Veggie Power Bowls
Flavourful and nutritious veggie power bowls with edamame, crisp veggies, baked tofu and sweet potato and a creamy miso tahini sauce to bring it all together.
About the Recipe
This vegan and gluten-free veggie power bowl recipe is hearty, nutritious and a good source plant-based protein.
It features marinated baked tofu, roasted sweet potato, edamame, brown rice, veggies and an addictive miso tahini sauce.
Satisfying and delicious with plenty of fibre, vitamins and minerals, these are a great way to include more plant-based meals in your diet.
If you’re a fan of colourful, feel-good bowls, I think you’ll love this recipe, and if you’re hungry for more, don’t miss my Harvest Bowls, Vegan Quinoa Power Bowls, Vegan Dragon Bowls and BBQ Tempeh Bowls.
Read on for tips and tricks for how to make the recipe, the ingredients you’ll need and then find the full recipe card at the bottom when you’re ready to make your veggie power bowl!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Tofu and Bowl Ingredients
- Tofu: Use firm or extra-firm tofu for this recipe. I did not press the tofu but you can if you prefer.
- Tamari: Use tamari or substitute soy sauce. If gluten-free, be sure to use tamari.
- Rice Vinegar: You can use seasoned or unseasoned rice vinegar.
- Garlic Powder: You’ll need a big of garlic powder to season the tofu.
- Grains: Brown rice or quinoa is suggested but you can use any grain for your bowl.
- Sweet Potato: You’ll need one medium-sized sweet potato. The amount doesn’t have to be exact.
- Greens: You can use mixed greens, baby spinach or substitute kale.
- Edamame: Use shelled edamame or substitute chickpeas.
- Fresh Veggies: For fresh veggies, the recipe calls for radish and cucumber. These can easily be substitute with ingredients like bell pepper, snap peas, grated carrot or thinly sliced red cabbage.
- Dried Fruit: Use goji berries or dried cranberries. You can substitute raisins.
- Seeds: The recipe calls for sunflower seeds but pumpkin seeds also work well. You can susbtitute
Miso Tahini Sauce Ingredients
- Miso Paste: You can use any variety of miso paste. I usually have white or yellow miso paste on hand, which is the mildest in flavour. For a stronger miso flavour, you can use red miso paste.
- Rice Vinegar: Seasoned or unseasoned rice vinegar is ok.
- Maple Syrup: You’ll need just a little maple syrup to balance the acidity. You can use agave syrup or honey as a substitute.
- Tahini: I used a very drippy, smooth and creamy tahini. Good tahini should be pourable, not stiff or dry, and not overly bitter.
- Tamari: Use gluten-free tamari or substitute soy sauce.
- Ginger: You’ll fresh/raw garlic and ginger. Note if you’re not blending the dressing, it’s best to grate the ginger and garlic so the dressing is smooth.
- Oil: You can use olive oil, grape seed oil or avocado oil.
Quick Tip: For an oil-free miso tahini dressing, use this recipe.
Step-by-Step Instructions
There are a few steps to make veggie power bowls so be sure to review the recipe beforehand to help you move efficiently.
To speed things up, you can marinate the tofu overnight, and make the dressing and rice or quinoa the day before.
Step 1: Cook Grains
If you don’t have cooked brown rice or quinoa prepared. Start that first, cooking your choice of grain according to the package instructions.
Step 2: Marinate Tofu
If you’d like to slice tofu into triangles, cut the block in half then slice each half into 4 thinner squares. Slice the squares on the diagonal so you end up with 16 triangles. Otherwise, you can slice it into cubes.
Add the triangles to a container with the tamari, vinegar, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Mix and set aside to marinate, tossing occasionally.
Step 3: Make Miso Tahini Dressing
You can either blend the miso tahini sauce or whisk it together in a container if you grate the garlic and ginger (you want it to be smooth).
Step 4: Roast Sweet Potato
Slice the sweet potato into rounds and add them to a baking sheet with 2 tsp oil, salt and pepper and toss to coat.
Spread them in an even layer and bake for 20-25 minutes until tender and golden.
Step 5: Roast Tofu
To a second baking sheet, add the tofu slices in an even layer and place in oven with sweet potato for 20-25 minutes, flipping half way through.
Step 6: Prepare Bowl Ingredients
Once you get the sweet potato and tofu in the oven, prepare the rest of the bowl ingredients.
Chop the cucumber and radish, prepare the edamame and gather the goji berries or cranberries and sunflower seeds.
Step 7: Assemble Bowls
Finally, assemble the power bowls.
Start with a handful of greens in 4 bowls then top each with equal amounts of rice, edamame, cucumber, radish, tofu, sweet potato, goji berries or cranberries and sunflower seeds.
Drizzle with your desired amount of miso tahini sauce and enjoy!
Variations
- For alternative dressings, try this Maple Dijon Dressing, Mint Cilantro Dressing, Miso Gravy, Almond Satay Sauce or Peanut Sauce.
- This Cabbage Slaw or Pickled Red Onion would be a yummy addition.
- You could do roasted butternut squash instead of sweet potato.
- Make these crispy chickpeas instead of edamame.
- This Sweet Chili Tofu would be a yummy alternative to the tofu portion of this recipe.
- Other veggies that would work well are grated carrot, steamed broccoli, snap or snow peas, or steamed or roasted cauliflower.
Storing
- Dressing can be made 2-3 days in advance and stored in the fridge.
- Tofu can be marinated overnight.
- Once assembled, the bowls will keep for 2-3 days in the fridge with the dressing stored separately.
- Leftover bowls can be enjoyed cold or reheated in the microwave. Reheat before adding dressing.
Did you try this recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Scroll down to the comment section to leave a star rating and review.
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Veggie Power Bowls
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 45 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 4
- Category: Main Dish
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Hearty veggie power bowls with plenty of nutrition and flavour, all smothered in an addictive miso tahini dressing.
Ingredients
For the Tofu
- 1 400g block firm or extra-firm tofu, drained and patted dry
- 2 tbsp tamari (30 mL)
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar (15 mL)
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- salt and pepper
For the Miso Tahini Sauce
- 2 tbsp miso paste (40 g)
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar (15 mL)
- 1 tbsp maple syrup (15 mL)
- 3 tbsp tahini (45 g)
- 1 tbsp tamari (15 mL)
- 1-inch ginger, peeled (15 g)
- 1 clove garlic (7 g)
- ¼ tsp turmeric
- ¼ cup water (60 mL)
- ¼ cup oil (60 mL)
For the Power Bowls
- 2 cups cooked brown rice or quinoa
- 2 medium sweet potato, cut into ½-inch rounds (335 g, about 3 cups sliced)
- 2 cups mixed greens or baby spinach (60 g)
- 1 cup cooked edamame (175 g)
- 1 cup chopped cucumber (170 g)
- 4 radishes, cut into half-moons (82 g, ½ cup)
- 4 tbsp goji berries or cranberries (30 g)
- ¼ cup toasted sunflower seeds, or other nut or seed of choice (33 g)
- sunflower or pea sprouts, optional
Instructions
- Cook Grains: If you don’t have cooked brown rice or quinoa on hand, start preparing it now according to the package instructions.
- Preheat the oven to 400 F.
- Slice Tofu: To slice the tofu into triangles, cut the block of tofu in half, then cut each half into four thinner slices. Cut each slice on the diagonal, in half, so you have 16 triangles in total. Otherwise, it’s ok to cut the tofu into cubes.
- Marinate Tofu: To a sealable container, add sliced tofu, tamari, vinegar and garlic powder. Season with salt and pepper, then toss to coat. Set aside for 15 min to marinate, tossing occasionally or place in a sealed container, refrigerate and marinate overnight.
- Make Dressing: All all of the dressing ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. If you prefer not to use a blender or don’t have one, the dressing can be whisked together in a bowl as long as the garlic and ginger are grated so they’re smooth.
- Bake Sweet Potato: Add the sweet potato rounds to a baking sheet with 2 tsp oil. Season with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Arrange the rounds in an even layer then roast on the middle rack for 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway through until tender and golden brown.
- Bake the Tofu: Add the marinated tofu slices to another baking sheet and add to the oven with the sweet potato. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown, flipping half way through. Alternatively, you can cook the tofu in a hot pan in 1 tbsp of oil over medium-high heat for 4-6 minutes per side.
- Prepare Bowl Ingredients: While the tofu and sweet potato are baking, chop the cucumber, prepare the edamame and gather the remaining bowl ingredients.
- Assemble Bowls: Divide the mixed greens between 4 bowls. Top each bowl with equal amounts of rice, edamame, cucumber, radish, tofu and sweet potato. Top with goji berries or cranberries, sunflower seeds and sprouts, if using. Drizzle each with desired amount of miso tahini dressing.
Notes
Dressing can be made 2-3 days in advance. Tofu can be marinated overnight. Once assembled, the bowls will keep for 2-3 days in the fridge with the dressing stored separately.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl with sauce
- Calories: 618
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 898 mg
- Fat: 33 g
- Carbohydrates: 61 g
- Fiber: 11 g
- Protein: 25 g
Hello Deryn,
Just a quick note to tell you how happy I am to have found your site. I’ve come to a vegan lifestyle very late in life after trying numerous was to feel good and lose weight. Because I need to restrict calories (1200 to 1350) and especially fat (less than 20 gr/day), your recipes are so helpful. Over the last couple years I’ve read numerous books and cookbooks, have virtually attended docuseries and summits, and viewed numerous YouTube videos. So many proponents of a whole-food plant-based lifestyle (whether SOS- or SOFAS-free or not) do not understand that some of us still need to restrict quantity.
All that said …please continue to include the nutrition information for your recipes!
Best regards,
Sandy
Thanks Sandy! So glad you’re enjoying everything.
OMG this bowl was everything. It was sooooo tasty – the mix of ingredients was perfect. The miso tahini sauce was the star of the show though. The recipe made enough to leave leftovers and I’ve been using it as a salad dressing since. SO good.
Thank you so much, Cindy! So glad you loved it. I really appreciate the review.
10/10! The sauce was so flavourful! Will definitely be making this on repeat.
Thank you, Amy! Love this sauce too 🙂
This is easy and delicious. That sauce!!!! Thanks so much for your great recipes!
Thanks Alexa! So glad you enjoyed it.
The sauce is so good, isn’t it? Glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Delish. Really good flavors. Family really enjoyed
Thanks, Anne! Glad it was enjoyed.