Quinoa Grain Bowl with Sesame-Ginger Dressing

quinoa grain bowl with broccoli, carrots, tofu, and sesame-ginger dressing

4.50 from 2 votes

Quinoa Grain Bowl with Sesame-Ginger Dressing

This delicious grain bowl recipe includes quinoa topped with sauteed tofu, broccoli, and carrots drizzled with sesame-ginger dressing.

Prep Time15

Cook Time30

Total Time45

Servings:

Calories: 543kcal

Author: Chef Molly Pisula

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa
10 ounces broccoli florets
2 medium carrots
14 ounces firm or extra-firm tofu
1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
½ teaspoon sesame oil
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

Sesame-Ginger Dressing

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon minced red onion
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
½ tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
⅓ cup grapeseed oil

Instructions

To cook quinoa, first rinse in a fine-mesh strainer. (This will help take the bitterness out of the quinoa’s outer coating.)
Pour quinoa into a small saucepan with 1 ¾ cups of water and ½ teaspoon of salt, and turn the burner to high.
When the water comes to a boil, turn down the heat to medium-low, cover pot, and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the liquid has evaporated. Let it sit for 5 few minutes and then fluff with a fork.
While quinoa is cooking, cut broccoli florets into bite-sized pieces and place in a large microwave-safe bowl.
Peel and thinly slice carrots into coins, and add to the bowl with the broccoli.
Cover bowl with plastic wrap, and poke a few holes in it. Then microwave on high for 90 seconds. Uncover bowl carefully, stir, then microwave for another 90 seconds. Repeat until broccoli and carrots are done to your liking—it could take up to 5 minutes total.
Next, pat tofu dry with a paper towel, and then cut into ½ inch cubes.
Heat 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil and ½ teaspoon sesame oil over medium-high heat in a 12-inch nonstick pan.
Add tofu and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook tofu for about 5 minutes undisturbed, until tofu cubes brown on the bottom, then stir and continue to toss every minute or so until cubes are lightly browned on all sides, about 10 minutes total.
While tofu is cooking, make the dressing. Add all dressing ingredients except for the grapeseed oil to a blender and blend until smooth.
Turn off, scrape down the sides, then turn blender on and drizzle in grapeseed oil.
To assemble your grain bowl, toss the quinoa with ¼ cup of the sesame-ginger dressing.
Add broccoli, carrots, and tofu and stir.
Drizzle over additional dressing as desired, and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Notes

Don’t let quinoa sit covered more than 5 minutes, or it can get mushy on you.

Use a gluten-free soy sauce if you want an entirely gluten-free recipe.

Nutrition