Protein Packed Mushroom & Wild Rice Tofu Bowl

A hearty, protein filled bowl of goodness! This High Protein Mushroom Tofu Bowl is filled with wild rice, mushrooms, tofu, edamame beans, and topped with pumpkin seeds and a miso ginger dressing.

When I first started eating more plant-based, a lot of moms (you know who you are) would say “But you know, protein is important!” 

Well, duh.

I’m kidding haha I know they had my best interests at heart, but it just shows the common misconception people have that eating plant-based means you don’t get protein! 

Because of this misconception, I wanted to share a recipe that had multiple sources of plant based. That’s where this Protein Packed Mushroom Tofu Bowl comes in! 

I don’t usually count calories or macros, but I plugged this meal into Cronometer and was so surprised that this bowl has around 38 GRAMS of protein! What?! 

AND it tastes so delicious – so double win. I love the Asian twist on the dressing because it brings in so much flavor and lets be real, the dressing is the highlight of any bowl or salad. 

Why is Protein Important?

I’m not a registered dietician or a nutritionist, but I do think it’s important to touch on why making sure you’re eating protein, plant-based on not, is important. 

The Harvard School of Public Health explains that protein is vital for bone health and preventing a variety of diseases like diabetes, cancer, and heart disease. 

Protein is also essential for growing strong hair and nails, as well as building muscle! 

Main Ingredients for this High Protein Mushroom Tofu Bowl

Tofu: I feel like this is pretty obvious since this is a Mushroom Tofu Bowl, but I’ll list it here anyways haha. I like using Extra-Firm Organic Tofu, but whatever kind you have will work! Read the instructions below to prepare this properly! 

Mushrooms: Again, pretty obvious ingredient in this Mushroom Tofu Bowl. I never actually used to like mushrooms, but I’ve been obsessed with them these days for some reason. Mushrooms are actually one of the top 10 vegetables that are highest in protein! 

Wild Rice: I love using wild rice here because I feel like the flavor and texture of it goes really well with this bowl. It’s also a great way to get in some protein! If you don’t have wild rice, don’t worry, just sub it for quinoa, brown rice, or white rice.

Edamame Beans: The first time I had edamame beans was when I was getting sushi with some friends and ever since then I’ve been hooked. And they’re so easy to make! I just buy them frozen and boil them whenever I need them! If you don’t have edamame beans, substitute it with some chickpeas or some cannellini beans. 

Butternut Squash: Adding in this butternut squash makes me feel like fall is here and I love it. I don’t know how to cut the actual squash so I buy it frozen, leave me a comment down below if you have some good tips on how to cut one! Substitute with zucchini or sweet potato if you don’t have butternut squash.

Avocado: Honestly, I feel like no bowl is really complete without avocado. I don’t really have much else to say about this besides it’s just so good.

Pumpkin Seeds: These add a great crunch to the bowl and the flavor go really well with the bowl! You can sub it for any other nut or seed that you have. I feel like walnuts or almonds would also go really well with this!

Runny Tahini: I love tahini almost as much as I love avocado, and that’s saying something. It adds the perfect creaminess and almost nuttiness to the dressing, but it’s not too overpowering! But, make sure its good quality, runny, tahini! I haven’t tried this with peanut butter, but I feel like that would be a really good substitute!

Miso Paste: Miso Paste adds in a salty flavor to this dish. I didn’t have it the first time I made this and it honestly took me a while to find, so don’t worry if you don’t have it! Just sub it for some salt and you should be good.

Umami Seasoning: I don’t know how to describe the umami flavor besides umami, but Trader Joes can explain it better than I can. You can easily sub umami seasoning for some salt, onion, and black pepper!

How to Prepare the Bowl

First, drain the liquid from the tofu, wrap it in a paper towel, and set a heavy object on top for 20-30 minutes so that a lot of the liquid comes out. 

While you’re waiting, if you haven’t cooked the rice, edamame beans, or butternut squash, do that! Or if you have, make your dressing! 

In a small bowl, mix together the sesame oil, hot sauce, coconut aminos, and umami seasoning. 

Then, cube the tofu and place it in a large bowl. Pour the mixture over it and carefully mix it together until the sauce covers the tofu. Mix the tofu slowly so that it doesn’t break! 

Then place it on a silicone baking sheet or parchment paper to bake at 400 F for 25– 35 minutes until it gets to be as crispy as you like. Flip it over after 15-20 minutes. 

While the tofu is baking, chop up the carrots. Sauté them on a pan or roast them until they get as cooked as you like. Set aside.

Then, chop up the mushrooms and season it with the umami seasoning. Sauté those on the pan as well. Set aside. 

Then take 2 – 3 handfuls of kale and wilt it on that same pan. Set aside. 

Make the dressing by mixing together all the ingredients. 

Assembly timeee 🙂 Put the kale at the base of your bowl. Add the carrots, rice, edamame beans, butternut squash, and tofu. Top with the pumpkin seeds, avocado, and dressing and you’ve got yourself a nourishing and balanced bowl. 

 

Why is this meal balanced?

I know I talked a lot about protein in this meal, but the other food groups are here as well to make this a satiating and wholesome meal! 

Protein: I already mentioned these a couple times throughout so I’ll make this quick. We’re getting lots of protein in this meal from the tofu, edamame beans, wild rice, mushrooms, and tahini.

Carb: We’re getting some energizing carbs from the wild rice and butternut squash. 

Fat: The avocado, tahini, and sesame oil are all providing us with fat to keep us fuller for longer.

Having all three food groups here helps make sure that we’re getting a variety of food to keep this meal balanced!

Meal-Prep Recipe

This meal is great to make in advance because it stores super well in the fridge! After a long day of work or school, all I want is food now so having something hearty like this in the fridge is game changing. Just make a batch a couple days in advance, and you’ve got dinner down for 2 days. 

Let me know if you guys try this recipe out and if you made any substitutions in the comments below! To be notified whenever I post a new recipe, subscribe to my email list of follow me on IG! 

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