Caribbean-Inspired BBQ Tofu Bowl {Vegetarian}

This BBQ Tofu Bowl is full of Caribbean flavours and fresh veggies – it’s inspired by one of my favourite restaurants, One Love Vegetarian.

Ingredients and substitutions

• Extra-firm tofu – firm or extra-firm tofu is best. Tempeh is a great plant-based alternative.
• Bell peppers – any colour of bell peppers will work great for this recipe.
• Red onion – white onion, shallots or yellow onion can also be used.
• Button mushrooms – cremini or sliced whole mushrooms (white or brown) can replace button mushrooms if you’re in a pinch.
• Plantain – unripe bananas, yuca roots or jackfruit can also be used if you can’t find plantains.
• Avocado – if you’re not a fan of avocado, feel free to leave this out or replace it with another vegetable of your choice.

BBQ sauce

• Sweet onion – a white sweet onion is recommended but a yellow onion will work too.
• Olive oil – use any neutral oil like avocado oil, vegetable oil or sunflower oil.
• Soy sauce – tamari or coconut aminos are great gluten-free replacements for soy sauce.
• BBQ sauce – hoisin sauce mixed with ketchup will provide a similar taste.
• Scotch bonnet pepper – habanero chiles, Serrano chiles or red chiles will also work.
• Thyme – oregano or marjoram will also work in place of thyme.
• Garlic – fresh or jarred minced garlic can both be used.
• Ginger – fresh grated ginger is preferred but ginger powder can also be used.
• Allspice – double the nutmeg or use cinnamon in place of allspice.
• Nutmeg – cinnamon, ginger powder or extra allspice are great alternatives to nutmeg.

Rice

• White rice – use any variety of white or brown rice that you prefer.
• Butter ­– you can also use a bit of olive oil or margarine to make the rice nice and moist.
• Salt – to taste.

How to make this recipe

1. Make the BBQ sauce.
2. Cut and marinate the tofu.
3. Cook the rice.
4. Sauté the tofu and veggies.
5. Fry the plantain slices.
6. Assemble your bowls and enjoy!

Homemade BBQ sauce

One of the best parts of this recipe is the homemade BBQ sauce. You can use a store-bought BBQ sauce to save time but it’ll contain way more preservatives and, in my opinion, doesn’t taste nearly as good as this version.

Making the BBQ sauce is easy. All you have to do is add the sweet onion, olive oil, soy sauce, BBQ sauce, Scotch bonnet pepper, thyme, garlic, ginger root, allspice and nutmeg to a blender or Magic Bullet and mix until smooth. Easy peasy!

Frequently Asked Questions

Storing and reheating

If you're making extra servings for the week, store your tofu bowls in individual serving sizes in airtight glass containers. These bowls will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days so you’ll have a whole week's worth of delicious lunches/dinners ready for you! The tofu doesn't stay very crispy but it will still have an amazing taste. I also recommend cutting the avocado the day of so it doesn’t brown.

Heat up the mixture in a pan over medium-high heat until heated through to maintain some of the crispiness. You can also microwave it for 1-2 minutes, but the tofu will lose its texture.

Freezing this recipe

Unfortunately, these tofu bowls don’t freeze very well but you can freeze the raw tofu and cooked rice separately for up to 3 months. Store them in airtight glass containers or freezer-safe Ziploc bags. When you’re ready to eat, let them thaw in the fridge overnight. Make sure you drain the tofu after it’s defrosted and before cooking so it still comes out nice and crispy.

More vegetarian recipes

• Cowboy Caviar
• Roasted Vegetable Flatbread
• Vegetarian Mason Jar Salads – Two Ways
• Instant Pot Taco Soup {Vegetarian + Gluten-Free}
• More Easy and Delicious Tofu Recipes

Meal prep tools for this recipe

• Get your own square glass meal prep bowls here!
• Get a rice cooker for hands-off cooking time here (they're cheap!).
• This is the brand of tamari I like, and I love this low-sodium soy sauce!