A healthy plant-based Spring Roll Bowl with rice noodles, raw, crunchy veggies, fresh herbs and scallions, topped with marinated and baked tofu and a creamy peanut sauce. Vegan and gluten-free.
Just about every time my husband and I golf, go to the lake, drive out of town, or have a picnic, our go-to option for a packed lunch is cold peanut noodles. Usually I keep it really simple with rice noodles and peanut sauce, some shredded carrots and cabbage with pan-fried tofu. I decided it was time to write a recipe down and really make it amazing.
Why You'll Love This
For this Spring Roll Bowl, instead of pan-frying tofu I give it loads of rich, umami flavor by marinating and baking the tofu. I pack the bowl with colorful, crunchy veggies, and top with herbs, scallions, and chopped peanuts.
The tofu is crispy, crunchy, and full of smoky, sweet, comforting flavor! The peanut sauce is creamy, velvety and tangy! I promise you... you will LOVE this Spring Roll Bowl!
Spring Roll Bowl Ingredients
- Rice noodles: Stir-fry (or Pad Thai) noodles work best here.
- Carrots
- Red bell pepper: You can sub orange or yellow bell pepper.
- Purple cabbage: Look for the smallest one you can find.
- Tofu: Use extra firm.
- Tamari: Soy sauce or liquid aminos also work.
- Toasted sesame oil: Regular is okay too.
- Maple syrup: Can sub coconut or brown sugar.
- Mirin: Feel free to sub rice vinegar.
- Ginger powder
- Cornstarch: Potato starch works too.
- Sesame seeds: Black or white, or use furikake seasoning.
- Basil: Or sub mint or cilantro, or use a combo of all three!
- Peanuts
Peanut Sauce Ingredients
Combine all of the ingredients together until you achieve a smooth, creamy sauce!
- Peanut butter
- Tamari: Can sub soy sauce or liquid aminos.
- Maple syrup: Idea for texture, but can sub coconut, brown, or cane sugar.
- Water: Makes the sauce the perfect texture for drizzling!
- Rice vinegar
- Lime juice: Fresh is best.
- Sriracha
- Toasted sesame oil
- Garlic clove: Peeled and crushed.
- Fresh ginger: Minced or grated.
How to Make Marinated & Baked Tofu
1. Marinate the tofu. Press the tofu with paper towels or a clean kitchen towel. Cut into ¾-inch cubes and place in a medium bowl. Add tamari, toasted sesame oil, maple syrup, mirin, and ginger powder to the bowl. Mix together with a silicone spoon. Place in fridge to marinate for 30 minutes (or up to 2 hours).
Preheat the oven to 425F.
2. Prepare rice noodles. Cook the rice noodles according to package instructions. Drain and rinse under cold water.
3. Prep the vegetables. Slice the red bell pepper and carrots into matchsticks. Slice or dice the cabbage and slice the basil (or other herbs). Chop the peanuts.
4. Bake the tofu. Once the tofu has marinated for 15 minutes, gently stir. Once it is done marinating (15 more minutes), sprinkle cornstarch over top and carefully mix to coat all of the tofu. Transfer the tofu to a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.
5. Make the peanut sauce. Whisk all of the peanut sauce ingredients together until achieving a smooth texture.
5. Flip the tofu and continue baking. Remove the tofu from the oven to flip the pieces. Bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until the tofu is browned and crispy. Let cool for 5 minutes to crisp up. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and mix with sesame seeds (or furikake).
How to Assemble a Spring Roll Bowl
There are two ways to assemble your Spring Roll Bowl. The first is impressive and beautiful and requires some delicate arranging. The second is quick and easy and a great way to mix everything evenly. You choose!
- Arrange ingredients neatly: Use tongs to place noodles in bowls. Add a handful of tofu to each bowl, arrange the veggies in the bowls, and sprinkle the herbs and peanuts over top. Add any additional garnishes. Drizzle peanut sauce over top.
- Mix everything together: To the bowl with the tofu and sesame seeds, add the noodles, veggies, herbs, and peanuts. Pour all of the peanut sauce over top and use two forks to mix everything together. Serve in bowls and add desired garnishes.
Garnishes for a Spring Roll Bowl
- Radish slices
- Sesame seeds or furikake seasoning
- Sliced scallions
- Lime wedges
- Chili flakes
- Sriracha
Chef Tips
- Multi-task! There are a lot of moving pieces in this recipe. Follow the instructions in order and use timers! When you have down time, jump to another component of the dish.
- Use dry tofu. Make sure to pat the tofu dry and press it. This will help it turn out crispier. You don't need a tofu press, but you can always place a couple of large cookbooks over a kitchen towel and set it on top of the tofu for several minutes to drain.
- Use up the veggies you have! This recipe is super versatile. Use whatever veggies you already have on hand—anything that can be enjoyed raw is great to add!
- Load up on toppings. In addition to the garnishes listed, you could add microgreens, sprouts (wasabi sprouts would be perfect!), chopped cashews, edamame, or nori.
- Make spicy peanut sauce. Taste and adjust the peanut sauce as you go. You can always add more sriracha or add chili flakes to make it spicy if you prefer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Steamed jasmine or sushi rice could be used as the base instead of rice noodles. You can also swap the noodles for fresh greens to make a salad.
Make sure all of the tofu is evenly coated in the cornstarch. It helps to mix it together in a bowl or shake it in a bag. When the tofu comes out of the oven, let it sit for 5 minutes. This really helps it crisp up!
To cut back on time, skip marinating the tofu. This will save you 30 minutes. It won't be as flavorful, but it will still be crispy and delicious. Or you can skip the tofu for a lighter dish that comes together in 20 minutes or less. You can always bake the tofu in advance and crisp back up in the toaster oven (or oven or air fryer).
Storage
You can store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Keep the peanut sauce separate or mix it all together—both work just fine!
When serving, I recommend letting the dish sit out for a bit to bring it to room temperature unless you like it cold.
If you want the tofu to be crispy and warm again, simply store the tofu separately and reheat in the oven, toaster oven, or air fryer. You can also warm on a frying pan.
Spring Roll Bowl Health Benefits!
Just look at how colorful this Spring Roll Bowl is! It is full of SO MANY vitamins, antioxidants, and other nutrients.
- Protein and minerals: Tofu is a rich source of plant-based protein, as well as calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus.
- Fiber and vitamins: The veggies and herbs pack this bowl with fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants. Carrots are high in vitamin A, biotin, and potassium. Red bell peppers are full of vitamin C. Red cabbage is high in both vitamin C and K.
- Anti-inflammatory: The garlic, ginger, herbs, and vegetables are rich in anti-inflammatory compounds.
- Raw: The raw veggies are more nutrient-dense than cooked vegetables, offering a higher concentration of vitamins and nutrients.
I can't wait for you to try this one! Let me know what you think in the comments, and be sure to rate this recipe once you've enjoyed it! 🙂
More Recipes You May Enjoy!
- Sesame Sticky Tofu
- Tofu Lettuce Wraps
- Tempeh Buddha Bowl
- Rainbow Bowl with Turmeric Tahini Sauce
- Spicy Peanut Noodles
- Chili Garlic Noodles
📖 Recipe
Spring Roll Bowl with Baked Tofu
Ingredients
Marinated & Baked Tofu
- 14 ounces extra firm tofu
- 2 tablespoons tamari
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon mirin
- ½ teaspoon ginger powder
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
Spring Roll Bowl
- 8 ounces rice noodles
- 2 carrots
- 1 red bell pepper
- ¼ head of purple cabbage
- ½ cup basil or mint or cilantro (or a combo of all three)
- ¼ cup peanuts
Peanut Sauce
- ¼ cup peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons tamari
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon lime juice freshly squeezed
- 1 teaspoon sriracha
- ½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 garlic clove peeled and crushed
- ½ inch knob fresh ginger peeled and minced (or grated)
Optional Garnishes
- Radish slices
- Sesame seeds
- Scallions sliced
- Lime wedges
- Chili flakes
- Sriracha
Instructions
- Remove tofu from its package and drain. Press gently, but firmly, with paper towels or a clean dish towel to dry and remove excess liquid. Cut into ¾-inch cubes and place in a medium bowl (or bag). Add tamari, toasted sesame oil, maple syrup, mirin, and ginger powder to the bowl. Gently mix everything together with a silicone spoon (or shake the bag). Place in the fridge to marinate for 30 minutes (or for an hour or two if you'd like).
- Preheat the oven to 425F.
- Cook the rice noodles according to package instructions. When done, drain and rinse under cold water thoroughly. Transfer to a bowl or place the colander over a kitchen towel while you prep everything else.
- Begin prepping the vegetables. Slice the red bell pepper into thin strips and then cut those in half to create matchsticks. Peel and cut the carrots into matchsticks, or use a peeler to create thin swirls. Slice the cabbage into strips or dice. Slice the basil (or other herbs). Chop the peanuts.
- Stir the bowl of tofu gently once 15 minutes have passed. (Or flip the bag.) Once the tofu is ready, sprinkle the cornstarch over top and stir to coat all of the tofu. (If using a bag, simply shake.)
- Transfer the tofu to a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.
- Prepare the peanut sauce by whisking all of the ingredients together until achieving a smooth texture.
- Remove the tofu from the oven to flip the pieces. Use tongs, a spatula, or carefully use your hands. Then bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until the tofu is browned and crispy.
- Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes. This is important to help the tofu firm up! Then transfer to a large bowl and sprinkle sesame seeds over top. Mix gently to coat.
- To assemble* use tongs to place noodles in bowls. Add a handful of tofu to each bowl, then arrange the veggies in the bowls. Sprinkle herbs and peanuts over top, adding any additional garnishes of choice. Drizzle the peanut sauce onto each bowl and serve with sriracha if you want to add spicy flavor. Serve with extra peanut sauce on the side and enjoy!
Notes
- Alternatively, you can add all of the ingredients to a large mixing bowl (including the garnishes) and mix together with the peanut sauce so that the noodles are well coated. I like doing it this way, but it is not as pretty as it is to assemble as pictured. 🙂
