Buddha bowl salads are a great way to use simple ingredients to make a refreshing meal. I love making a large bowl for an easy lunch. One such recipe is tofu watercress salad.It helps me balance my intake especially if I have a lavish dinner spread later. Tofu is a local favorite for vegans at Buddhist temples and Asian eateries.
Spicy chili oil gives a kick to this popular dish and air fried tofu cubes gives it a rich flavor. Cherry tomatoes, onions and watercress leaves give it a bitter sweet punch. There is a common misconception that vegan diet does not have enough protein. There are many vegan high protein recipes which help you live better.
Vegan salad ideas
Plant-based eaters can make high-protein salads apart from vegan lentils, chickpeas, bean sprouts. You can also make delicious recipe for soup and easy salad from various boiled beans like black beans,white beans,cannellini beans,pinto beans,red & green kidney beans. Low carb summer salads are a delicious way to lose extra weight and look great too!
Meal prepping also becomes a creative outlet They can be made interesting when you play according to season. It can help you subside cravings and also help you avoid eating lunches in boring food courts. Here are some you can try : sprouted green lentils salad, crunchy kale salad, eggplant couscous salad, black barley salad & summer cauliflower pomegranate salad. Other good salad you can try are protein-packed quinoa salad, tangy tempeh salad , potato salad, turkish lentil salad, brussels sprout salad and high protein white bean salad.
Ingredients
- extra firm tofu (cut them into tofu cubes)
- cherry tomatoes
- watercress leaves
- onions
- olive oil ,soy sauce (to cook tofu)
Salad dressing
- Olive oil
- Lemon juice
- Chili oil
- Salt (optional)
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
- Coat the tofu cubes with olive oil and soy sauce in a bowl.
2. Mix well. Meanwhile, preheat the air fryer at 160 deg C| 320 deg F for 5 minutes.
3. Air fry tofu cubes at 160 deg C| 320 deg F for 8-9 minutes, in a preheated air fryer lined with perforated baking sheet. Keep it aside.
4. layer salad ingredients in a salad bowl as per picture below along with the dressing of oliv oil,lime juice (salt optional).
5. pour sauce/ dressing. Combine watercress and mix well with a slotted spoon to serve together in a bento box or a mason jar, if eating on the go.
Serve fresh. Garnish with a handful of sesame seeds optionally.
Hint: Always use the tofu within 4-5 days or as per package instructions, once you open the packet. Always wash your salad ingredients well so that there is no dirt on them.
Related recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
watercress tofu salad recipe
Equipment
- Air fryer
- steamer
- Food processor / chopper
Ingredients
- 200 gm firm tofu Cut into cubes
- 1 small red onion sliced
- 100 gm cherry tomatoes
- 2 cup watercress leaves
- 1 teaspoon olive oil to cook tofu
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce /shoyu sauce to cook tofu
Salad dressing
- 1 tsp. olive oil
- 1 tsp. lemon juice or as per taste
- salt as per taste
Instructions
- Coat the tofu cubes with olive oil and soy sauce. You may also add chili flakes optionally, for a spicy tofu.
- Mix well. Meanwhile, preheat the air fryer at 160 deg C| 320 deg F for 5 minutes.
- Air fry tofu cubes at 160 deg C| 320 deg F for 8-9 minutes, in a preheated air fryer lined with perforated baking sheet. Keep it aside.
- Assemble the Buddha bowl in a salad bowl with sliced cherry tomatoes and fresh watercress. Mix well to serve together in a bento box or layer it in a mason jar, if eating on the go. Serve fresh. Garnish with a handful of sesame seeds optionally.
Substitutions
- You can grill halloumi or paneer instead of crispy tofu cubes for a vegetarian diet.
- Spoonful tomato sauce can be added to soy in sauce ingredients for grilled tofu.
- Non-vegetarians can serve grilled chicken nuggets or meat balls instead of grilled tofu. You may even add some fish sauce as Asians do.
- You can add blanched broccoli, boiled or crunchy chickpeas to this recipe.
- You can use garlic-soy dressing for this recipe. Honey mustard sauce or creamy sour cream, greek yogurt are dressing ingredients vegetarians can use.
- You may give a quick toss in apple cider vinegar and maple syrup marinade with some smoky flavor, garlic and black pepper and serve it in a mason jar.
- green onions,cucumbers, red cabbage, green onion, swiss chard, green & red bell peppers.
- Pickled red onions and other leafy greens like baby spinach can also be used as a substituion if you donot have watercress leaves.
- Add some cheddar cheese ,feta cheese or dried cranberries for a simple lunch for non vegans.
- If you do not own an airfryer, you can heat oil and saute tofu in a small saucepan, over medium heat.
Variations
- Use a light tangy dressing Lemon Vinaigrette instead of chili oil for your watercress tofu salad. Other dips you can use are dijon mustard, peanut butter. You can also serve it with a creamy dressing like peanut sauce and vegan mayonnaise .
- You can add bean sprouts, air fried brussels sprouts, radish sprouts, red onions with maui onion. Sprinkle some hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds to add an extra dash of Vitamin E.
- Non vegetarians or pescatarians like to add a portion of canned tuna with canned salmon, albacore, or fresh grilled fish to this Hawaiian recipe.
- You can also serve fresh tofu instead of grilled tofu in the recipe.
Equipment
- steamer / pressure cooker
- air-fryer
- chopper / food processor optional
- large serving bowl
Storage
Store the ingredients (leaves, tomato, tofu cubes) separately from chili oil. Watercress Tofu salad is good for 2-3 days. If you have left over salad, you can still refrigerate in an airtight container and eat it the next day.
FAQ
Max 5 days.
It darkens and goes brown in color with a rancid smell.
Daily values of recommended tofu is around 25 gms or upto 2-3 servings
Conclusion:
easy high protein vegan salad like tofu watercress salad is a flavorful meal yet a perfect vegan lunch on a hot summer day. After all, we have to choose a healthy meal, every single day to stay fit in the long run. Fresh herbs and plant based protein make a delicious salad recipe, a perfect weight loss recipe too.
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