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Calum Harris’ baked pesto tofu bowl, from his cookbook Proper Healthy: 80 Plant-Based Recipes with a Boost, is a vibrant, high-protein meal perfect for lunch or dinner. The dish combines fresh, zesty pesto with protein-packed tofu and hearty grains like quinoa or freekeh.
Freekeh, an ancient grain made from green wheat, is rich in protein and fiber, making it a wholesome alternative to traditional grains. The homemade pesto, made with basil, mint, sunflower seeds, and nutritional yeast, doubles as a flavorful dressing.
This bowl is topped with cherry tomatoes, arugula, and a drizzle of balsamic glaze for extra flavor and texture. If you’re looking for an easy vegan dish, this recipe is a great option, especially for Veganuary. Simple to prepare and packed with plant-based nutrition, it’s an excellent choice for any day of the week.
Give this recipe a try if you’re a newbie vegan, or just looking for something different to eat this week. Bowls are also excellent meal prep so you can make this dish in advance and eat it over a few days.
Read more: How To Make This Vegan Sushi Bake
Baked pesto tofu bro bowl
Ingredients
For the pesto
- 4 handfuls (40g/ ½ oz) of fresh basil
- A bigger handful (15g/ ½ oz) of fresh mint leaves
- 40 g/1½oz sunflower seeds
- 20 g/ ¾ oz fresh breadcrumbs
- 4 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 small garlic clove
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 3 ½ tbsp ice-cold water
For the rest-o
- 2 blocks (560g/1lb 4oz) extra firm tofu
- 250 g/9oz quinoa or freekeh if you can get it
- 500 ml/18fl oz/2 cups boiling water
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 200 g/7oz cherry tomatoes
- 90 g/3 ¼ oz rocket/arugula
- Balsamic glaze optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas mark 6 and line a roasting tray with baking parchment.
- We’ll begin with the besto pesto in this booko. In a food processor, blitz up the basil, mint, seeds, breadcrumbs, nutritional yeast, garlic, half the lemon juice and 3 tablespoons of the olive oil into something that resembles pesto.
- For this, you’re aiming for a paste consistency. Season it to your taste buds. Pour three-quarters of the pesto into a jug, then add the ice-cold water, the remaining lemon juice and olive oil and a pinch of salt to the jug. You should have a dressing consistency. Pop that in the fridge.
- Drain, then tear up the extra-firm tofu into rough pieces in whatever size you fancy, then put those in a large mixing bowl.
- Add the paste version of the pesto from the food processor and mix it deep into the tofu. Pop the pieces on the lined roasting tray and bake in the oven for 20 minutes.
- We now can stick the grains in a saucepan filled with boiling water which will be salted and also have some lemon juice squeezed in. Boil, then after 10 or so minutes, you should have cooked grains.
- Chop the cherry tomatoes in half, and I think that’s enough prep until everything’s ready.
- Plate up. Add the grains to the bottom of a bowl, then the tofu, rocket and tomatoes go on top in whatever way you fancy styling.
- Finish with the remaining jug of pesto dressing, as well as a drizzle of balsamic glaze if you like.
Proper Healthy: 80 plant-based recipes with a boost By Calum Harris, Published by Carnival, Out Now.
Read more: Creamy Spinach And Crispy Tofu Curry
