When you want a quick, high protein lunch in less than 15 minutes, this Vegan Spicy Tuna Rice Bowl comes in super handy! The key ingredient here is tofu, which we brine in hot salted water and mix with a blend of mayo, sriracha hot sauce, sesame oil and lemon juice. Once prepped it takes less than 5 minutes to put together with the toppings of your choice and lunch is ready.
Vegan Spicy Tuna
I have a confession to make. I’ve never eaten sushi before. I mean real sushi, not vegan sushi. But I see this recipe circulated so much that a vegan girl wants in on the action! And ever since having a baby I’ve been seeking out recipes that are quick, loaded with nutrition and high in protein. This one fits the bill!
Prepping the Tofu
Instead of tuna, we are using tofu. I recommend using extra firm tofu or the texture will be a little too soft. To maximize flavor absorption I like to shred the tofu with a grater and brine in a bowl of hot salted water. Tofu on its own tends to be a bit bland so brining it really helps the tofu absorb the salt and makes it salty like the ocean! If you are short on time, you can skip this step but I find it very helpful.
If you would like, you can add a sea vegetable like dulse or furikake for extra fishy flavor, but I didn’t have any and wasn’t too keen on the tuna tasting too fishy.
Pre-Cook the Rice
I used short grain brown rice for my recipe, but feel free to use any rice you prefer.
Toppings
In this recipe the name of the game is quick, convenient meals. I am using sliced persian cucumbers and edamame, which came frozen and defrosted. It is also loaded with protein. Some toppings you could also include are:
- Chopped ripe mango
- Radish
- Seaweed salad
- scallions
- Fried garlic/onion
- Sweet corn kernels.
Vegan Spicy Tuna Rice Bowl
Ingredients
- 1 block Extra firm tofu
- 1 cup Short grain brown rice
For the sauce
- 1/3 cup vegan mayonnaise I used Follow Your Heart
- 1 tbsp sriracha or hot sauce of choice
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- Juice of ½ lemon roughly 1-2 tbsp
Toppings:
- 3-4 scallions greens only
- black sesame seeds
- sesame oil
- 3 sliced persian cucumbers
- 1 cup frozen edamame defrosted
Instructions
Cook the rice
- In a rice cooker cook 1 cup of washed rice with 2 cups of water.
Prepare the tofu
- Press the tofu and then grate
- Soak tofu in hot salted water for at least 10 minutes. This step is optional but allows tofu to absorb some salt.
- Drain tofu and squeeze out excess water and allow to cool.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sriracha, sesame oil and lemon juice. If you are not salting your tofu, you can add 1 tsp salt in this step.
- Fold in the shredded tofu.
Assemble the bowls.
- In a bowl layer hot rice with a few scoops of tofu spicy tuna, 1/3 cup edamame and sliced cucumbers. Top with scallions, sesame oil and sesame seeds.
Notes
Some More High Protein Meals
- Copycat “Shroomami Bowl”
- Roasted Vegetable Buddha Bowl with Spicy Green Tahini
- Miso Sesame Noodle Bowls with Carrot Daikon Pickle
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