Quinoa Tabbouleh with Baked Tofu
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This Quinoa Tabbouleh with Baked Tofu is a high protein vegan recipe. Filled with healthy grains, fresh herbs & seasoned tofu!
This Quinoa Tabbouleh with Baked Tofu just screams FRESH & BRIGHT! It is filled with tangy lemon juice, fresh herbs & plenty of garlic. The tofu is marinated in a tasty homemade sauce and then baked until crispy. I made the tabbouleh with quinoa (keeping it gluten free) and topped everything off with vegan feta, pita bread & hummus. This recipe is great for meal prep, a tasty dinner or a party!
Step One: Make the Tofu
The key to making this tofu extra tasty is marinating it as long as possible. I would say at least an hour, but if you can do it overnight it would be even better!
For the marinade you’ll need:
- olive oil
- lemon juice
- garlic
- smoked paprika
- dried oregano
- cumin
- onion powder
- turmeric
- salt & pepper
- chili powder
Slice the tofu into 6 pieces and place in an 8×8 baking dish. Pour the marinade over the tofu and place in the fridge to marinate.
When you are ready to cook the tofu, place it in the oven and cook for 30-40 minutes, or until the tofu has a nice char – place under the broiler for the last couple minutes to make it extra crispy. Remove the tofu from the oven and slice it into strips.
Step Two: Make the Quinoa Tabbouleh
Tabbouleh is traditionally made with bulgur. But, today we are switching it up and using quinoa. Perfect if you are gluten free!
Add rinsed quinoa & broth to a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Cover, lower the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Or until the liquid is absorbed. Transfer to a large bowl and allow to cool while you prep the rest of the ingredients.
For the salad you will need:
- red onion
- flat leaf parsley
- fresh mint
- garlic
- grape tomatoes
- lemon juice
- olive oil
- salt & pepper
Add everything to the quinoa and toss to coat. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed.
TIP: I like to cook quinoa in broth – it adds more flavor. But you can always sub water!
Step Three: Serve
To serve, add the quinoa tabbouleh to a platter and top with the tofu. Spoon any of the tofu marinade that is left in the baking dish over the tofu. Top with some crumbled vegan feta and have some pita and hummus on the side.
This recipe is absolutely amazing! I could eat it everyday. The salad will hold up for a couple days in the fridge – you don’t want to let it go too much longer than that since the fresh herbs will start to wilt.
Need more recipe inspo? Check these out:
Quinoa Tabbouleh with Baked Tofu
Ingredients
FOR THE TOFU
- 1 16-ounce block high protein tofu or sub extra firm
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 lemon juiced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
FOR THE TABBOULEH SALAD
- 1 cup quinoa rinsed
- 2 cups broth or sub water
- 1/2 red onion finely diced
- 1 bunch flat leaf parsley finely chopped
- 2-4 tablespoons fresh mint finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic finely minced
- 16 ounces grape tomatoes cut in small pieces
- 1-2 lemons juiced, to taste
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- salt & pepper to taste
FOR SERVING
- vegan feta crumbled
- pita bread
- hummus
Equipment
- sauce pan
Instructions
- Slice the tofu into 6 pieces and place in an 8×8 baking dish. Combine the rest of the ingredients in a bowl and mix to combine. Pour the marinade over the tofu and place in the fridge to marinate for 30-60 minutes – the longer the better.
- Meanwhile, add the rinsed quinoa & broth to a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Cover, lower the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Or until the liquid is absorbed. Transfer to a large bowl and allow to cool while you prep the rest of the ingredients.
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place the tofu in the oven and cook for 30-40 minutes, or until the tofu has a nice char – place under the broiler for the last couple minutes to make it extra crispy.
- While the tofu is cooking, add the rest of the salad ingredients to the quinoa and toss to coat. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed.
- Remove the tofu from the oven and slice. Add the tabbouleh to plates and top with tofu – spoon the extra oil from the baking dish over the tofu. Serve with the extra toppings.
Video
Notes
- If you use high protein tofu then you won’t need to press it. If you use extra firm tofu, be sure to drain & press it for 10 minutes.
- The salad can be served at room temperature or chilled. It will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days, but is best eaten right away so the herbs don’t wilt.
- The nutrition info does not include the optional toppings.
The tabbouleh was great! Very tasty! But I wasn’t quite into the flavors/textures of the tofu, though maybe that is because I used extra firm instead of the high protein tofu.
This is my go to tabbouleh recipe. I make extra quinoa and freeze it in 2 cup portions so my quinoa is already made. I make this 3-4x monthly since it is so delicious and easy to make.
Thanks Gabrielle! So glad you loved it!
Yummy! I loved the blend of herbs and spices used to make the tofu. I added cauliflower into the blend. So good!
Love the idea of adding cauliflower! So glad you liked it April!
Just made this tonight. It was absolutely delicious. Highly recommend!
Thanks Rebecca!!
Holy smokes!!! This is simple, yet super tasty! I’m very happy with this recipe, it’s going to be a regular in my meal planning!!! Thank you for yet, another outstanding meal!
Thanks Devon!
Delicious and easy! I made the quinoa in the instant pot – so largely a hands off dinner. 10/10
Thanks Kim! So glad you liked it!
I made this for dinner tonight. I prepped everything this morning. It turned out delicious. My extras were falafel, hummus and pita.
Thank you for the recipe.
Love the addition of falafel! So glad you liked it Gabrielle!