Shawarma Tofu Rice Bowl

Another delicious (and easy!) tofu recipe, as I try to incorporate more tofu into my life for 2026. Why? At the risk of TMI - tofu has been identified in some health studies as having a positive impact on peri-menopausal symptoms.

This nourish bowl was inspired by this video

https://youtu.be/MKg_ofp1NOs?si=5X1A-r_o8MXPLUHr

by Healthy Foodie PH on YouTube, but I simplified it even more so you can use pre-cooked rice, (since I had a stash in my freezer). So the only real cooking here is the shredded tofu that you pop in the oven.

And in between the occasional stirring of the tofu, you can easily prepare all the other components, making this a super easy weeknight meal.

Ingredients:

• 1 block (about 300g) extra firm tofu

• 2 tbsp soy sauce/coconut aminos

• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 tsp granulated garlic

• 1 tsp dried coriander

• 1 tsp ground cumin

• 1 tsp paprika

1. Start by draining and patting your tofu block dry with kitchen paper. Then shred/grate with a box grater.

2. Toss the shredded tofu in a medium bowl, and toss with the seasonings

3. Spread on parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 425F for 20’ish minutes until some pieces start to get brown & crispy, stirring every 8-10 minutes.

Turmeric Rice

• 2-3 cups cooked rice (or cook 1 cup fresh rice)

• 1 tsp turmeric

• 1 tsp garlic powder

• pinch salt

• 1 tbsp olive oil/butter/vegan butter

1. Since my rice was frozen, I placed it in a microwave safe bowl with the seasoning, placed a large plate over top and microwaved it for 2 minutes. I gave it a stir to disperse the flavour/seasonings, and microwaved a little longer until steaming hot

2. If you’re making fresh rice, add the seasonings during cooking, and cook per your rice package instructions

Yogurt Sauce:

• 1 cup unflavoured yogurt of choice

• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped/microplaned

• 1 tsp dill (I used 1/2 tsp dried dill)

• Pinch sea salt

• Lemon juice (I used a splash of apple cider vinegar)

• Water, optional to thin it to a drizzle-able sauce

1. Combine and let sit for the flavours to meld. Add water as desired to thin the consistency if you want to drizzle it over your rice bowl (it is definitely prettier that way).

Toppings:

• Cucumber, peeled & diced

• Tomato, diced

• Pickled red onions

1. To assemble, start by adding a scoop of rice to the bottom of a wide bowl, then add tofu, veggies, and finally your sauce - spoon or drizzle over your shawarma tofu.

2. Dig in & enjoy!!

3. For leftovers, I kept the components in the fridge separately, then prepared the rice (from frozen), reheated the tofu by itself, then built myself a new rice bowl.