This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Vons. All opinions are 100% mine. Orange Tofu Bowls with an easy and tangy orange sauce, roasted tofu and shiitake mushrooms, served over fluffy white rice. In our house, everyone loves this plant-based dinner!
Orange Tofu Bowls
You might not know this about me, but my family was vegetarian for a good portion of my childhood! Only my childhood girlfriends were witness to our refrigerator stocked with tofu, soy cheese, and every veggie under the sun. It really instilled a love for plant based meals in me and this year, I am trying to work more plant-based dinners into our weekly meal plan for my family.
I love this Orange Tofu because it's packed with flavor, easy to make, and delicious served over a simple bed of white rice. Similar to my Sesame-Ginger Tofu but with a more citrusy kick, this is a delicious way to enjoy tofu.
The new year is a great time to work more plant-based foods into your families meal plan! Vons offers a wide variety of delicious plant-based products. The meat, produce and grocery departments all have great selections of plant based products that are perfect to kickstart a healthy new year.
Ingredients in Orange Tofu
- Tofu - either firm or extra firm tofu will work for this recipe!
- Mushrooms - I buy the Signature SELECT™ sliced shiitake mushrooms from Vons but they also have a great selection of other mushrooms you can use. Any stir-fry mushrooms will be great.
- Bok Choy - I prefer baby bok choy because it's smaller and more tender.
- Veggies - any other veggies that look good! I added snow peas but you can absolutely add edamame, carrots, or any other vegetables you like.
- Orange Juice - fresh orange juice is best but you can absolutely use store bought.
- Tamari - is a richer, deeper flavor than soy sauce however you can use use the two interchangeably in this recipe.
- Sesame Oil - gives a delicious nutty, sesame flavor to the tofu.
- Garlic - fresh minced or grated garlic. I use a microplane so that it's extra small.
- Honey - this is what sweetens our orange sauce in place of sugar!
- Ginger - I used powdered ginger for the orange sauce for a mild ginger flavor.
- Rice Wine Vinegar - to give that irresistible tang to the sauce.
- Cornstarch - just one tablespoon to thicken the sauce.
How to Make Orange Tofu
- Press Tofu - On a paper towel-lined plate, place tofu, top with more paper towels and a second plate. Top with a heavy cook book. *more below on pressing tofu!
- Make Marinade - combine tamari, sesame oil, orange juice garlic and honey. Cut tofu into squares and toss gently in the marinade. Let sit 20 minutes.
- Bake - place tofu on oiled baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.
- Toss - toss mushrooms and bok choy in the left over marinade. Add to baking sheet after 15 minutes. Toss the tofu while you are at it.
- Roast - an additional 15-20 minutes until tofu is browned and the mushrooms and bok choy are cooked.
- Make Orange Sauce - in a sauce pan combine orange juice, tamari, honey, ginger, garlic and rice wine vinegar. Bring to a simmer. Make a slurry of sauce and corn starch and add back in. Cook until thickened.
- Toss - toss tofu in ½ cup of sauce and reserve the rest for drizzling.
- Serve - tofu, mushrooms and bok choy over a bed of white rice.
How to Press Tofu
Pressing tofu to remove excess liquid is easy and makes the final product so much more texturally delicious! If you have ever struggled with getting your tofu nice and crisp, this is the trick.
- Drain tofu and place on a paper towel or clean dish towel lined plate.
- Top with more paper towels and a second plate.
- Add some sort of weight such as a heavy cookbook.
- Let tofu sit and press for as long as you have! 30 minutes or up to an hour.
- You can change the paper towels if they are extra wet but I usually don't.
Once the tofu is pressed, it will be easy to slice into nice even little cubes! Slicing tofu is one of the most satisfying things to do. Make sure you have a nice sharp knife and enjoy the process. ha!
Easy Orange Sauce for Chicken or Tofu
Unlike the orange sauce we've all tasted, this sauce isn't sugary-sweet and vibrantly orange. I substitute sugar for honey, tamari for soy sauce and the result is a very rich, and orangey sauce that ends up more savory than sweet! This sauce would also be delicious on chicken thighs, similar to this recipe.
Marinating Tofu
The lovely thing about tofu is, it's really a completely blank canvas for flavor! Once you toss it in the marinade, feel free to leave it as long as you like. The longer it sits and absorbs the flavors the more deeply seasoned it will be. 
For this recipe I only call for 20 minutes of marinating since the tofu will be tossed in an orange sauce after roasting, however you can marinate a lot longer and skip the orange sauce entirely if you wish!
Don't skip the step of marinating your vegetables! I love that I can find pre-sliced Shiitake mushrooms in the produce section of Vons but you can use any variety you like. Vons also carries some great stir-fry blends of mushrooms which would all be delicious in these bowls.
Tips for Roasting Tofu
- Firm or Extra-Firm tofu works best for roasted tofu!
- Don't skip pressing your tofu. Removing the extra liquid is necessary if you want a crisp and caramelized tofu.
- Don't forget to grease your baking sheet. I use olive oil drizzled on the pan to keep the tofu from sticking.
- Drain the marinade off of the tofu before placing on the baking sheet. Extra liquid will keep your tofu soft.
- Flip tofu halfway through the cooking process to make sure all sides are nice and browned.
The crisp roasted tofu tossed in warm and tangy orange sauce is really just a delicious bite! We love to serve this tofu with marinated cucumbers, snow peas and even kimchi. This is a dish your whole family will love.
More Plant-Based Recipes to Try:
- Falafel Burgers
- Creamy Coriander Hummus
- Roasted Delicata Squash
- Orecchiette Caprese Pasta
- Spinach Dill Rice
Kickstart a healthy new year by shopping at Vons. Plant-based products are delicious alternatives that are good for you and good for the environment. From tofu to and plant-based burger patties to milk alternatives, Vons has hundreds of delicious plant-based offerings.
Vons also offers Grocery Delivery and DriveUp & Go™ for convenient ways to shop! This year I have really appreciated the safety and convenience of not always having to make a trip into the grocery store, especially when I have my twins in the car. Here's to healthy and convenient options!
I hope you will try this recipe and enjoy this meal as much as we do! The twins love this orange sauce and it's a great way to get kids interested in eating tofu and veggies.
If you make this meal I’d love it if you would come back and leave a comment and a recipe review! And as always, I always appreciate it when you share the recipes you make on Instagram and tag me.
I shopped at Vons in my local area, but you can also find high-quality, plant based products at the Albertsons Companies family of stores, including Albertsons, Safeway, ACME Markets, Jewel-Osco, Randalls, Shaw’s Supermarket, Star Market and Tom Thumb.
Orange Tofu Bowls
A sweet and tangy orange glazed tofu served with roasted mushrooms and bok choy.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 block firm or extra firm tofu
- 2 baby bok choy, cut lengthwise
- 5 oz sliced shiitake mushrooms
- olive oil
- green onions, sliced for garnish
- sesame seeds, for garnish
Tofu Marinade
- 2 Tablespoons Tamari
- 1 Tablespoon sesame oil
- ¼ cup orange juice
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 Tablespoon honey
Orange Sauce
- 1 cup orange juice
- 2 Tablespoons tamari
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ teaspoon ginger
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 4 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
- Press Tofu: Drain tofu and place on a paper towel-lined plate, top with more paper towels and a second plate. Top with a heavy cook book to add pressure and press any additional liquid out of the tofu. Press for 30 minutes.
- Make the Marinade: in a large mixing bowl, combine tamari, sesame oil, orange juice, minced garlic and honey. Whisk to combine and dissolve the honey.
- Cut tofu into small bite sized cubes and toss gently in the marinade. Let sit 20 minutes, or more if you have time!
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Remove tofu carefully from the marinade (reserving the marinade) and place tofu on a large oiled baking sheet. You will only oil half of the baking sheet at the point and place tofu on the oiled half of the sheet pan. The mushrooms and bok choy will be added to the second side later.
- Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile toss mushrooms and bok choy in the remaining marinade.
- Remove sheet pan from the oven and oil second side adding marinated mushrooms and bok choy. Flip tofu.
- Bake an additional 15-20 minutes until tofu is browned and the mushrooms and bok choy are cooked.
- While the tofu cooks, make orange sauce. In a sauce pan combine orange juice, tamari, honey, ginger, garlic and rice wine vinegar. Bring to a simmer. Make a slurry by removing two tablespoons of the sauce to a small cup and whisk in 1 Tablespoon of corn starch with a form until completely dissolved. Stir slurry mixture back into the orange sauce and cook until thickened, about 3-5 minutes.
- Once tofu is finished cooking, toss in ½ cup of orange sauce and reserve the rest of the sauce for drizzling.
- Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve with mushrooms and bok choy over a bowl of white rice.
- Garnish with sliced green onion and a drizzle of orange sauce.
Notes
How to Serve:
I serve this tofu over a bead of fluffy white rice with a side of marinated cucumbers, snow peas, and furikake for seasoning. You can really load these bowls with whatever fresh ingredients you like best! Sriracha and kimchi are also delicious additions.
How to Press Tofu
Pressing tofu to remove excess liquid is easy and makes the final product so much more texturally delicious! If you have ever struggled with getting your tofu nice and crisp, this is the trick.
- Drain tofu and place on a paper towel or clean dish towel lined plate.
- Top with more paper towels and a second plate.
- Add some sort of weight such as a heavy cookbook.
- Let tofu sit and press for as long as you have! 30 minutes or up to an hour.
- You can change the paper towels if they are extra wet but I usually don't.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 2 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 703Total Fat: 33gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 26gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 2070mgCarbohydrates: 80gFiber: 8gSugar: 62gProtein: 34g
These numbers are not accurate as you will have more sauce leftover on the side.
