Sticky Tofu Nourish Bowls with Brown Rice, Red Cabbage Slaw, Mango, and Carrots
This healthful vegan bowl features a tasty combo of umami-rich sticky tofu alongside juicy mango, whole grain brown rice, and extra veg like red cabbage and carrots. Come for the mouth-wateringly delicious tofu, stay for the refreshing combination of whole foods. This bowl is sure to leave you satisfied and nourished!
I recently professed my love of “nourish bowls” (i.e. bowls made up of super nourishing foods) in the post for my Miso Tahini Japanese Sweet Potato Bowl (which, BTW, have you tried it yet?! It’s one of my faves!). And I’m happy to report that I’m here to profess that love again, and I will undoubtedly do so repeatedly for the foreseeable future.
Look, bowls are great because they’re absolutely loaded with whole foods and delicious flavors! Not only are they incredibly satisfying to eat (because who doesn’t love eating tasty food?!) but they also leave me feeling good and fueled from all those nutrient-dense whole foods. Plus the bowl concept is highly adaptable so I’m always playing around with new flavors and food combos!
This bowl came to life around the mouth-wateringly delicious centerpiece: the sticky tofu. Paired with juicy fruit, some crunchy veg, and whole grain brown rice, this bowl’s loaded with nutritious whole foods while also loading up on lots of flavors and textures. Let’s dig in!
Why You’ll Love this Bowl
Tasty flavors. This bowl features a variety of flavors and textures, including a quick and easy crunchy cabbage slaw, raw ribboned carrots and juicy fresh mango, alongside the sticky tofu and whole grain rice base. The tofu has salty/umami notes, with a hint of sweetness, and the slightly gooey (in a good way - sticky but not slimy) coating complements the brown rice nicely by adding an almost saucy element, since I find plain brown rice can sometimes feel boring. Everything’s topped off with some fresh cilantro, scallions, and sesame seeds to finish for even more textural diversity!
Loaded with nutritious whole foods. All those ingredients I just mentioned? Turns out, on top of their delicious flavor, they’re all super nutritious whole foods! This bowl’s got servings of whole grains, fruit, vegetables, and legumes (the tofu!), plus a sprinkling of seeds on top, too. Each ingredient is packed full of its own unique set of macro and micronutrients, vitamins, minerals, and tons of fiber, so it’ll definitely leave you feeling satisfied and fueled!
Plant diversity. Diversity of plants in our diet is the greatest predictor of a healthy gut microbiome. And to make sure we fuel those good gut bugs, medical experts recommend that we aim to eat 30-40+ unique plant foods weekly. And “plant foods” doesn’t just mean lettuce and kale - it includes all whole plants like legumes, whole grains, fruit, vegetables, herbs, nuts, seeds, etc. There are seven primary whole plants in this dish, not counting extra toppings - tofu, red cabbage, carrots, brown rice, mango, plus ginger and garlic in the sticky tofu sauce base. Not a bad start toward hitting that weekly goal!
Easy to make. I don’t want to overpromise, but it’s very likely you’ll be able to make this bowl from start to finish in under an hour! Start by setting the tofu to press as you start cooking the rice and prepping the rest of the ingredients (ribbon the carrots, dice the mango, mix up the quick cabbage slaw, and stir together the sticky tofu sauce). After that, the only thing left is to slice and cook the tofu itself, quickly simmer the sticky tofu sauce, then coat the tofu with it. Then it’s time to assemble the bowls and serve!
Bowl Ingredient Overview
Sticky tofu. The star of the bowl! You’re probably already aware that tofu is an incredible source of complete plant protein, but did you know it’s also quite rich in calcium, manganese, and packs in tons of different vitamins? Not only is it incredibly nutritious, but because it’s basically a blank flavor canvas, it’s super versatile and will take on whatever flavors you infuse into it.
Now, don’t let the “sticky” part intimidate you - the tofu is deceptively easy to prep! Simply press a block of extra firm tofu to remove excess moisture, cut it into batons, then pan-fry the tofu pieces and set aside briefly. Meanwhile, as you’re waiting on the excess water to press out of the tofu, whisk together tamari, brown sugar, rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil, fresh garlic and ginger, tapioca starch, and some water to form a sauce. In the same pan you used to cook the tofu, add the sauce and cook it briefly to allow it to thicken into a “sticky” glaze. Finally, add the cooked tofu back in and toss it with the glaze to coat. The process is simple, but the flavors and texture are delish!
Brown rice. For a nutritious serving of whole grains! Brown rice is packed with fiber, extra protein (yes, whole grains can be quite rich in protein!), and tons of vitamins. I used long grain brown rice, but short grain would be equally delicious here!
Red cabbage slaw. Red (or purple) cabbage is incredibly nutritious, packing in tons of vitamins (especially C, K, A, and B6) and antioxidants. Tossed with a bit of sesame oil, rice vinegar, and a sprinkling of salt, the cabbage transforms into an easy slaw to add a satisfyingly crunchy veg element into the bowl. You can almost think of the slaw as the “side salad” part of this bowl!
Ribboned carrots. For some extra veg! If you’re looking for a different way to pair carrots with red cabbage and tofu, check out my recipe for Vegan “Fish” Tacos!
Mango. To brighten the bowl with some delicious juicy sweetness! For another savory dish with bright mango, I highly recommend my Jerk Cauliflower Tacos with Refried Black Beans & Spicy Mango Salsa.
Toppings. A sprinkling of fresh cilantro, sesame seeds, and scallions to finish off the bowl!
Sticky Tofu Nourish Bowls with Brown Rice, Red Cabbage Slaw, Mango, and Carrots
Vegan, Gluten-Free
Serves 3-4 bowls
Ingredients
For the brown rice:
1 cup uncooked brown rice
2 cups water
For the tofu:
1 14-16-ounce block of extra firm tofu
1 tablespoon neutral oil, for cooking
For the sticky tofu sauce/glaze:
2 teaspoons tapioca starch
2 tablespoons water
¼ cup tamari (or other soy sauce; I used reduced-sodium tamari)
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
2 large garlic cloves, grated or minced
2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
For the cabbage slaw:
3 cups thinly sliced red cabbage (from about ¼ medium-size cabbage)
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2-3 teaspoons rice vinegar
Sprinkle of salt & pepper, to taste
For the rest of the bowl:
2 fresh mangoes, diced (yields ~2-2 ½ cups)
1 large or 2 small carrots, ribboned
Handful of fresh cilantro
Sprinkle of sesame seeds
1-2 scallions, thinly sliced
Directions
Cook the rice. In a small pot, combine the rice and water over medium-high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook the rice for ~30-35 minutes, or until fluffy and tender and all the liquid has been absorbed. Turn off the heat and let the rice sit for 5-10 minutes in the covered pan to steam before serving.
Press the tofu. If you have a tofu press, use it to press the tofu. To press the tofu without a tofu press, place a block of tofu between two flat plates and place a heavy object on top (such as a cast iron skillet or ceramic bowl) to drain the excess water out of the tofu. (Just be mindful that as the tofu drains, the heavy item could shift, so I recommend doing this somewhere you can stabilize the weight, like against the corner of two walls.) After 20 minutes, discard excess water and pat the tofu with a clean kitchen towel to absorb any remaining excess moisture.
Prep the sticky tofu sauce. In a small bowl, combine the tapioca starch and water and whisk together. Add in the tamari, rice vinegar, brown sugar, toasted sesame oil, garlic, and ginger, and whisk again until fully incorporated, making sure there aren’t any clumps of starch left. Set aside until ready to use.
Make the cabbage slaw. In a medium bowl, combine the cabbage, sesame oil, rice vinegar, and a pinch of salt (to taste) and toss together until combined. Set aside until ready to serve.
Prepare the remaining bowl ingredients (peel and dice the mango, ribbon the carrots, etc.) and set aside until ready to serve.
Cut the tofu. Cut the block of tofu down the middle into 2 long blocks, then cut each block into 9 even, long tofu pieces (cutting it into thirds both ways will give you 9 even pieces). Repeat with the second tofu block - you should have 18 long tofu pieces total.
Cook the sticky tofu. Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium heat, then add the oil and allow it to heat. Use tongs to add the tofu pieces, and sauté the tofu until golden, rotating onto each side to ensure it cooks evenly, about 6-8 minutes total. Remove the cooked tofu and set aside briefly. To the same skillet, add the sticky tofu sauce (give it a quick whisk before adding it in to break up any clumps/sediments). Allow it to cook for ~30 seconds to thicken, then stir it as you let it continue cooking for 15-30 seconds more, until the sauce thickens but is still pliable. Turn down the heat to medium-low, add the cooked tofu pieces in, and use the tongs to toss the tofu with the sticky glaze until evenly coated (try to work quickly!), then turn off the heat.
Assemble the bowls. To each bowl, add some cooked rice, sticky tofu, mango, cabbage slaw, and ribboned carrots. Top with fresh cilantro, sesame seeds, and scallions and serve immediately.
Enjoying this bowl? Please consider leaving a quick review in the comments below and sharing the recipe with someone who’d also love it. I’m always very grateful for your feedback, and it really helps get more eyeballs onto my recipes! If you also snap a pic, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram (@teostinykitchen) when you share it!