Buddha bowls are such a perfect way to have lunch as you can have a little bit of everything. you fancy in them. They’re apparently named for their big round belly shape and usually contain grains, vegetables, a dressing and some protein. I like mine as colourful as possible, and usually some tofu ends up being in there somewhere – this lemon and sage tofu buddha bowl is one of our favourites.
The first rule of tofu – and I can’t stress this enough – is to press it – and then marinade it for AT LEAST 24 hours, if not more. I always wince when I see recipes that tell you to take some pressed tofu, wave some dressing at it then fry it or bake it. It’s not enough – your tofu will end up tasting bland and nothingy and might even put you or the person you’re serving it to off tofu for life! Patience is a virtue with tofu. The more you marinade it the better it will taste.
Ingredients
1 block firm tofu
Juice of two lemons
2 teaspoons sage
Salt
Pepper
Method
First press the tofu, using a tofu press or by wrapping it in a tea towel, putting it in a sieve, then putting the sieve over a bowl with heavy books on top of the wrapped tofu. Press for minimum one hour.
Prepare the marinade. I usually marinade in my tofu press but you can also do in a bowl. Add the lemon juice, sage, a pinch of salt and pepper to the bowl or press. Chop the tofu in cubes and marinade in the lemon juice mixture. Add warm water to ensure the tofu is completely covered and marinade for 24-76 hours.
Then heat your oven to 180C (fan) and bake the tofu in its marinade in an oven dish for 20-30 minutes, until it’s golden.
I had this with roasted dill potatoes, roasted tomatoes with thyme, and roasted carrots marinaded in miso. It’s delicious drizzled with our smoky cheeze sauce. Other suggestions to add to the tofu in a buddha bowl –
Pickled veg and/or peanut broccoli
Spicy tempeh, potato and cauliflower
Japanese mushrooms and greens.
And if you like this, try our green vegan coriander soup.