This recipe tastes like greasy take out, but it's healthy, vegan, easy to make, and so super delicious! Skip the fuss of working with wrappers, and using a fatty deep fryer, and make a vegan egg roll in a bowl instead! This dish tastes just like an egg roll but without the wrapper. Seasoned tofu crumbles, stir fried cabbage, tossed in a sweet and salty sauce. Serve this stir fry over rice or rice noodles for an easy weeknight meal.
30-minutes to make with ingredients you might already have in your kitchen. Vegan egg roll in a bowl is great served fresh, but it also makes super yummy leftovers served hot or cold, which is perfect for meal prepping or packing your lunch box. If you're not into tofu, you can replace it with crumbled tempeh, sliced mushrooms, or any kind of veggie ground that you enjoy.
Traditionally egg rolls are stuffed with stir fried cabbage and carrot with some kind of ground meat. To make this vegan version I subbed the ground meat with crumbled tofu. The tofu is pressed and sautéd so that when the marinade is added it become super juicy and flavourful. And speaking of the marinade, often egg rolls are served with plum sauce for dipping, so I added it directly into the marinade for that authentic taste!
To Make Vegan Egg Roll in a Bowl:
To prep the tofu: Prepare the tofu by draining it, and then pressing it for 15 to 30 minutes. I love using my Tofuture tofu press, but you can also follow these instructions for a DIY tofu pressing method. Pressing the tofu squeezes excess water out so that the tofu can suck up more of the marinade and become more flavourful.
Make the sauce: Add all of the sauce ingredients to a small bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.
Prepare the filling: In a large skillet or non-stick pan heat 1 tablespoon sesame oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger. Sauté for about 5 minutes until the onions turn translucent and begin to brown.
Reduce the heat to medium and use your hands to crumble the tofu into the pan. Cook for about 5 minutes until the tofu begins to brown. Tip: don't stir the tofu too much, let it cook for a couple of minutes without stirring so that the bottom can brown. Stirring too often will make it difficult for the tofu to brown. Pour in about ½ of the prepared sauce and stir to combine. Remove the tofu mixture from the pan and set aside.
Return the pan to medium-high heat and add the remaining tablespoon of sesame oil. Add the cabbage and carrot and sauté until the cabbage is tender, about 5 minutes more.
Add the tofu mixture and all of the remaining sauce and heat through.
Serve hot with rice (if using) and garnish green onions, peanuts, and dress with more soy sauce, plum sauce, or hot sauce to taste if you like.
Bon appetegan!
Sam Turnbull.
(click stars to vote)
Vegan Egg Roll in a Bowl!
Servings:
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Ingredients
For the sauce:
- ¼ cup soy sauce, (gluten-free if preferred)
- 3 tablespoons plum sauce or sweet and sour sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
For tofu and cabbage:
- 2 tablespoon sesame oil,, divided
- 1 yellow onion,, sliced
- 4 cloves garlic,, minced
- 1 inch fresh ginger, minced
- 1 12 oz block extra-firm or firm tofu,, drained and pressed (see step 1)
- 16 oz cabbage (green, purple, or a combo), (16oz), finely shredded
- 1 large carrot,, peeled and grated
Optional:
- 2 green onions,, sliced
- ½ cup roasted salted peanuts
- an extra drizzle of plum sauce, soy sauce, or Sriracha
- cooked rice or rice noodles, for serving
Instructions
- To prep the tofu: Prepare the tofu by draining it, and then pressing it for 15 to 30 minutes. I love using my Tofuture tofu press, but you can also follow these instructions for a DIY tofu pressing method. Pressing the tofu squeezes excess water out so that the tofu can suck up more of the marinade and become more flavourful.
- Make the sauce: Add all of the sauce ingredients to a small bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.
- Prepare the filling: In a large skillet or non-stick pan heat 1 tablespoon sesame oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger. Sauté for about 5 minutes until the onions turn translucent and begin to brown.Reduce the heat to medium and use your hands to crumble the tofu into the pan. Cook for about 5 minutes until the tofu begins to brown. Tip: don't stir the tofu too much, let it cook for a couple of minutes without stirring so that the bottom can brown. Stirring too often will make it difficult for the tofu to brown. Pour in about ½ of the prepared sauce and stir to combine. Remove the tofu mixture from the pan and set aside.
- Return the pan to medium-high heat and add the remaining tablespoon of sesame oil. Add the cabbage and carrot and sauté until the cabbage is tender, about 5 minutes more.
- Add the tofu mixture and all of the remaining sauce and heat through. Serve hot with rice (if using) and garnish green onions, peanuts, and dress with more soy sauce, plum sauce, or hot sauce to taste if you like.
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MPB says
I just made this minutes ago and boy, am I glad I did! I love this recipe. So filling and tasty, and easy to make. This is going into heavy rotation in my kitchen!
Tanya says
This was really good and easy to make! My husband really liked it and asked me to make it again. Win-win!!
Nathalie says
Just love this recipe it is easy and soooo flavorful!
I would eat it every week
Jorie Belisle says
Always a hit in this house!
Jorie Belisle says
This was supposed to be 5 stars rating!
Sandy P says
Fantastic and flexible recipe, I subbed lots of veggies and it was delicious
I would say don't omit the soy sauce and plum sauce drizzled on top, it definitely gives it the the fast food flavour. Thanks for this recipe!!
Nisha says
The whole family loved this, even the non-veg people. Added a handful of coriander leaves as a garnish. Looking for something crunchy to add on top just for the texture because we didn't have peanuts but couldn't think of anything.
Jess @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Terrific! Great alternatives to peanuts to get that crunch would be any other nut or seed (almonds, cashews, pine nuts, sunflower seeds) or even roasted chickpeas!
Steph says
Could you sub 1 cup dehydrated soy curls for the tufu? If so. would you need to rehydrate first, then soak in the marinade?
Sam Turnbull says
Sure, it would be a different recipe but you could try that, and yes you would need to rehydrate them first. Enjoy!
Eileen Sammon says
My husband loved the Vegan egg roll recipe just as much as I did! We love your recipes. Are the recipes on this website included in your cookbooks?
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
We're happy to hear it! Most of the recipes in the cookbooks are unique to the books and not on the website.
Bianca says
So much like Table Cat I HATE vegetals and tofu. However I made this tonight extra salt and it's delicious! I used extra plum sauce in the bowl. So good! Thank you for another amazing recipe!
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
We're glad you gave it a try and enjoyed it too!