If someone told you they have an extremely easy recipe with tons of health benefits and a delicious taste, would you try it? You’d be crazy not to, right?

Well, we’re that someone. And this rainbow tofu buddha bowl is going to blow your mind. So, let’s do this!

Bowls With Vegetables & Tofu Inside
Fill your buddha bowls to the brim!

📖 About

It’s obvious we didn’t come up with the idea of a buddha bowl. Whoever did is a genius though, and we would like to meet this person.

However, since the first time we tried one many years ago, we have been experimenting with all different types. The only criteria we have for buddha bowls is to be colorful, fresh, and served with a delicious sauce.

Buddha bowls are the perfect plant-based meal because they are so well balanced. With grains, proteins, and lots of vegetables, this recipe should be eaten every day.

We especially love buddha bowls because you can throw basically whatever ingredients you have on hand into a bowl, whip up a sauce, and there you have it! There are no excuses not to try one.

Sweet Potatoes on a Pan
Bake your sweet potato cubes

🍲 Key ingredients

These are the key ingredients we used in our recipe, but remember, there are infinite amounts of variations to choose from.

  • Sweet potatoes: the sweet flavor and creamy texture of roasted sweet potatoes will never get old to us. They make any buddha bowl better tasting and more filling. You can use regular potatoes too, but we find sweet potatoes just make your bowl that much more tasty.
  • Tofu: this is such a versatile source of protein, especially for vegans and vegetarians. We love making large cubes and baking it with a marinade. The water evaporates leaving you with a chewy texture on the inside, yet crispy on the outside.
  • Brown rice: using brown rice is a nice little hack to add some more fiber in your day. But, feel free to switch this out for white rice or quinoa if you want to.
  • Carrot: ever heard that carrots are good for eyesight? They are loaded with vitamin A, which is good for your eyes and helps you to see things at night. Do we have night vision goggles yet?
  • Peas: another, often overlooked, source of plant protein. These little guys have 8 grams of protein per cup. Talk about big things coming in small packages.
  • Cabbage: we always try to include as many colors in our buddha bowls as possible. Did you know red cabbage actually has some of the highest antioxidant levels of any food?
Roasted Sweet Potatos
Don’t forget to check on these babies

🔪 Instructions

To begin with, you’ll cube the tofu and toss it in some marinade. It’s best to let it sit overnight, but don’t worry if you forget. It will still taste delicious!

Throw some rice on in a pressure cooker or pot. Then, bake the sweet potatoes and tofu while you prepare your other ingredients.

Baked Tofu Cubes On A Pan
Bake your tofu until golden and crispy

While the tofu and sweet potatoes bake, cut your fresh veggies and sauté the green peas.

Get your sauce ready. These bowls are just asking for a creamy cilantro lime dressing.

Green Peas Sautéing In A Pan
Sauté your peas in a little oil and garlic

Once everything is prepped, the fun part begins. You get to build your bowl any way you want. Typically, they are built like a happy buddha belly. Nice and round.

🌡️ Storage

The ingredients for buddha bowls are great for prepping ahead of time to use for lunches all week long. You can store it all in the fridge for about 4-5 days.

Rainbow Buddha Bowls

💭 Budget tips

We think everyone should be able to eat better for less, so here are a few tricks to make this recipe even more affordable:

  • Trade your tofu in for a legume like beans or chickpeas
  • Use white instead of brown rice
  • Swap out the liquid aminos for soy sauce (remember soy sauce contains gluten)

🍴 Tasting notes

This is one of our favorite meals to enjoy, and we know it will quickly become one of yours too. It’s:

  • Filling
  • Saucy
  • Full of plant protein
  • Fresh
  • Simple

If you try this recipe, please rate it and leave us a comment below! Want to stay up-to-date with new recipes? Subscribe to our newsletter or connect with Broke Bank Vegan on social media. Happy eating!

Bowls With Vegetables & Tofu Inside

Rainbow Tofu Buddha Bowl

Mitch and Justine
This tofu buddha bowl is an extremely easy recipe with tons of health benefits and a delicious taste. Get ready to fill your bowl with the most vibrant colors of the rainbow with almost no effort at all!
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 30 mins
Total Time 45 mins
Course Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine American, Gluten-Free, Vegan, Western
Servings 4 servings
Calories 330 kcal

Equipment

  • Pressure cooker
  • Baking pan
  • Large mixing bowl
  • Frying pan

Ingredients
 

Rice

  • ¾ cup uncooked brown rice ($0.29)
  • ¾ cup water ($0.00)

Buddha Bowls

  • 2 medium sweet potatoes, cubed ($0.70)
  • 1 ½ tbsp olive oil ($0.18)
  • 2 tsp garlic powder, divided ($0.04)
  • 1 brick extra firm tofu, cubed large ($1.42)
  • 2 tbsp liquid aminos ($0.36)
  • 1 tbsp nutritional yeast ($0.25)
  • 1 cup frozen green peas ($0.21)
  • 1 medium red bell pepper ($0.83)
  • 2 medium carrots, shredded ($0.28)
  • 1 cup red cabbage, shredded ($0.16)
  • 2 cups spinach ($0.34)
  • Sea salt and pepper to taste ($0.02)

Garnishes optional

Instructions
 

  • Rinse the rice and start cooking it in an instant pot. Alternatively, you can cook it in a pot on the stove with a ratio of 1:1 ¾ cups rice to water. Then, preheat your oven to 350°F, and line two baking pans with parchment paper.
  • Lightly coat sweet potatoes with oil of choice, 1 tsp garlic powder, sea salt, and pepper. Spread evenly on a parchment-lined pan, and bake for 25-30 minutes, mixing halfway.
  • In a large bowl, coat tofu cubes with the rest of the garlic powder, nutritional yeast, liquid aminos, salt, and pepper to taste. Spread evenly on the second baking pan, and cook for 25-30 minutes at 350°F, turning halfway.
  • Heat ½ tbsp of oil in a pan on low, and cook the green peas until heated through about 3-5 minutes. Season with a pinch more garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
  • In the meantime, cut up the rest of your fresh vegetables and set them aside.
  • Once the rice, sweet potatoes, and tofu are done, start assembling the bowls. Begin with a layer of brown rice, then spinach, tofu cubes, sweet potatoes, and the rest of the vegetables. Garnish with red onion slices, lime juice, avocado slices, and dressing.

Notes

  • You can make this oil-free for lower fat content. Just substitute the oil for lemon juice.
  • Marinate the tofu overnight to enhance the flavors.
  • Optional ingredients are not reflected in the price or calories of our recipes.
  • We calculate nutritional information for our recipes with Cronometer.
  • Recipe cost calculations are based on ingredients local to us and may vary from recipe-to-recipe.
  • All prices are in USD.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 330kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 18.1g | Fat: 10.5g | Saturated Fat: 1.3g | Trans Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 250mg | Potassium: 577mg | Vitamin A: 16980IU | Vitamin C: 64mg | Calcium: 460mg | Iron: 1.6mg
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💬 FAQ

Do I need to marinate the tofu overnight?

Marinating tofu overnight is not necessary, but it will allow the tofu to soak up more of the flavors.

Can I make this recipe with quinoa?

You can absolutely make this recipe with quinoa! It works well with any type of rice, quinoa, or even rice noodles.

Do I have to bake the tofu?

You do not need to bake the tofu. You can also fry it if you want.

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