Buffalo Tofu Bowl with Cashew Ranch

Buffalo wings have a special place in the early history of our relationship. We met while living in the Washington, DC, area and for the first few months of dating shared a mission of finding the best wings in the city. Fast forward and now the only wings we eat are plant-based, but we (and especially Chad) still have a soft spot for anything drenched in buffalo sauce. This bowl hits the spot thanks to Laura Wright’s brilliant method of getting the tofu to be super crispy in the oven. We’ve turned the original recipe into a meal-preppable lunch bowl, but you could just serve the tofu and ranch as an appetizer!

Ingredients

For the buffalo tofu:

• 2 14-oz packages of extra firm tofu, drained and cut into ~1/2-inch batons or cubes
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1/4 cup avocado oil
• 1/4 cup arrowroot powder
• 1.5 tsp garlic powder
• 1.5 tsp onion powder
• 1.5 tsp paprika
• 1/2-3/4 cup buffalo sauce (we like Primal Kitchen’s)

For the cashew ranch:

• 3/4 cup raw cashews, soaked for 4+ hours then drained
• 1.5 tsp onion powder
• 2 small cloves of garlic
• 1 tsp nutritional yeast
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tbsp avocado oil
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp maple syrup
• 2 tsp dried dill (or 1 tbsp fresh dill)
• Salt and pepper to taste

To assemble bowls:

• 4 cups cooked rice
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 5-oz package of spring mix or lettuce, chopped
• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
• 1 avocado, cubed or sliced

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F and place a silicone mat or parchment paper on two baking sheets.

2. Heat 4 cups of water and 1 tbsp of salt in a medium saucepan on the stove. Once boiling, turn off the heat and add the cut up tofu to the saucepan. Let sit for 5-10 minutes, and then drain the water and remove the tofu onto clean kitchen towels. Thoroughly pat the tofu dry.

3. Put the tofu in a large bowl and toss with 1/4 cup of avocado oil. Then sprinkle the arrowroot powder, garlic and onion powder, and paprika over the tofu and toss or fold to evenly coat the tofu.

4. Spread the tofu out onto the baking sheets, being sure to leave space between each piece. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.

5. While the tofu bakes, combine all the ingredients for the cashew ranch in a high-speed blender and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings.

6. After the tofu has baked for 20 minutes, remove the trays from the oven and pour 1/4-3/8 cup of buffalo sauce on each tray, stirring or tossing the tofu until all pieces are coated. Bake for another 5 minutes and then remove.

7. Assemble each bowl with 1/2 cup of rice, 1/2-3/4 cup of the buffalo tofu, a handful each of cherry tomatoes and spring mix, 1/2 tbsp sunflower seeds, and a few slices or cubes of avocado. Dress with the cashew ranch.