A delicious dairy-free, gluten-free, vegan-friendly dish that the whole family will love.
It doesn’t matter if you’re following a plant-based diet or you’re a meat-eater looking for a meatless Monday recipe: You’re going to absolutely fall in love with these Mediterranean Quinoa Bowls with Spiced Tofu. This dish really has it all. It’s packed full of fresh vegetables, contains a whopping 42 grams of plant-based protein, and has a ton of flavor. Finish it off with a dollop of hummus, and you have a dish that has all the flavors and textures you crave in a filling, 500-calorie package.
At first glance, the recipe looks long and complicated. We promise you it’s easier than you think! The Spiced Tofu only takes about five minutes to cook. Most of the remaining ingredients are served raw and just require a little chopping. If it makes things easier, you can absolutely make this meal in advance. Prep everything on Sunday and assemble the dish when you’re ready to eat for an easy lunch or weeknight meal.
Let’s Talk Spiced Tofu
These Mediterranean Quinoa Bowls taste great without any added protein, but we love the flavor and texture this Spiced Tofu adds to the mix. This recipe is also simpler than most tofu recipes, which usually require pressing the tofu to remove the excess water. Instead, we’ll cook the tofu loosely instead of keeping it in firm blocks, so the water will cook out as the tofu cooks.
Blending the tofu with chickpeas gives the finished product a texture similar to scrambled eggs. The soft, tomato-infused tofu contrasts perfectly with quinoa’s nutty texture. Put it together with all those crunchy, raw vegetables, and it’s just about perfect!
Using Plant-Based, Oil-Free Salad Dressings
Our recipes for plant-based, oil-free salad dressings are some of the most popular on the site. Traditional salad dressings use fat-filled oil or mayonnaise as the base. Many of our recipes use silken tofu instead to create a thick, creamy texture. Brilliant!
If making the dressing from scratch sounds like too much work, feel free to swap-in your favorite Italian dressing instead. You could skip it altogether, too. The quinoa tastes great on its own without adding any additional flavor. The dressing definitely takes things up a notch, though, coating each granule with tangy, savory flavor.
Finish Your Mediterranean Quinoa Bowls with a Dollop of Hummus
Have you ever noticed that some of the most satisfying meals contain a variety of textures? A salad with lettuce and dressing is boring, but one with crunchy cucumbers, juicy tomatoes, and chewy olives leaves you feeling fuller and more satisfied. It’s not because the second salad contains way more calories, but because we satiated our taste buds by adding a sensory quality to the dish.
These Mediterranean Quinoa Bowls already have a ton of texture: nutty quinoa, soft tofu, and crunchy vegetables. But adding a dollop of hummus to the top adds a smooth, creamy element. Creamy foods are often off-limits for anyone following a plant-based diet, as most of them are made with dairy. But vegan hummus — like our White Bean and Herb Hummus recipe — is just as creamy as sour cream or yogurt, satisfying the craving while still using 100 percent plant-based ingredients.
Mediterranean Quinoa Bowls with Spiced Tofu
Ingredients
For the Spiced Tofu
- 1 pound firm tofu cut into large cubes
- 1/2 cup garbanzo beans drained and rinsed
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons water
- 3 Roma tomatoes diced small
For the Mediterranean Quinoa Bowls
- 2 cups quinoa cooked
- oil-free creamy Italian dressing full recipe
- 2 cups arugula or baby spinach, if you prefer
- 1 cucumber large, chopped
- 1/2 cup kalamata olives pitted
- 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes sliced in half
- 2 tablespoons red onion chopped
- 1/4 cup vegan hummus oil free
- 2 tablespoons parsley fresh, chopped
- lemon wedges for garnish
Instructions
For the Spiced Tofu
- In a food processor, combine the tofu, garbanzo beans, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, salt, crushed red pepper, and garlic powder. Gently pulse to a coarse mixture forms.
- In a large skillet on medium heat, add the tofu mixture and water. Cook, stirring often, until the tofu is hot and resembles scrambled eggs.
- Stir in the tomatoes and remove from the heat.
For the Mediterranean Quinoa Bowls
- In a small bowl, toss the cooked quinoa with the Oil-Free Creamy Italian Dressing. Set aside.
- Place 1/2 cup dressed quinoa in the center of each bowl. Add the spiced tofu, arugula or spinach, cucumber, olives, cherry tomatoes, and red onions, placing each one next to each other to create a cascade of colors around the bowl.
- Finish the bowls by adding a tablespoon of the hummus in the middle of each bowl and topping each bowl with chopped parsley. Serve the bowls with a lemon wedge.
Nutrition Information
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