Asian Rice Bowl SaladFresh veggies, marinated tofu, toasted cashews and sesame seeds combine with short grain brown rice to make a filling meal that’s perfect any time of day. This lovely spring rice bowl highlights tender snow peas; these came from the Renovator’s garden.

Is there anything better than toasted sesame oil? I think not. There’s something so satisfying and hearty about its taste and aroma. When combined with a little bit of sweetness from rice wine vinegar and the umami of soy sauce, it’s the best combination on rice.

The original recipe came from a special year-end issue of Shape magazine and I’ve adapted it over time. You can add any type of your favorite veggies… their recipe called for lightly blanched broccoli florets and Savoy cabbage, which are lovely additions. You can also top this with furikake (Japanese seaweed seasoning mix) or ground seaweed flakes.

Suitable for:
vegan, gluten-free, reduced-sugar diets

Not for:
low-sodium or migraine diets

All of our recipes are gluten-free, sugar-free, and made with plant-based ingredients to help you build a healthy life. Suitable for Meatless Monday. Look for midweek posts on meditation, service, and life lessons, helping you create inner balance.

Asian rice bowl salad

Healthy Asian rice salad

5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine Asian
Servings 12 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 8 ounces tofu super-firm or extra-firm, pressed
  • 1 tbsp ginger (fresh) grated
  • 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup Bragg's liquid aminos (or tamari)
  • 2 tbsp agave syrup brown rice syrup
  • 2 tbsp dark toasted sesame oil
  • 1 tsp hot chili oil
  • 1-1/4 cups brown rice short-grain (240 g)
  • 1 carrots medium, or 10-12 baby carrots
  • 12-15 snow peas (fresh)
  • 1/2 bell peppers red, yellow, orange
  • 1 onions (green) scallions, spring onions
  • 3/4 cup cashews raw (85 g)
  • 2 tbsp sesame seeds raw, black and tan, mixed

Instructions
 

  • Press the tofu using weights or a TofuXpress, overnight if you can. Cut into small cubes and put in a container with a tight-fitting lid. TofuXpress kindly sponsored me to Camp Blogaway, so show them some love. What I really like about their product is that the unit comes with a wonderfully tight-fitting lid, so you can marinate and shake it up without worrying if it will leak.
  • Combine the ginger, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, syrup, and sesame oil in a jar or bottle with a lid and shake well. Pour about 1/4 of the mixture over the tofu, add the hot chili oil, cover, and shake well to coat. Let the tofu marinate while you are making the rest of the dish. (You can also do this the night before, so the tofu really marinates. The longer it's in the marinade, the more flavor it will have. See the notes at the bottom for getting the most possible flavor into the tofu.)
  • Rinse and drain the rice. Add 2-1/2 C. (590 ml) filtered water and bring to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat with the lid on. Once it comes to a boil, turn down to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it sit 15 minutes with the lid on. Don't lift the lid until it's completely done.
  • Wash the veggies. You're going to cut everything into bite-sized pieces. I like to cut the carrots into lengthwise matchsticks (a.k.a. julienned).
  • Pull off the ends of each snow pea and unzip the tough "string" along each side. (Very young tender peas might not have this.) Cut lengthwise into thin strips.
  • Cut the pepper into thin strips. I usually take one side off the pepper with my chef's knife and remove the rib and any seeds. Then I can cut it crosswise into thin sticks.
  • Remove both ends of the scallion (green onion) and slice thinly.
  • Toast the cashews and sesame seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat until golden brown and fragrant.
  • Fluff the cooked rice with a fork and add the marinade from the tofu container. Toss the rice with the marinade, adding just enough extra dressing as needed to lightly coat it. Add the veggies, tofu, and toasted cashews and sesame seeds. Taste again and add just a little more dressing. I usually have enough dressing left over to make this recipe again, or to use on salad.

Notes

Per serving:
  • 121 calories
  • 7 g fat
  • 1 g saturated fat
  • 2 g monounsaturated fat
  • 1 g polyunsaturated fat
  • 0 g trans fat
  • 0 g cholesterol
  • 332 mg sodium (reduce Bragg's/tamari to lower sodium)
  • 125 mg potassium
  • 10 g carbohydrate
  • 1 g fiber
  • 4 g sugars
  • 4 g protein
  • 3 Weight Watchers Points Plus
While you could make this with regular sesame oil, it will not taste the same. You can use any combination of veggies that suits you and are in season. I would not use eggplant or tomatoes, but otherwise experiment! If you don't like tofu, you can make this salad without, or add cooked chicken if you eat poultry. To press the tofu, use a TofuXpress or weights and refrigerate it at least 30 minutes but overnight if possible. Wrap the tofu in a clean kitchen towel, set it in a wide flat container, and put a heavy pan on top. After pressing, slice it first into slices, and prick it all over with a fork. Then cube it and marinate it. Saute it in a non-stick pan until golden brown on all sides before adding it to the salad. Overseas readers should note that brown rice cooks at a ratio of 2:1 liquid to rice. You can simply fill any size cup with rice, rinse it thoroughly as instructed, then fill that same cup with liquid two times to add to your pot.
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