Packed with flavor and ready in less than 30 minutes, this gochujang tofu bowl with cucumber peanut salad is perfect for your weeknight dinner rotation. The sweet, tangy, and spicy tofu pairs beautifully with the cool and crunchy cucumber peanut salad in this easy vegan dinner.
Ditch the takeout and try these gochujang tofu bowls instead! The five ingredient gochujang sauce is sweet, tangy, and spicy and coats the crisp tofu beautifully. This easy vegan dinner is perfect for a weeknight but special enough for the weekend when you’re trying to curb the craving for takeout. While the tofu cooks, you’ll be able to get the other components ready which means these vegan bowls go from fridge to table in under 30 minutes!
Why I Love this Gochujang Tofu Bowl
- The sweet, tangy, and spicy flavors in this gochujang tofu make it seriously crave-worthy!
- The combination of the spicy tofu and cooling cucumber creates a beautiful balance of flavors.
- This vegan bowl has a fair amount of protein thanks to the super firm tofu!
- It’s ready in under 30 minutes. Huzzah!
Notes on Ingredients and Substitutions
RICE — I love serving the gochujang tofu and cucumber peanut salad over cooked white jasmine rice. Feel free to use your favorite rice here or save some time with pre-cooked rice that simply needs to be warmed up!
GOCHUJANG TOFU — I highly recommend using a super firm or extra firm tofu here for the best texture and highest protein per serving. I like using super firm tofu since it doesn’t require the extra step of pressing and saves me some time! For the sauce, you’ll need gochujang (Korean fermented red chili paste), rice vinegar, tamari (or soy sauce if you can tolerate wheat), maple syrup (or honey), and a clove of garlic. Gochujang can typically be found on the international foods aisle at the grocery store.
CUCUMBER PEANUT SALAD — Lately I’ve been crushing on Persian cucumbers so I used them here. Feel free to use an English cucumber in their place or your favorite slicing cucumber variety! In addition to the cucumbers, you’ll need roasted peanuts (salted or unsalted, it’s up to you!), lime juice, sugar, and salt. Once you put everything together, you can garnish with some sliced scallions and toasted sesame seeds if you like.
Tips for Making the Best Gochujang Tofu Bowl
Tear the tofu into roughly 1-inch sized pieces by hand. This creates a lot more surface area to get crispy in the pan and for the sauce to cling to! Gochujang can be thick so make sure to whisk your sauce ingredients together really well. After you add the tofu to the pan, stir/flip it every 2-3 minutes to allow time for it to get golden and crispy.
Once the tofu is golden and crisp, add the gochujang sauce. At this point, you can stir regularly for about 2-3 minutes or until the sauce thickens and coats the tofu. While the tofu cooks, you’ll have plenty of time to thinly slice your cucumbers and make the cucumber peanut salad. Season the salad with salt and a pinch or two of sugar to balance the acidity from the lime.
Love tofu? I highly recommend trying these recipes next!
- Veggie Sushi Bowl with Tofu and Spicy Mayo — basically a deconstructed vegetarian sushi roll in a bowl!
- Kohlrabi and Tatsoi Stir-Fry with Ginger Rice and Tofu — this seasonal stir-fry is super comforting and filling.
- Tofu Ricotta Stuffed Shells — if you’re looking for something that uses tofu in an unexpected way, try my tofu ricotta stuffed shells! Super comforting and tasty.
Gochujang Tofu Bowl with Cucumber Peanut Salad
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 3–4 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Packed with flavor and ready in less than 30 minutes, this gochujang tofu bowl with cucumber peanut salad is perfect for your weeknight dinner rotation. The sweet, tangy, and spicy tofu pairs beautifully with the cool and crunchy cucumber peanut salad in this easy vegan dinner.
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked white Jasmine rice
- 1 16–ounce block super firm tofu
- 2 tablespoons gochujang
- 1 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 1/2 tablespoons tamari
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 large garlic clove, grated on a microplane or minced
- 1 1/2 tablespoons avocado oil
- Sea salt, to taste
- 3–4 Persian cucumbers, or 1 English cucumber or other slicing cucumber variety
- 1/3 cup roasted peanuts
- 1 medium lime
- 1 pinch sugar
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced (optional for garnish)
- 1 tablespoon roasted sesame seeds, optional for garnish
Instructions
Cook the rice according to the package instructions.
While the rice cooks, heat a large skillet or frying pan over medium. Pat the tofu dry then tear it into roughly 1-inch chunks with your fingers. Make the gochujang sauce – whisk together the gochujang, rice vinegar, tamari, maple syrup, and grated or minced garlic until smooth. Taste and adjust with more gochujang for spice or tamari for saltiness if you prefer.
Add the avocado oil to the skillet. Once it shimmers, add the tofu in a single layer along with a small pinch of sea salt. Cook to tofu, stirring every 2-3 minutes, until golden and crisp (about 15 minutes total). Add the gochujang sauce and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring regularly, until the sauce thickens and coats the tofu.
While tofu and rice cook, thinly slice the cucumbers on the bias and add them to a bowl. Chop the peanuts and add them to the bowl. Season the cucumbers with the juice from half of the lime, a pinch of salt, and a pinch of sugar. Toss, then taste and add more lime, salt, and sugar as needed to suit your tastes.
Before serving, fluff the rice with a fork. Serve the gochujang tofu over steamed rice with the cucumber peanut salad. Garnish with sliced scallions and toasted sesame seeds.
Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. The cucumber peanut salad is best if enjoyed within a couple of days but the tofu and rice will last up to 6 days. Re-heat in the microwave or on the stovetop.
Notes
- The amount of gochujang called for in the recipe will keep the spice level on the mild/medium side. If you prefer it spicier, add 1 more tablespoon of gochujang to the sauce.
- If you want to save time, use pre-cooked rice.
- If you buy your rice in bulk and it doesn’t come with instructions, here’s how I cook mine: combine 1 cup uncooked rice with 1 1/2 cups water in a medium pot. Bring to a boil, stir, then cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook, covered, for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and keep covered for an additional 3-5 minutes before serving.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 18-20 minutes
- Category: main
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