A hearty dinner bowl made with BBQ tofu, black-eyed peas, and collard greens, all slathered in homemade BBQ Sauce. Made in just 30 minutes for a delicious vegan and gluten-free weeknight meal.
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When I first moved to Portland I was quick to find The Bye and Bye, an all-vegan bar and restaurant that serves some amazing soul food. After my first trip, weeks after moving to Oregon, I was hooked. I went to The Bye and Bye weekly, ordered a BBQ Tofu bowl and an IPA, and enjoyed the evenings of my youth.
With my recent move this past summer, I am now lucky enough to live just 10 blocks away from this amazing bar. But, much older now, I don’t go out as much. As I enter my late 30s, I find that quiet homecooked meals and evenings at home are my jam.
But, that doesn’t mean that I don’t still want the occasional vegan BBQ Bowl. If you give this recipe a try, you’ll understand.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Rice – You can use either white or brown rice. Also feel free to use quinoa, couscous, or cauliflower rice.
- Extra Firm Tofu – Look for high-protein extra-firm tofu. This particular tofu does not need to be pressed. If you can only find water-packed tofu, make sure to thoroughly press out the water with a tofu press. Softer tofu will crumble and not give you the same chewy texture. If you don’t like tofu, try this recipe with tempeh or soy curls instead
- Beans – I recommend either black-eyed peas or pinto beans. You can also use black beans if that’s all you have on hand.
- Collard Greens – Swiss chard and kale also work well in this recipe.
- Nutritional Yeast
- BBQ Sauce – Homemade or store-bought
- Vegan Ranch Dressing – Homemade or store-bought.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step One – Make the Tofu
Cut the tofu into uniform 1″ cubes and place it in a shallow dish. Cover the tofu in BBQ sauce and marinate for at least one hour. Once the tofu is ready, bake it at 400F until the edges become slightly charred and the insides are chewy.
Step Two – Cook the Rice
Meanwhile, bring the rice, along with 2 cups of water, to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to simmer. Simmer for 40 minutes, until all the water has evaporated. Set aside.
Step Three – Bake the Beans
Heat up the black eye peas, along with about 1/4 cup BBQ sauce, in a saucepan over medium heat until the beans are cooked all the way through. Remove from heat.
Step Four – Steam the Collard Greens
In a separate saucepan, saute the collard greens with a little bit of water until slightly soft. Stir in the lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
Step Five – Assemble the Bowls
Once everything is done, you can assemble the bowls! Start by evenly dividing the rice among four bowls. Add beans, BBQ tofu, and steamed collard greens. Top with extra barbecue sauce and vegan ranch (optional).
Serving and Storing
Serving – Serve these tofu bowls with avocado, nutritional yeast, and vegan ranch dressing (optional). Once the bowls are dressed, they should be served immediately. You can make the BBQ sauce and ranch dressing up to 3 days in advance. The tofu can be made a day in advance.
Storing – Leftover bowls can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. When ready to heat, gently reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.
Tips and Tricks
- Use high-protein extra-firm tofu. This particular tofu does not need to be pressed. If you can only find water-packed tofu, make sure to thoroughly press out the water with a tofu press. Softer tofu will crumble and not give you the same chewy texture.
- Marinade the tofu for at least one hour. However, this tofu is best when they can be marinated overnight. To marinate it, place the tofu in a shallow container or large ziplock bag. Add the marinade, cover, and place in the refrigerator.
- Feel free to use the variations listed above to make a delicious BBQ bowl with the ingredients you already have on hand.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! If you would like to grill your tofu, cut it into large steaks before marinating. Once the tofu is marinated, you can either grill it outside or inside on an electric grill. (<<affiliate link)
Yes, it is! And for a low-carb option, consider swapping out the brown rice for cauliflower rice.
Most but not all bbq sauce is vegan. Make sure to read the label to check for hidden ingredients. Or, when in doubt, make your own BBQ sauce.
Recipes for Leftover Sauces
If you make your sauces from scratch, you will have leftover BBQ sauce and Ranch dressing. They can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days or the freezer for up to two months.
Here are a few of my favorite recipes that use these sauces:
Buffalo Chickpea Lettuce WrapsVegan Cobb Salad
Vegan “Pull Pork” and Mango Salsa Pizza
BBQ Bowl with Soy Curls
More Vegan Bowl Recipes
- One-Pot Burrito Bowls
- Korean BBQ Bowls
- Deconstructed Sushi Bowl
- Vegan Fish Tacos Bowl
- My Go-To Buddha Bowl
Smoky Vegan Barbecue Bowl
Ingredients
Barbecue Bowl
- 1 cup uncooked brown rice
- 16 ounces extra firm tofu cut into 1/2 inch cubes.
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 (14 oz) can black eye peas or pinto beans
- 1 bunch collard greens, thinly chopped
- 1 tsp. lemon juice
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 1/4 cup BBQ Sauce, store bought or homemade
- 1/2 cup vegan ranch dressing, store bought or homemade (optional)
Instructions
- Cut tofu into 1'' cubes and place in a shallow container. Add 1 cup of barbecue sauce and stir to combine, ensuring that the tofu is completely submerged. Allow tofu to marinate for at least 1 hour.
- Bring the rice, along with 2 cups of water, to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to simmer. Simmer for 40 minutes, until all the water has evaporated. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Remove the tofu from the excess barbecue sauce, saving extra sauce, and transfer to a small bowl. Add nutritional yeast and mix to coat. Place tofu on the baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven, flip tofu over, top with remaining barbecue sauce, and return to oven for another 10-15 minutes until the tofu is charred on the edges.
- Meanwhile, heat up the black eye peas, along with about 1/4 cup BBQ sauce, in a saucepan over medium heat. In a separate saucepan, saute the collard greens with a little bit of water until slightly soft. Stir in the lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
- Once the tofu is done, you can assemble the bowls! Start by evenly dividing the rice among 4 bowls. Top with black-eyed peas, BBQ tofu, and steamed collard greens.
- Top with extra barbecue sauce, vegan ranch, or nutritional yeast to taste (optional).
Notes
- Use high-protein extra-firm tofu. This particular tofu does not need to be pressed. If you can only find water-packed tofu, make sure to thoroughly press out the water with a tofu press. Softer tofu will crumble and not give you the same chewy texture.
- Marinade the tofu for at least one hour. However, this tofu is best when they can be marinated overnight. To marinate it, place the tofu in a shallow container or large ziplock bag. Add the marinade, cover, and place in the refrigerator.
Hi, I’m Sarah. I’m a 14-year (and counting) vegan, professionally trained photographer, former pastry chef, founder of My Darling Vegan, and author of the
Indra says
The tofu flavor was good, but it never got crispy. I honestly think the only way to get it crispy is to coat it with cornstarch or breadcrumbs and pan fry till crispy, then toss it in BBQ sauce. I’ll modify next time I make it to actually get it crispy.
Barbara Castanzo says
So you don’t need to drain/press the tofu first?
Aleta says
I made this last night for my family – including 3 kids, 5 and under. The baby wasn’t so interested in the BBQ sauce flavor, but everyone else loved it. I used refried pinto beans and didn’t mix in BBQ sauce, but this was only because I didn’t have a can of regular pinto beans on hand. We did steamed veggies instead of collard greens, again because of what I had on hand. I would try this again as is or even as we modified it. SO GOOD!