Recipe: Quinoa Bowl with Pickled Vegetables, Edamame and Tofu Balls

This recipe is the ultimate power lunch! These tofu balls are super delicious and have turned our resident tofu hater Andrea Bain into a believer.

Ingredients

Quinoa Bowl:

• 2 tbsp cider vinegar
• 1 tsp vinegar
• 1 pinch red pepper flakes
• 3 cups thinly sliced cabbage
• 2 Lebanese cucumbers, cut into ribbons
• 1 ⅓ cups quinoa, rinsed and drained
• 2 cups shelled soybeans (edamame), fresh or frozen and thawed
• 2 tbsp chopped cilantro

Sauce:

• ⅓ cup mayonnaise
• 2 tsp cider vinegar
• 1 tsp sambal oelek
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• ½ tsp sugar

Tofu Balls:

• 1 clove garlic, halved
• 1 green onion, cut into pieces
• ¾ lb firm or extra firm tofu, patted dry and cubed
• ½ cup bread crumbs
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil

Preparation

Quinoa Bowl:

 In a large bowl, whisk together the vinegar, sugar and pepper flakes until the sugar has dissolved. Add the cabbage, cucumbers and carrot and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Let marinate while cooking the quinoa.

In a pot of salted boiling water, cook the quinoa for 15 minutes or until tender. Drain and let cool.

In another pot of salted boiling water, cook the soybeans for 4 minutes or until al dente. Cool completely in an ice bath and drain.

Serve the quinoa in bowls. Top with the pickled vegetables, edamame and cilantro and tofu balls.

Tofu Balls:

In a food processor, finely chop the garlic and green onion. Add the tofu and pulse until crumbly. Add the remaining ingredients, except the vegetable oil. Season with pepper and process until smooth. Shape each tofu ball using 1 tbsp of the mixture. In a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, cook the tofu balls in the vegetable oil for 5 minutes or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Serve with the sauce.

Sauce for Tofu Balls:

In a small bowl, combined all the ingredients.