This delicious bowl is a love baby of two Portland lunch staples for me, The Whole Bowl and Cafe Yumm. If you are in Portland – go! It’s the best. If not, try this instead! It’s healthy, protein packed, satisfying, and filled with wholesome ingredients.
What makes this bowl so addicting?
the spicy Jalapeño Sesame Salsa
the creamy garbanzo/cashew sauce
avocado (of course)
southwest spiced baked tofu
Don’t be intimidated by the various components involved here. This is a great meal to make on Sunday (or whenever your prep day is) and eat throughout the week. Once the sauces and tofu are tucked away in the fridge, the bowl will come together in no time.
For the creamy garbanzo/cashew sauce it’s as easy as tossing everything in the blender. I don’t typically love brown rice, but I would eat anything with the sauce. The jalapeño salsa adds an amazing kick – it’s spicy, so watch out! If you want a milder salsa, you could remove all stems and seeds from the peppers before tossing them in the food processor. Alternatively, you could buy some homemade tomato salsa from the store instead! Pico would be great here.
Southwest Tofu tossed in soy sauce, cornstarch, and spices. 
Dump on prepared baking sheet. 
Tofu after 35 minutes in the oven at 350 degrees. 
Blend sauce ingredients and pour into jar. 
Add salsa ingredients to blender. 
Blend until ideal consistency achieved. 
Jalapeño sesame salsa 
The sauces 
Prep your bowl toppings.
Feel free to get creative with your toppings. Some of my favorites are red onion, black olive, tomato, avocado, or vegan sour cream! Vegan cheese shreds if I’m feeling extra wild. For me, the tofu is a must, but if you skip it you’ll still get a totally delicious and nourishing meal.
If you try this, let me know what you think by commenting below, or tagging me in your photos on Instagram, @groundedchow!
Portland Bowl with Jalapeño Sesame Salsa
Ingredients
For the Southwest Tofu
- 1 brick (14 oz) extra firm tofu pressed to remove water
- 1/8 c low sodium soy sauce or tamari
- 1 T cornstarch
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp avocado oil or other neutral oil
For the sauce:
- 1/4 c olive oil
- 1/3 c chickpeas (Do not discard the liquid!)
- 1/4 c aquafaba (chickpea can juice)
- 1/3 c raw cashews soaked in hot water 30 mins
- 1/4 c water
- 1/4 c nutritional yeast
- 2 T lemon juice
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1/4 tsp curry powder
- 1/4 tsp cumin
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
For the Sesame Jalapeño Salsa:
- 3 jalapeños (de-vein and seed about 1/2, depending on spice level)
- 1 poblano pepper
- 1 T sesame seeds
- 2 T lime juice
- 2 1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1/4 c cilantro
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1/4 tsp salt
- pinch of sugar
For bowl assembly:
- 1 cup rice (uncooked) Any type
- 1 15 oz can kidney beans drained
- 1 15 oz can black beans drained
- salt
- 2 vine ripe tomatoes diced
- 1 avocado sliced
- cilantro to garnish
- optional garnish: black olives, red onion
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees for the tofu. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Once the tofu is pressed, cut into 1 inch cubes. Toss in a bowl with soy sauce until evenly coated. Add cornstarch and toss until cubes are evenly covered. Add chili powder, cumin, and oregano then toss again. Dump onto baking sheet and bake for 35-40 minutes. Remove and set aside.
- Cook rice according to package.
- To make the sauce, toss all the ingredients and blend until smooth, about 3 minutes. Stop to scrape down the sides as needed. Pour into an air tight container and let it chill in fridge. Rinse out the blender to re-use for the salsa.
- To make the jalapeño sesame salsa, cut jalapeños in half and remove half of the seeds and veins. If you want to cut the spice, take out all of the veins and seeds and discard, this salsa is spicy as is! Add all ingredients to your blender or food processor, and pulse until everything is minced and combined. Stop to scrape down the sides as needed.
- Toss drained and rinsed beans in a microwave safe dish and microwave until warm, about 90 seconds. Stir in a pinch of salt. Alternatively, you can heat them in a sauce pan over the stove with a little olive oil.
- To prepare the bowls, portion rice into each bowl. Top with a couple spoonfuls of sauce. Add beans, avocado, tomato, and cilantro. Top with Jalapeño Sesame Salsa and enjoy!