 cups kale, stem removed and torn into bite-size pieces

    Instructions

    1. Preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C).
    2. Drain then press the tofu for 20-30 minutes.  Then cube the tofu into bite-size pieces.
    3. In a bowl, mix the tamari and maple syrup together, add the cubed tofu and gently toss to coat.  Then sprinkle on the nutritional yeast and gently toss again.
    4. Then spread the cubes out on a silicone mat or parchment paper-lined baking tray.  Bake for 40 minutes, flipping halfway through.
    5. Meanwhile, make your rice and prepare the peanut sauce.
    6. Take about 1-2 tablespoons of peanut sauce and massage it into the kale.  This will break down some of the fibers, and it will reduce in volume.
    7. When the tofu is done, portion out the rice, tofu, kale, mango, and veggies into large serving bowls.  Then top with the peanut sauce.

    Equipment

    Image of parchment paper

    parchment paper

    Buy Now →
    Image of silicone mat

    silicone mat

    Buy Now →

    Notes

    The recipe calls for extra firm tofu, but firm tofu can be used.  It will be a little softer than the extra firm.

    If your tofu comes vacuum-packed and has no liquid to drain, you can skip the pressing.

    I use natural peanut butter, the kind that’s just peanuts and maybe salt.  It will have natural oil separation, stir it back into the peanut butter before measuring.  If you substitute with regular peanut butter that has sweetener and oil it may alter the taste and texture of the peanut sauce.

    • Prep Time: 15 minutes
    • Cook Time: 40 minutes
    • Category: main course
    • Method: oven
    • Cuisine: american, asian inspired

    Keywords: tofu Buddha bowl, tofu nourish bowl

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @threelittlechickpeasblog on Instagram and hashtag it #threelittlechickpeasblog

    « Oil-Free Hummus
    Oil-Free Refried Beans »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Katie

      April 25, 2022 at 11:15 am

      I loved the nutritional yeast on the tofu and the combination of mango and peanut sauce. Thanks for the recipe, I'll definitely be making it again!

      ★★★★★

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

    Primary Sidebar

    picture of Allie

    Hi, I'm Allie! I love cooking and I want to share my simple plant-based meals with you. Eating this way doesn't have to be complicated or expensive. Just simply delicious!

    More about me →

    Popular

    • Banana ice cream
    • Dijon Tahini Dressing
    • Chocolate Peanut Butter Nice Cream
    • Carrot Cake Energy Balls

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer
    • Terms & Conditions

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Resources
    • About Me

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2022 Three Little Chickpeas

    Copyright © 2022 Three Little Chickpeas on the Foodie Pro Theme

    We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
    Cookie SettingsAccept All
    Manage consent

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are as essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
    SAVE & ACCEPT