Low-Carb Vegan Dinner Bowl

Ingredient Notes

A complete list of ingredients with amounts and full instructions is located in the printable recipe card below. This section covers ingredient and substitution considerations.

• 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.
• Garlic Powder: Ground garlic works well to coat the tofu rather than minced garlic.
• Cornstarch: Adds a crispy coating to the tofu. Arrowroot starch also works.
• Almond Butter: The dressing can be made with almond butter, peanut butter or sunflower seed butter 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.
• Green Onion: This is the same as spring onion or scallions.
• Cilantro: You can leave this out if you don’t like cilantro.
• 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.

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!

Step 3. Make the almond butter.

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

Step 4. Prepare the rest of the bowl ingredients.

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.

Quick Tip: If you don’t want to use oil here, add the kale to a skillet with 1 tbsp of water and cook for about 1 minute to lightly soften.

Notes and Tips

• Oil-Free Option: Replace the cooking oil with broth or water.
• Gluten-Free Option: Be sure to use gluten-free tamari instead of soy sauce.

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 marinated tempeh or edamame instead of tofu. Chickpeas can also replace the tofu, however, they’d be higher in carbs.
• Oil: Try sesame oil as an alternative to coconut oil for cooking the cabbage rice.

Storing and 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.
• Bowls are best served fresh but can be stored up to 3 days in a sealed container if you leave avocado off until just before serving.