13 March 2024 Cuisine

Sesame Spring Roll Bowl

Name: Sesame Spring Roll Bowl
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Ingredients: 400g tofu; 1/2 cup all-purpose flour; Salt and pepper; 2 tbsp Nutritional yeast; ¼ cup soy milk; 1/2 cup sesame seeds (I use both white and black sesame seeds); 2 tbsp peanut butter; 1 tbsp soy sauce; 1 tbsp lime juice/ rice vinegar; 1 tbsp sugar; 1 tsp minced ginger; 1 tsp minced garlic; Water from cooking the rice noodles (adjust to thin out the sauce to your liking, I used about 3 tbsp); 200g rice noodles; 1 carrot (thinly sliced); 1 cucumber (thinly sliced); Cilantro

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The Sesame Spring Roll Bowl is like a deconstructed fresh spring roll. It’s a simple, high-protein 30-minute meal featuring crunchy sesame-crusted tofu, fresh veggies, and a satisfying peanut sauce.

Two delicious dishes of Sesame Spring Roll Bowl

If you love Vietnamese Spring Rolls, you'll love this bowl! It has all the flavors and textures of a spring roll but in a deconstructed and easy-to-assemble bowl. This dish is all about the noodles, sesame-crusted tofu, and veggies, tossed with a creamy peanut dressing. Best part of all, it incorporates high-protein ingredients, making this more than 40g in plant protein.

This is a great dish for a quick and easy lunch or dinner, and you can customize it with your favorite veggies and protein. It's crunchy, nutty, and chewy - just like a spring roll, but without the hassle of wrapping!

If you want to use a wrap for this recipe, you can find the instructions here: Vegan Summer Rolls and Fruit Spring Rolls.

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Ingredients
Instructions
Substitutions
Variations
Equipment
Storage
Top tip
FAQ
📖 Recipe
Related
Pairing
💬 Reviews

Ingredients

Tofu: Brings a main source of protein to the bowl.
- Tofu Batter 1 (all-purpose flour, salt, pepper, nutritional yeast, and soy milk): Creates a crispy base coat for the tofu.
- Tofu Batter 2 (sesame seeds): Adds a crunch and a nutty flavor to the first batter.
Rice Noodles: They make a nice foundation for the bowl, with a soft and springy feel.
Carrot and Cucumber Slices: They add a refreshing contrast and crisp element to the dish.
Cilantro: It adds freshness and a hint of citrus that brightens the bowl.
Peanut Sauce (peanut butter, soy sauce, lime juice/rice vinegar, sugar, ginger, and garlic): A sauce that has a bit of everything: sweet, sour, and spicy. You can use the water from the noodles to make it thinner or thicker as you like. For a nut-free option, you can opt for sesame paste or tahini.

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

Prep:

Pat dry the tofu with a paper towel and slice it into triangles.
Mix the first batter ingredients and cover the tofu in it.
Roll the first-batter-coated tofu in the second batter of sesame seeds.

Cook:

Air fry the tofu for 20 minutes - spraying oil and turning once halfway.
Make the peanut sauce by mixing all ingredients in a bowl and microwaving for 1 minute.
Prepare the rice noodles as instructed on the package, then rinse and drain.
Layer noodles, veggies, cilantro, and drizzle with peanut sauce in a bowl.

Prepare the two batters and slice the tofu

Prepare the two batters and the tofu slices.

Air-fry the tofu until golden brown on both sides.

Cut or shred the veggies

Assemble the Spring Roll Bowl with rice noodles, veggies, sesame-crusted tofu and the peanut sauce

Substitutions

For your Sesame Spring Roll Bowl, here are some easy substitutions to keep the dish delicious and adaptable:

Soy-free: You can use any plant-based milk instead of soy milk. Coconut aminos could be a good substitute for soy sauce.
Nut-free: You could opt for cashew butter or sesame paste instead of the usual peanut butter. The flavor profile might be a bit different but still delicious!
Tofu: Tempeh is an alternative to tofu if you want to vary your protein sources.
Rice noodles: If you don’t have access to rice noodles, you can use instant ramen noodles or soba noodles.

Variations

Here are some vegan variations for the Sesame Spring Roll Bowl that you might enjoy:

Edamame: For more protein in your diet. You can buy frozen edamame (or "mukimame") then defrost on the counter or zap in the microwave and follow the directions on the bag.
Veggie: You can add more variety to your dish by using different vegetables, such as cucumber, avocado, or bell pepper. For more veggie ideas, take a look at my Vegan Spring Roll recipe!

Equipment

When preparing a Sesame Spring Roll Bowl, you’ll need a few key pieces of equipment:

Air Fryer: Perfect for getting that tofu nice and crispy. If you’re without an air fryer, pan-frying the tofu or oven baking is a great alternative.
- Heat up a generous amount of oil in a pan. When the oil is heated, add each coated tofu piece in, spaced about an inch apart to avoid sticking together.
- Fry the tofu until golden on each side (about 3-4 minutes on each side). Once they are golden and crispy, transfer to a plate or rack to cool down
Pots: Essential for boiling the rice noodles and whipping up the peanut sauce

Storage

Keep the ingredients separately in the refrigerator, and mix them together when you’re ready to eat. They’ll stay fresh for 2 to 3 days.

Top tip

Choose rice noodles that are thin and absorbent, so they can blend well with the sauce.

FAQ

Which kind of tofu should I use?

If you want your tofu to be crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside, use firm tofu. It will hold its shape better and absorb more flavor.

I’m allergic to peanuts. What kind of sauce should I use?

You could opt for cashew butter or sesame paste instead of the usual peanut butter. The flavor profile might be a bit different but still delicious!

How can I pan-fry tofu without an air-fryer?

- Heat up a generous amount of oil in a pan. When the oil is heated, add each coated tofu piece in, spaced about an inch apart to avoid sticking together.
- Fry the tofu until golden on each side (about 3-4 minutes on each side). Once they are golden and crispy, transfer to a plate or rack to cool down.