Harissa Tofu Bowls (30 minutes!)

Harissa tofu bowls with herbed rice, crunchy veggies and a zesty dressing is an easy, flavor-packed weeknight meal that’s very flexible! Make it exactly as-is, or mix and match veggies to use what you have. Serve in a bowl, or make a wrap!

This is the type of bowl meal that I love to whip up on busy weeknights: lots of crunchy veggies; a delicious dressing; and protein, like marinated beans or crisp, seasoned tofu. You combine it all in a bowl with either cooked grains, such as rice or quinoa, or some pasta/noodles. This combination is so flexible and works really well! And the best part is that for most of them, there is little cooking time, so it comes together quickly and is absolutely delicious and satisfying. 

The flavor in these harissa tofu bowls comes from the delicious crisped tofu seasoned with harissa sauce and herbs, and the zesty garlic lime maple dressing. Plus, there’s all that flavor from the different herbs and crunchy veggies, as well.

You can convert this into a wrap or sandwich, too, if you like! Other flexible meals like this include my Vietnamese curry tofu bowl, chili garlic sandwich, gochujang sandwich, and curry banh mi. Or make into hummus bowls like my harissa cauliflower hummus bowl. Those can also be served as bowls or as sandwiches or wraps. 

You can change up the veggies in these harissa tofu bowls to use whichever veggies you like. You can also pair it with shredded lettuce or cabbage instead of rice, if you want it to be more like a salad. It’s just an incredibly flexible recipe, so have fun, and make it your own!

Why You’ll Love Harissa Tofu Bowls

• super flexible, 30-minute meal
• crunchy veggies make this dish so FRESH and reduce cooking time!
• crisp, flavorful harissa tofu is so delicious!
• naturally gluten-free and nut-free with easy soy-free options

Ingredients and Substitutions

• tofu – This is your protein. If you don’t like tofu or want to make this soy-free, you can use soy-free chicken substitute, chickpeas, other beans, or chickpea tofu instead.
• harissa – This is a spicy chili paste from North Africa that has a strong bell pepper flavor. You can make this with spicy or mild harissa paste. To use powdered harissa spice blend, mix the harissa spice with a little bit of lemon juice and two tablespoons of chopped red pepper and use. You can also use a different sauce or paste. You can use some berbere spice or cajun spice and add in some Asian chili garlic sauce to the tofu along with the spice blend for variation.
• dried herbs and spices – The tofu gets tons of flavor from paprika, garlic powder, salt, and dried basil or oregano. The dressing gets a little heat from crushed red pepper flakes.
• cornstarch – Helps the tofu crisp up in the pan or in the oven.
• rice vinegar – Adds tang to the dressing. You can use white vinegar instead, if you like.
• maple syrup – A touch of sweet brings out the dressing flavors.
• lime – Lime juice and zest give the dressing such an amazing flavor!
• garlic – Fresh garlic adds heat and umami to the dressing.
• fresh herbs – Chopped green onion and minced cilantro and basil give these harissa tofu bowls so much freshness!
• crunchy veggies – I’m using cucumber, radish, and red onion, but feel free to use whatever crunchy veggies you like, like carrots, celery, lettuce or cabbage etc.
• rice or grains – Use whatever rice or grains you like! You can also use shredded lettuce and/or cabbage for more of a salad bowl.
• garnishes – Garnish with lime juice and sesame seeds, hemp seeds, or crushed peanuts.

How to Make Harissa Tofu Bowls

Press the tofu, if you haven’t already, and then tear into bite-sized pieces. If you don’t want to make them into organic shapes, you can also cube them into 1” cubes. Add to a bowl, add the harissa sauce, and toss well to coat.

Then mix the paprika, garlic powder, salt, oregano, and cornstarch in a small bowl, and sprinkle it all over the tofu, tossing well to coat. Then, you can bake, pan fry, or grill this tofu. 

To pan fry or grill: Heat a skillet or grill over medium-high heat, and add the teaspoon of oil. Once the oil is hot, add the tofu, spread it out evenly, then cook until most of the tofu is darker in color and crisp, flipping every 2 to 3 minutes, then remove from the skillet. 

To bake: Add the teaspoon of oil to the tofu, toss well to coat, then spread the tofu on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 400° F (205° C) for 20 to 25 minutes. 

Add all of the dressing ingredients to a bowl. Mix really well, and set aside.

Slice the green onion and chop up the basil and cilantro finely, including the cilantro stems. Slice your crunchy veggies, if you haven’t already, as well.

Add half of the dressing to the cooked rice along with half of the herbs, tossing well. Taste and adjust the flavor, adding more salt, if needed. For more tang, add in extra lime juice.

Add the rice mixture to your serving bowls and top with a generous serving of the crunchy veggies. Top with your harissa tofu and then add a drizzle of the remaining dressing and the remaining chopped herbs. Garnish with lime juice and sesame seeds, hemp seeds, or crushed peanuts and serve. 

What to Serve with Harissa Tofu

This is really a whole meal on its own, but you can definitely serve it with extras, if you like! If you make this as a salad and want to do a soup-and-salad combo, my West African peanut lentil soup goes great with this. You can also serve with a side of Atakilt Wat or even use this in place of or in addition to the crunchy veggies.