These Greek Tofu & Rice Bowls are so darn delicious! With lemon rice pilaf, roasted zucchini and peppers, and crispy Greek spiced tofu, they are nutritious, filling, and the perfect vegan & gluten-free weeknight dinner recipe.
My toddler daughter LOVES rice, so we're always finding new ways to make a nutritious meal with it at our house. Enter in...these herby and healthy Greek Tofu Bowls! They're filling, healthy, and one of those dinners the whole family will enjoy.
Ingredients:
Ingredient notes & substitutions:
- Tofu: I highly recommend using extra-firm tofu for this recipe! It holds its shape best when pan-frying.
- Nutritional Yeast: This adds so much flavor to the crispy tofu and is an absolute must! It doesn't have a great substitute, but you can omit it if you can't find it.
- Rice: I recommend using a long-grain rice for this recipe. My go-to is always Jasmine rice, but basmati can also work.
- Cornstarch: There honestly isn't a great substitute for this to get the crispy texture you need for pan-fried tofu.
- You can substitute 1:1 with flour. However, the tofu won't be as crispy, and the dish will also no longer be gluten-free.
How to make Greek Tofu Bowls
Step 1: Soak Rice, Prep Veggies, & Make Seasoning
The first step in this recipe to add your rice to a bowl and soak it in water.
There are SO many reasons we do this, but the main ones are that it helps reduce cooking time, improves the texture by making the rice fluffier, and reduces the arsenic levels in rice, making it overall healthier!
While the rice is soaking, prep the veggies and seasoning. Slice the red peppers and zucchini for roasting and set them aside. Then, thinly slice the shallot and chop up the parsley for the lemon rice.
You can also make the Greek seasoning at this time by mixing the salt, pepper, dried oregano, dried parsley, and garlic powder together in a small bowl.
Once that's all done, preheat the oven to 400F.
Step 2: Roast the Veggies
Add your sliced zucchini, chopped red pepper, olive oil, and ½ of the seasoning mix to a baking tray. Then, use your hands or a spoon to mix everything until coated.
Spread the veggies out on the tray and bake at 400F for 20-25 minutes.
Step 3: Make the Lemon Rice Pilaf
While the veggies are roasting, make the lemon rice. Start by melting the butter in a pan. Once it's melted, add in the diced shallot and minced garlic.
Sauté them for 2-3 minutes, then add in the soaked & strained rice.
Step 4: Make the Crispy Tofu
Cut your tofu block in half and lightly press it with paper towels to remove excess moisture. If using extra-firm tofu, there is no need to press it for longer than 1-2 minutes, which cuts down on prep time! Then cut the tofu into cubes and set aside.
In a large bowl, mix the cornstarch, nutritional yeast, and the second half of the Greek seasoning (also used on the vegetables). Once mixed, add in the tofu cubes and toss them in the seasoning until coated.
Add 2 Tablespoons of oil to a pan and turn on the heat. Once it is hot, add in the seasoned tofu cubes and cook them on each side for about 5 minutes until browned and crispy.
Remove the tofu from the heat and set it aside until it's time to assemble the bowls.
Step 5: Serve & Enjoy!
To assemble the bowls, scoop rice into a bowl, followed by the vegetables, crispy tofu, and fresh parsley on top.
If you want to be really fancy, you can even add a charred lemon to squeeze over the dish before enjoying!
FAQ & Tips:
Can I make this dish with different veggies?
Definitely! Just keep in mind, the cooking time listed is specifically for the zucchini and peppers, so it will vary if you swap in other vegetables.
What other toppings go well with this tofu bowl?
My favorite way to make these Tofu Bowls even MORE delicious is to top them with my homemade vegan tzatziki. A few other toppings that taste great on these bowls are pickled red onions, tomatoes, sliced cucumber, and artichokes.
You can also add extra protein by adding some crispy chickpeas on top. I highly recommend using the chickpea recipe in my Dill Chickpea Pita Pockets if doing this!
P.S.: These bowls go great with shrimp if you have meat eaters in your house! Though I am a vegetarian, we have made these bowls many times with shrimp for the rest of my family.
How do I store leftovers?
I recommend storing leftovers in three separate closed containers (one for rice, one for veggies, and one for tofu).
All of the ingredients can be kept in the fridge for 2-3 days and reheated in the microwave or on the stovetop until warmed throughout.
I can't wait for you to try these easy, vegan, & gluten-free Greek Tofu Bowls! They are full of healthy veggies, protein-rich tofu, and make a truly delicious weeknight dinner. Enjoy!
-TSG
More tofu recipes you will love for dinner:
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Greek Tofu Bowls
Ingredients
Lemon Rice Pilaf:
- 1 ½ cups Jasmine rice
- 2 Tablespoons vegan butter
- 1 small shallot finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 ¼ cups vegetable broth
- 2 Tablespoons fresh parsley stems removed & finely chopped
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice *juice from ½ of a small lemon
Seasoning Mix:
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Roasted Vegetables:
- 2 small red peppers diced
- 2 small zucchinis thinly sliced
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- ½ seasoning *made above
Crispy Greek Tofu:
- 1 14 oz block extra-firm tofu
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
- ½ seasoning *made above
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil or other neutral oil
Instructions
Soak Rice, Prep Veggies, & Make Spice Mix:
- Preheat the oven to 400F and prep the ingredients.
- First, measure out the rice and add it to a big bowl. Cover with water and let it soak for about 10 minutes while you prep the veggies. After 10 minutes, strain out the water.
- While the rice is soaking, prep the veggies. Finely dice the shallot, mince the garlic, and chop up the parsley that will be used in the lemon rice pilaf. Then, dice the red peppers into small chunks and cut the zucchinis into half moons. Set the vegetables aside.
- Lastly, make the spice mix that will be used on the tofu and vegetables. Add the salt, dried oregano, dried parsley, garlic powder, and ground pepper to a small bowl and mix together to combine.
Roast the Vegetables:
- Add the chopped red pepper, chopped zucchini, ½ of the seasoning mix, and 2 Tablespoons of olive oil to a sheet pan. Then, use your hands or a spoon to mix everything together until the veggies are coated.
- Add the tray of vegetables to the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, stirring half way through.
- Once the vegetabes are cooked, remove the tray from the oven and set aside.
Make the Lemon Rice Pilaf:
- While the vegetables are roasting, make the rice pilaf. Strain the soaked rice and set it aside.
- Add the vegan butter to a saucepan and melt over medium heat. Once melted, add in the diced shallot and minced garlic and saute for 2-3 minutes.
- Next, stir in the soaked & strained rice and "toast" it with the cooked shallot and garlic for about 2 minutes.
- Pour in the vegetable broth. Then, add the lid to the saucepan and bring the rice to a boil.
- Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook the rice covered for about 10 minutes or until cooked through.
- Once the rice is done, remove it from the heat. Mix the lemon juice and freshly chopped parsley into the rice. Set aside.
Make the Crispy Greek Tofu:
- Once the rice and vegetables are done cooking (or during if you're able to!), make the crispy tofu.
- Remove the extra-firm tofu from it's packaging and slice it in half vertically. Lightly press each half between paper towels to remove excess moisture. For this recipe it's okay if the tofu is moist, but you don't want it to be soaking wet.
- Then, add the cornstarch, nutritional yeast, and the remaining half of the seasoning mix to a large bowl.
- Cut the tofu into cubes and pour them into the bowl of dry batter. Mix until coated.
- Heat the oil in a non-stick pan. Once it has warmed for about 1 minute, add in the dry coated tofu slices.
- Pan-fry the tofu slices for about 3-5 minutes on each side until crispy and browned (about 12-15 minutes total).
- Once crispy, remove the tofu from the pan and set aside.
Assemble the Bowls!
- Scoop the lemon rice pilaf into a bowl, then top with the roasted vegetables and crispy Greek tofu.
- If desired, you can top with extra chopped parsley or a charred lemon slice. Then, serve & enjoy!
Notes
- Please see the blog post for recipe tips and substitutions.
- I recommend storing leftovers in three separate closed containers (one for rice, one for veggies, and one for tofu).
- All of the ingredients can be kept in the fridge for 2-3 days and reheated in the microwave or on the stovetop until warmed throughout.
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