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Vegan Banh Mi Buddha Bowl recipe by Joyful Balance

Banh Mi Buddha Bowl

Delaney Marie
Pickled veggies, fresh veggies, a delicious vegan mayo sauce, and some smoky marinated tofu - all the best things of a plant based banh mi! Today we are turning the delicious banh mi into a buddha bowl, and I don't think you'll be disappointed. Feel free to make all the individual components ahead of time and assemble bowls for lunches or dinners throughout the week!
*Note that From Start To Finish is an estimate that includes 30 minutes to prep your ingredients (including starting to cook your brown rice, pressing your tofu, and chopping your veggies), and 60 minutes to complete the recipe directions. If you wish to let your pickled veggies develop an even stronger flavor, you may want to wait longer to actually assemble your bowls, which will add to the overall time.
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From Start to Finish1 hour 30 minutes
Servings4 bowls

Ingredients

Pickled veggies

  • ½ cup shredded or julienned carrot (about 1 small carrot)
  • ½ cup shredded or julienned daikon (about ⅓ of a daikon)
  • ⅓ cup rice vinegar
  • ⅓ cup water
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoon sugar

Marinated Tofu

  • 1 block firm tofu - pressed for 20 minutes*
  • ¼ cup tamari
  • 2 tablespoon lime juice
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 3 tablespoon pure maple syrup

Mayo Sriracha Sauce

Buddha Bowl

  • 3 cups cooked brown rice
  • 3 cups greens of choice (My go-to is spinach)
  • 3 mini cucumbers - thinly sliced (about ¾ cup)
  • Marinated Tofu (recipe above)
  • Pickled Veggies (recipe above)
  • Mayo Sriracha Sauce (recipe above)
  • 1 jalapeno - thinly sliced (seeds removed if sensitive to heat)
  • ¼ cup cilantro - roughly chopped
  • 2 green onions - chopped

Instructions

  • Prepare your pickled veggies: Add your shredded (or julienned) carrot and daikon to a jar or container of choice (you will be adding boiling liquid to this soon, so make sure your container is safe for hot liquid). Set to the side.
    Add your rice vinegar, water, salt, and sugar to a small pot on the stove top. Bring to a boil while stirring regularly. Once your mixture is boiling and the salt and sugar have mostly dissolved, remove from heat. Pour mixture into the jar of carrot and daikon.
    Add the lid to your jar or container and let cool to room temperature while you move on to step 2. Once it has reached room temp (takes about 30 minutes for me), move it to the fridge to let cool even more (the longer it sits, the stronger flavor it'll have! I recommend at least another 20-30 minutes).
  • Prepare tofu marinade: In a small bowl, combine tamari, lime juice, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and maple syrup. Mix until combined.
  • Marinate your tofu: Once your tofu has pressed for 20 minutes, cut tofu block into cubes (mine are usually about 1 inch cubes). Add tofu cubes to a shallow dish and pour marinade on top. Carefully move the tofu cubes around with a spatula or other utensil until they are all evenly coated in the marinade. Set to the side and let marinate for 15 minutes.
  • Cook your tofu: Once your tofu has marinated for 15 minutes, bring a medium non-stick pan to medium-high heat on stove top. Add your tofu cubes to the pan, but DON'T add any of the leftover marinade just yet.
    Let the first side of the tofu cubes sit and cook about 4-5 minutes. Give them a flip, add a bit more of the marinade to the pan to prevent sticking (and for extra flavor), and allow to sit and cook another 4-5 minutes. Continue this process (flipping, adding a bit more marinade, allow to sit & cook, flipping again) for about 15-20 minutes total, or until they are cooked to your liking. Remove from heat.
  • Prepare your Mayo Sriracha Sauce: Mix together vegan mayo, ½ teaspoon sriracha, and ½ tablespoon lime juice. Taste and adjust as desired - adding more sriracha and/or lime juice if you'd like.
  • Assemble your bowls: Dividing all ingredients between 4 bowls, assemble your Plant Based Banh Mi Buddha Bowls! Each bowl gets brown rice, a large handful of greens, thinly sliced cucumbers, marinated tofu, a few spoonfuls of pickled veggies, and a drizzle of the mayo sriracha sauce. Top with a few jalapeno slices, and a sprinkle of cilantro and green onion. Enjoy!

Notes

*Firm tofu, pressed for 20 minutes: You can press your tofu by using a tofu press, or by wrapping your tofu in paper towels and placing a somewhat heavy plate on top of it.
Did you make this recipe?Mention @joyfulbalanceofficial on Instagram and show the world your plant based creation!