Low-Carb Vegan Tofu Bowl with Cabbage Rice

By Deryn Macey

5 from 30 votes

on Sep 16, 2020, Updated May 13, 2026

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I created this low-carb vegan bowl when I wanted a filling meal focused on protein and vegetables.

The base is cabbage rice, green cabbage pulsed in a food processor and sautéed with garlic, green onion and cilantro until tender and lightly caramelized. It has a mild, slightly sweet flavour that works well with the rest of the ingredients in this bowl.

The bowl has 23 grams of plant-based protein per serving from the tofu and almond butter sauce, and just 30 grams of carbs, mostly from the vegetables. It’s naturally grain-free and keto-friendly, and works well for meal prep. The components can be made ahead and assembled through the week.

Bowl with cabbage, avocado, tofu, onion, kale and broccoli, topped with sauce.

Table of Contents

5-Star Review

Finally a well rounded, delicious, and healthy vegan meal! Love this recipe!!! It’s great for people who want to learn to love tofu. The cornstarch is key! Definitely a hit for non-vegans too!

Kirstin ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Why You’ll Love This Low-Carb Vegan Bowl

If you are eating a lower carb diet but struggle with hunger or are just looking for ways to eat more plant protein and micronutrients, this bowl is a great fit.

  • It’s high in protein and fibre.
  • It supports stable energy and satiety.
  • You can customize it with different vegetables.
  • It’s meal-prep friendly.
  • It can easily be gluten-free.
  • It’s grain-free.
  • It’s low-carb while still being satisfying and filling.

🔍 Recipe at a Glance

Prep Time: 20 min

Cook Time: 30 min

Servings: 4

Per Serving: 432 cal, 23g protein, 14g fibre

Diet: Vegan, gluten-free option.

Difficulty: Easy

What makes a vegan meal low carb?

A low carb vegan meal focuses on reducing starch-heavy foods like rice, pasta, and bread, while prioritizing:

  • Non-starchy vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, cucumber and kale.
  • Plant-based protein sources like tofu or tempeh.
  • Healthy fats from foods like avocado, nuts, and seeds.

This combination helps support stable blood sugar, sustained energy and improved satiety, which is why meals like this tend to feel more filling despite being lower in carbs. When I’m creating a meal without a starchy carbohydrate like grains or potato, I aim for volume, fibre and protein.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Below is a quick overview of what you’ll need to make the recipe and any substitutions you can make. Use the recipe card with the full list of ingredients and measurements at the bottom of the post when you’re ready to make the recipe.

Labelled photo of ingredients for a low-carb dinner bowl.
  • Tofu: Use firm or extra-firm tofu. You don’t have to but you can press it before hand if you like. This will help it absorb a bit more flavour and get crispier. See how to press tofu.
  • Soy Sauce: Use any soy sauce you like or gluten-free tamari or coconut aminos for a gluten-free option.
  • Cornstarch: Makes the tofu crispy. Arrowroot starch also works.
  • Almond Butter: The dressing can be made with almond butter, peanut butter or sunflower seed butter or tahini for a nut-free option.
  • Rice Vinegar: Seasoned or unseasoned rice vinegar works though note that seasoned rice vinegar has added sugar so it will add a bit more carbs to the recipe.
  • Sriracha: Any chili garlic paste works here. I like Sriracha or sambal oelek.
  • Sweetener: For low-carb you can use a pinch of stevia or monk fruit sweetened, other maple syrup, coconut sugar or any other sweetener you like works. If you’re not using stevia, I prefer maple syrup over a granulated sugar so the dressing has a smoother consistency.
  • Cabbage: Use green cabbage.
  • Coconut Oil: You can use any cooking oil you like here. I’d suggest coconut oil, olive oil, avocado oil or sesame oil.
  • Broccoli: Easy to swap for other veggies like carrot, snap peas or cauliflower.
  • Kale: I like kale for bowls because it holds up well and doesn’t get soggy, though you can substitute baby spinach, spinach or any other green you enjoy.

Variations and Additions

  • Cabbage: For a low-carb replacement, use broccoli rice or cauliflower rice. Brown rice, quinoa and farro also work well but it wouldn’t be low-carb.
  • Seeds: Add a sprinkle of hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds for added fats and protein and some crunch!
  • Tofu: Try it with the marinated tempeh from these Baked Tempeh Rice Bowls or edamame instead of tofu. Chickpeas can also replace the tofu, however, they’d be higher in carbs.
  • Roasted Vegetables: Add a mix of roasted low-carb veggies cauliflower, asparagus, or Brussels sprouts for extra nutrients and flavour.
  • Nutritional Yeast: Add a sprinkle of nutritional yeast for a cheesy and umami flavor.
  • Alternative Dressing: This miso tahini dressing or the peanut sauce from this Kale Peanut Brown Rice Salad would also be good in this recipe.
  • Gluten-Free Option: Be sure to use gluten-free tamari instead of soy sauce.
  • Want spicy baked tofu? Add 2 tsp sambal oelek or sriracha or 1 tsp cayenne or red chili flakes. You can also play around with other ingredients like rice vinegar, sesame oil or sweet chili sauce.

How to Add More Protein

At 23g per serving this bowl is already high in protein for a plant-based meal, but if you want to push it higher here are the best options:

Double the tofu. The simplest option, use two blocks instead of one and divide across 4 servings. Adds roughly 8–10g protein per bowl.

Add tempeh alongside the tofu. Tempeh has more protein per gram than tofu and a chewier texture that works well in bowls. Marinate and bake it the same way as the tofu like in this High-Protein Vegan Salad.

Add edamame. Stir in half a cup of cooked edamame per bowl. Adds around 8g protein with minimal prep, just use frozen edamame, thaw and add.

Add hemp seeds. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons over the finished bowl. Adds around 10g protein with no cooking required and a mild flavour that doesn’t compete with the almond butter sauce.

For a non-vegan version, grilled chicken or prawns work well with the almond butter sauce and the cabbage rice base.

How to Make A Low-Carb Vegan Bowl

This section provides a visual overview of how to make a low-carb vegan bowl. When you’re ready to make the recipe, use the recipe card at the end of the post with the full list of ingredients, measurements and instructions.

  1. Bake tofu until crispy.
  2. Prepare cabbage “rice”.
  3. Cook vegetables.
  4. Make the sauce.
  5. Assemble the bowl.

Before you Start: It’s optional to press the tofu but if you’d like to take that step, you’ll need 20-30 minutes to press it. Use a tofu press or wrap the block of tofu in a dish cloth, put it on a plate and place a heavy object on it.

A block of tofu in a tofu press.

Step 1: Add the cubed tofu to a bowl with the soy sauce or tamari, cornstarch, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Gently toss it to coat.

Cubed tofu in a bowl topped with garlic powder and black pepper.

Step 2: Add the cubed tofu to a baking tray lined with parchment paper so each piece has some space around it. This is key for crispiness! Bake the tofu for 20-30 minutes until browned, puffy and crispy.

You can flip it once half way through but I usually skip that step. It still gets crispy even without flipping it!

Cubed, baked tofu on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.

Step 3: Remove the outer leaves of the head of cabbage, chop it in half and then into smaller chunks. Add the chunks to a food processor and pulse a few times to create a rice-like consistency.

Finely chopped cabbage in a food processor.

Step 4: Heat the coconut oil or another oil of choice in a large skillet or wok then add the “riced” cabbage, green onion and cilantro. Saute the mixture for 6-8 minutes until the cabbage is tender and browned.

Mix the ingredients well to start then let it sit for a few minutes before stirring again to allow it to brown on the bottom. Scrape the browned bits back in and repeat!

Sautéed cabbage, onion and cilantro in a skillet on a cooktop.

Step 5: To make the sauce, add all of the ingredients to any bowl or container and whisk or shake until completely smooth and creamy.

Bowl of creamy peanut sauce with a spoon in it.

Step 6: Drizzle the finely chopped kale with 1-2 tsp oil of choice. Massage the kale with your hands until it’s softened and dark green.

Chopped kale on a cutting board.

Step 7: Steam the broccoli stovetop, in an Instant Pot or in the microwave. I like to steam broccoli on the stovetop.

Bring the water to a boil then steam the broccoli in a steamer for 4-5 minutes until tender but still bright and crisp.

You could also stir fry the broccoli for a few minutes in the pan after you cook the cabbage!

Steaming pot of freshly steamed broccoli florets on a marble surface.

Step 8: Assemble the bowls by starting with a big scoop of cabbage rice then add the kale, broccoli, avocado and tofu, finishing off with the sauce.

Drizzling a spoonful of sauce over a bowl with tofu, avocado and veggies.

Deryn’s Notes

  • Almond butter is my preference for the sauce but peanut butter is what I use most often since I always have it on hand. Peanut butter has a stronger flavour that comes through more though. Sunflower seed butter works well if you need a nut-free option.
  • The cornstarch on the tofu makes it crispier. You can skip it but it will be softer. One tablespoon is enough. Toss the cubes well so every piece gets coated before it goes on the tray.
  • Don’t skip letting the cabbage rice sit undisturbed in the pan for a few minutes before stirring. That’s what creates the browned bits on the bottom that add most of the flavour. If you keep stirring it, it just steams rather than caramelizes.
  • The sauce thickens considerably in the fridge. Make a batch on the weekend and thin it with a tablespoon of water when serving throughout the week. It keeps for 5 days and gets better as the flavours develop.
  • Broccoli will turn from tender and bright green to mushy and drab green at about 7 minutes of cooking time. Be careful not to overcook it!
  • If you don’t want to take the extra step to “rice” the cabbage, just chop it and add right to the skillet. It could also be done in an Instant Pot or roasted for variations.
  • Pressing the tofu is optional but I do find you get a slightly better texture if you do! Even 5-10 minutes of pressing is beneficial.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you eat low carb on a vegan diet?

Yes, though it takes more planning than a standard vegan diet since many plant proteins like beans, lentils and chickpeas are also high in carbs. The key is building meals around tofu, tempeh, edamame, seeds and non-starchy vegetables. A moderately low-carb approach rather than a strict keto diet is more sustainable long-term and still allows for nutritious whole foods like oats, sweet potato and legumes. Review this vegan macro cheat sheet if you need help with balanced vegan macros.

Do you need to eat low carb for fat loss?

No. Fat loss is driven by overall calorie balance over time, not by eliminating carbohydrates. Carbohydrates play an important role in regulating hunger and appetite, supporting hormonal balance and providing sustained energy for daily activity. That said, reducing refined carbs and replacing them with protein and vegetables, as this bowl does, can help with satiety and make it easier to maintain a calorie deficit without feeling hungry.

Is a low carb vegan dinner healthy?

A well-planned low-carb vegan meal can be very nutritious. This bowl has 23g protein, 14g fibre, healthy fats from avocado and almond butter, and a wide range of micronutrients from the vegetables. The key is making sure you’re getting enough protein, which this bowl delivers without relying on grains or legumes.

Can I add grains to this bowl?

Yes. Brown rice, quinoa or farro all work well if you’re not following a low-carb diet. Add about half a cup of cooked grains per serving alongside or instead of the cabbage rice. This increases the carbs and calories but also adds more fibre and sustained energy.

Is this bowl keto-friendly?

Yes. At 30g total carbs per serving, mostly from vegetables, this fits within most keto macros. Use a pinch of stevia or monk fruit in the sauce instead of maple syrup to keep it completely sugar-free. The cabbage rice base keeps it grain-free, which is the main requirement for strict keto.

Can I make this without a food processor?

Yes, just finely chop or shred the cabbage with a sharp knife or a mandolin. It takes a bit longer but works just as well. You’re aiming for rice-sized pieces that will cook evenly in the pan. A box grater also works for finer pieces.

How much protein is in this bowl?

23 grams of plant-based protein per serving, coming from the tofu and the almond butter sauce, which makes it one of the more protein-dense vegan bowls you can make without adding legumes.

How to Store and Meal Prep

  • Almond butter sauce can be made up to 5 days in advance and stored in the fridge. You may need to thin it with a little water after storing as it tends to thicken in the fridge.
  • Tofu can be baked up to 3 days in advance.
  • Broccoli and kale can be chopped and stored raw for up to 3 days before preparing the bowls.
  • This bowl holds well for 3 days meal prepped. Keep the avocado and sauce separate until serving. The tofu is actually better on day 2 once it’s had time to sit.

More Low-Carb Vegan Meals

If you make this recipe, please consider leaving a comment and a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the comment section below. It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe, and I love to hear from you. Thanks for trying my recipes! – Deryn

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Salad with tofu, cabbage, kale, broccoli, avocado and sauce.
5 from 30 votes

Low-Carb Vegan Tofu Bowl with Cabbage Rice

By: Deryn Macey
This low-carb vegan dinner bowl features a twist on traditional rice: cabbage rice! You’ll love the “fried” rice paired with avocado, broccoli, kale and a creamy almond butter sauce.
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Total: 50 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
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Ingredients 

For the Baked Tofu

  • 1 package firm or extra-firm tofu, 350g, pressed (see notes)
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce or gluten-free tamari
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • pinch black pepper

For the Cabbage Rice

  • 1 small green cabbage, riced
  • 1 tsp coconut oil
  • 1/2 cup lightly packed chopped green onion
  • 1/2 cup lightly packed chopped fresh cilantro
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced

For the Almond Butter Sauce

  • 4 tbsp almond, peanut or sunflower seed butter, 60 g
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce or gluten-free tamari
  • 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar, unseasoned or seasoned
  • 2 tsp Sriracha sauce, reduce or omit if sensitive to spice
  • 4 tbsp unsweetened cashew, almond or coconut milk
  • pinch stevia, a few drops liquid stevia or 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • salt and pepper

For the Bowls

  • 1 avocado
  • 4 cups broccoli florets
  • 4 cups finely chopped kale

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 425 F.
  • Cube the pressed tofu (see notes) and place in a bowl. Mix with the rest of the tofu ingredients then place the pieces on a parchment or a silicone mat-lined baking tray. Bake the tofu for 15-20 minutes, flip and bake another 10-20 minutes until it's brown and puffy.
    1 package firm or extra-firm tofu, 350g, 2 tbsp soy sauce or gluten-free tamari, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tbsp cornstarch, pinch black pepper
  • Remove the outer leaves of the cabbage, slice in half then chop into chunks. Add the chunks to a food processor and pulse a few times until the cabbage has the consistency of rice. Alternatively, you can just finely chop or shred the cabbage using a mandolin.
    1 small green cabbage
  • Add the "riced" cabbage to a large skillet with the oil, cilantro, green onion and garlic and cook over high until until tender and brown, about 6-10 minutes. Mix it well to start, then only mix every couple minutes so it can start to brown on the bottom.
    1 tsp coconut oil, 1/2 cup lightly packed chopped green onion, 1/2 cup lightly packed chopped fresh cilantro, 3 cloves garlic
  • Steam the broccoli stovetop by bringing a pot of water to a boil then using a steamer basket to steam the broccoli for 5 minutes. If you don't have a steamer basket, just add about 1 inch of water to a pot or skillet, bring to a boil, add the broccoli, cover and steam 5 minutes.
    4 cups broccoli florets
  • Remove the kale leaves from the thick stems and finely chop. Either massage the kale with 1/2 tsp olive or avocado oil until softened and dark green, or steam for 1 minute to soften, using the same method as the broccoli.
    4 cups finely chopped kale
  • Whisk the sauce ingredients together in a bowl or container until smooth and creamy.
    4 tbsp almond, peanut or sunflower seed butter, 2 tbsp soy sauce or gluten-free tamari, 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar, 2 tsp Sriracha sauce, 4 tbsp unsweetened cashew, pinch stevia, salt and pepper
  • To assemble the bowls, start with a big scoop of cabbage rice then add the kale, broccoli, avocado and tofu, then top with the sauce. 
    1 avocado

Video

Notes

To press tofu, slice the tofu block into 3-4 slabs. Lay the slabs on a dishtowel on the counter top, then fold the towel over them. Place a cutting board or skillet on top of them along with a few heavy objects such as some cookbooks. Let sit for 15-30 minutes before proceeding with the recipe. You can also use a tofu press if you have one. This is optional but will make it a little crispier.
Bowls can be packed and stored in the fridge up to 3 days if you leave the avocado off until serving. I would also recommend storing the sauce separately.
To save time, tofu can be baked up to 3 days in advance and almond butter sauce can be prepared up to 5 days in advance. Broccoli and kale can be chopped and stored raw for up to 3 days before preparing the bowls.

Nutrition

Serving: 1bowl, Calories: 423kcal, Carbohydrates: 30g, Protein: 23g, Fat: 27g, Fiber: 14g
Like this recipe? Rate and comment below!

Originally published on March 20, 2019.

About Deryn Macey

Deryn Macey is a nutrition coach, certified personal trainer, and the creator of Running on Real Food, where she's been sharing nutritious recipes since 2013. She holds a science degree and offers strength training and nutrition coaching through Onward Strong, focusing on strength, sustainable eating habits, and breaking free from diet culture.

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61 Comments

  3. 5 stars
    Finally a well rounded, delicious, and healthy vegan meal! Love this recipe!!! It’s great for people who want to learn to love tofu. The cornstarch is key! Definitely a hit for non vegans too!

    Reply

  4. 5 stars
    I made this recipe tonight and cannot stop thinking about it. I highly recommend it. I followed the recipe as outlined with the exception of using avocado oil instead of coconut. It still turned out amazing. My meat eating husband was pleasantly surprised too! A true winner for both of us. Cannot wait to eat it again.

    Reply

  5. Wow, this is delicious! I just hosted a friend for dinner who is on a low carb, gluten free diet and cooked this up. I’ve never had riced cabbage before and wasn’t sure I’d like it (or frankly enjoy a meal without carbs) but we both loved how this turned out. I can’t wait to make it for other friends and add to my regular dinner rotation. Thank you!

    Btw I think the instructions may have left out when to add the minced garlic. I added them with the cilantro and green onion.

    Reply

  8. 5 stars
    I’m eating this right now, and it is delicious! It’s definitely worthy of joining the frequent rotation. 

    Reply

  9. Hi I haven’t made this dish yet but am really looking forward to as it looks amazing. My question is could I fry the tofu as I do not have the use of an oven.
    Many thanks
    Ruth 😊

    Reply

    1. Sure, yes no problem. Use a little oil in a hot pan and fry over medium heat, flipping occasionally, until browned on all sides.

      Reply