This Kimchi and Tofu Rice Bowl is a fresh and flavorful dish made with tofu, mushrooms, kimchi, and cucumbers served over jasmine rice.
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A few weekends ago, I started reading up about anti-aging foods. I don't even remember what prompted that search, but I ended up down a rabbit hole of fermented foods. Noticing that kimchi was on that list of foods, I immediately started craving it.
What is Kimchi?
If you're unfamiliar with kimchi, it's a spicy Korean dish made with fermented cabbage, onion, garlic, ginger, scallions, red chili peppers, fish sauce, and salt. Ingredients may vary in each recipe.
Kimchi is typically eaten on its own, as a side, or added to a variety of dishes. While it tends to be high in sodium and should be eaten in small portions, kimchi also has a ton of health benefits tied to it.
- High in Vitamin A
- High in Vitamin C
- Anti-aging
- Supports heart health
- Contains probiotics
- Good for the immune system
- Packed with nutrients
- And so much more!
I took a trip to the Asian market with my mom and sister the week after my anti-aging food search. So I stocked up on some of my favorite items - unique snacks, condiments, produce, a whole bunch of frozen dumplings and bao, a couple packages of tofu, and of course, a jar of kimchi.
So far, I've mostly eaten the kimchi straight out of the jar. But I thought it would be delicious in a rice bowl!
Rice bowls are one of my favorite things to make when I have leftover rice from the night before. They're also an especially tasty way to use up a variety of ingredients sitting in the fridge - like multiple packages of tofu and a jar of kimchi!
Kimchi and Tofu Rice Bowl
If you're a fan of tofu and food with a nice pinch of heat, you'll enjoy this Kimchi and Tofu Rice Bowl. The tofu is cooked in a skillet with a medley of mushrooms (baby bella, oyster, and shiitake that I got from my Hungryroot box) and a soy based sauce.
Then, I added the tofu, kimchi, mushrooms, and some sliced mini cucumber to a bowl of cooked jasmine rice and topped it with sesame seeds and green onions. A perfectly delicious rice bowl with crunch, freshness, and just enough spice from the kimchi!
If you're not using last night's leftover rice, go ahead and cook up a batch of jasmine rice and set it aside. Then, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add drained and cubed tofu and cook for about 5 minutes, or until it's golden brown. Once the tofu is golden brown, throw in the mushrooms and cook until they've softened.
While the tofu and mushrooms are cooking, we're going to whip up a tasty little sauce. Mix sesame oil, honey, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic in a small bowl. Pour the sauce into the skillet, stir everything up, and cook for about 1-2 minutes more.
Now we can start putting the rice bowl together. Add the rice to a bowl. Then, spoon the tofu mixture, kimchi, and cucumbers on top of the rice bowl.
Finish off the bowl with sesame seeds and chopped scallions, if desired. Want to add another level of spice to this bowl, throw on some spicy chili crisp!
Kimchi and Tofu Rice Bowl
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup jasmine rice cooked
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 3/4 cup tofu drained and cubed
- 1/4 cup mushrooms or baby bella, oyster, and shiitake mushroom medley
- Pinch of sesame oil
- 1 tsp. honey
- 2 tbsp. low sodium soy sauce or coconut aminos
- 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
- 1 small garlic clove minced or grated
- 1/2 cup kimchi
- 1/2 mini cucumber sliced
- Sesame seeds and sliced green onions to garnish
Instructions
- If you're not using leftovers, cook rice according to package. Set aside. If you are using leftover rice, reheat 1-2 minutes before assembling rice bowl.
- Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.
- Add the tofu and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
- Add the mushrooms and cook just until softened, about 4-5 minutes.
- While the tofu and mushrooms are cooking, mix the sesame oil, honey, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic in a small bowl.
- Add the sauce to the skillet and stir, cooking for about 1-2 minutes.
- Spoon the tofu mixture, kimchi, and cucumbers on top of the rice bowl.
- If desired, garnish with sesame seeds and sliced green onions. Then, serve.
So what did we learn today? Kimchi isn't just good for you, it's a really tasty topping for a rice bowl, too! This dish might be my new favorite way to eat kimchi!
Did you make this Kimchi and Tofu Rice Bowl recipe? Share it on social media using the hashtag #holokahome. Don’t forget to tag me @holokahome!
