Need some healthy dinner inspiration? Our family loves this tofu power bowl with spicy almond sauce for a simple but delicious weeknight dinner option made with tofu, broccoli, cabbage, and a 5 ingredient almond sauce.
Simple bowl meals like this tofu power bowl with almond sauce are a great option or those who love to get ahead on weeknight cooking by doing a little meal prep. You can easily roast the veggies and tofu in advance as well as cook up a grain so that this dinner comes together in a snap. This bowl is endlessly versatile so you can use almost any veggie and grain that you have on hand.
Speaking of bowl meals, here are some of my other favorite bowl meals: shawarma cauliflower hummus bowls, burrito bowls, vegan tex mex bowls, and this vegan egg roll in a bowl.
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- An easy and delicious meal option that is endlessly versatile. Use any combination of veggies and grains that you like!
- The 5 ingredient & 5 minute spicy almond sauce is highly addictive! You’ll want to drizzle it on all kinds of grain bowls.
- This recipe is vegan, gluten free, egg free, and dairy free.
What is a Power Bowl?
A power bowl is a healthy and balanced meal in a bowl that includes a protein, a starch, and lots of veggies. It also goes by other names such buddha bowl, grain bowl, hippie bowl, or macro bowl! I have written about how to build a macro bowl before as it is one of favorite ways to build a meal.
The concept for this power bowl is the same – you are just building a complete meal out of veggies, a starch, and a protein that can be served up in a bowl. It’s a great way to try and follow the healthy plate model recommended by the USDA.
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
- Broccoli, Cabbage, and Sweet Potato: We love this combination of roasted broccoli, cabbage, and sweet potatoes for our bowls, but you can easily adapt it to use other veggies you might have on hand. Some other good options include: cauliflower, peppers, Brussels sprouts, carrots, and eggplant.
- Tofu: Use firm or extra firm tofu for the bowls. I usually press it for 5 minutes after draining before I bake it to get rid of excess moisture. If you don’t want to use tofu, you could add chickpeas or tempeh.
- Cauliflower Rice: We like to add cauliflower rice as a base for this bowl but you could replace that with any grain/starch that you like such as: rice, quinoa, barley, couscous, or farro.
- Almond Butter: The quick almond butter sauce is star of the show in these power bowls. You’ll want to use a creamy almond butter – my favorite brand is Justin’s almond butter.
- Spices: Season your veggies and tofu with a bit of garlic and onion powder before baking. Feel free to use any seasonings you like.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Step By Step
Step One: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Add the chopped broccoli, cabbage, and sweet potatoes to a baking sheet. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with spices. Toss to coat and then roast until tender about 25-35 minutes.
Step Two: On a separate baking sheet lined with parchment paper, add the cubed tofu, season with a bit of garlic powder, salt, and pepper, and spray with cooking oil. Bake until golden, about 25 minutes.
Step Three: While the veggies and tofu are roasting, mix together the spicy almond sauce in a small mixing bowl. Cook the cauliflower rice in the microwave according to the package directions.
Step Four: Assemble your bowls by adding cauliflower rice on bottom then adding the roasted veggies, tofu, and almond sauce on top. If desired, garnish with fresh chopped parsley for color.
Meal Prep Tips
Get a head start on making these power bowls for dinner by prepping some of your ingredients in advance.
- Pre-Chop Veggies: Chop all of your veggies in advance and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days before using.
- Roast Veggies: If you want, you could also roast the veggies in advance and store them in the fridge. The roasted veggies will last for 2-3 days in the fridge. My favorite way to reheat them is to toss them in my toaster oven or air fryer to crisp them up again as they get warm.
- Cook the Grain: If you aren’t using cauliflower rice, make your grain base in advance. Cooked starches like quinoa, couscous, rice, and barley will keep well in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
Recipe FAQs
If you can’t have almonds, you could also top this bowl with a homemade peanut sauce or my favorite miso tahini sauce. Both would be delicious on a power bowl like this one.
If you don’t like tofu, you could also top this bowl with tempeh, canned chickpeas, or even a vegan chick’n like the one from Tofurky.
We serve these bowls hot after cooking everything up in the oven. However, if you want to meal prep these bowls in advance and pack them for lunch, you could eat them cold.
More Recipes You’ll Love
- Easy BBQ Tempeh
- Teriyaki Tempeh and Broccoli Stir Fry
- Tempeh Wrap with Peanut Sauce
- Spicy Tempeh Stuffed Peppers
- Shawarma Cauliflower Hummus Bowls
Did you love this recipe? Make sure to leave a ⭐️ rating and tag #dietitiandebbie on instagram!
Tofu Power Bowl with Spicy Almond Sauce
Ingredients
For the Roasted Veggies
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 small sweet potatoes, chopped
- 2 small crowns broccoli, chopped
- 1/4 small purple cabbage, sliced
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 dash sea salt and ground black pepper
For the Tofu
- 1 package (14 oz) firm tofu, cubed
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
Spicy Almond Sauce
- 1/3 cup creamy almond butter
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce (tamari if gluten free)
- 2 teaspoons sriracha
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
For the Bowl
- 2 1/4 cups frozen cauliflower rice (or sub grain of your choice)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Drain and press tofu in a tofu press or wrapped in paper towels and placed under a heavy object like a book for about 5 minutes.
- Add chopped sweet potato, broccoli, and purple cabbage to large baking sheet. Add the olive oil, garlic powder, onion power, salt, and pepper. Toss with your hands or a spatula to coat veggies with oil and spices. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until tender.
- Add the cubed tofu to the small parchment paper lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with garlic powder and paprika. Spray with cooking spray and bake until golden, about 25-30 minutes.
- While the veggies and tofu bake, make the almond sauce by whisking together all your ingredients together in a small mixing bowl. Make the cauliflower rice in the microwave according to package directions.
- Assemble bowls by adding cauliflower rice and then topping with roasted vegetables and tofu. Drizzle with almond butter sauce.
Notes
- Pre-Chop Veggies: Chop all of your veggies in advance and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days before using.
- Roast Veggies: If you want, you could also roast the veggies in advance and store them in the fridge. The roasted veggies will last for 2-3 days in the fridge. My favorite way to reheat them is to toss them in my toaster oven or air fryer to crisp them up again as they get warm.
- Cook the Grain: If you aren’t using cauliflower rice, make your grain base in advance. Cooked starches like quinoa, couscous, rice, and barley will keep well in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
Nutrition
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