Tofu and Sweet Potato Bowl with Orzo

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This easy and tasty Tofu and Sweet Potato Bowl with Orzo pairs crispy tofu with caramelized sweet potatoes, crunchy pepitas, comforting pasta, and a herby tangy dressing. This healthy vegan bowl will likely become one of your go-to weeknight dinners! It's balanced, kid-friendly, and perfect for meal prep.

Orzo salad with crispy tofu, chopped kale, roasted sweet potato, chopped red onion, and roasted pepitas in a white bowl with a black fork.

Make this veggie-packed Orzo Salad ahead of time and enjoy it throughout the week. It's packed with nutrients, including plant-based protein, and you even get your greens. This is a great meal for getting more veggies into your diet. Plus, it's easy to make, tastes incredible, and is suitable for family dinners as kids love it too.

This vegan bowl was inspired by my healthy Vegan Roasted Veggie Orzo Salad on this site, as well as this flavor-packed Mexican-Inspired Street Corn Orzo Pasta Salad recipe.

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👩🏼‍🌾 Ingredients
🍠 Substitutions
📖 Instructions
💡 Expert Tips
🙋🏽‍♀️ Recipe FAQs
🍽 Related Recipes
👩🏽‍🍳 Made This Recipe?
📖 Recipe
💬 Comments

👩🏼‍🌾 Ingredients

Parsley, tofu, maple syrup, red wine vinegar, Italian seasoning, orzo, kale, crushed red pepper, garlic, olive oil, and red onion on a grey backdrop.

Kale is a nutrition superstar, loaded with vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Plus, it holds up to dressings much better than its leafy counterparts without becoming soggy. Lacinato or curly kale are both suitable for this Orzo Salad recipe.
Extra-firm tofu or super-firm tofu works best for this dish. Press the tofu beforehand, or try to find super-firm or sprouted tofu that is pre-pressed. Nasoya and Wildwood are the brands I use. Plus, super firm tofu has the most plant-based protein of all the types of tofu.
Fresh parsley adds even more nutrients and brightens this dish. Parsley has many vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that can provide important health benefits. It is a particularly rich source of vitamin K.

See the recipe card for quantities.

🍠 Substitutions

Orzo - substitute with farro, barley, couscous, quinoa, or brown rice instead
Sweet potato - instead of sweet potato, use carrots, or butternut squash
Kale - substitute with arugula, spinach, or more fresh herbs to change things up
Cornstarch - use arrowroot instead as desired
Parsley - substitute with cilantro, thyme, mint, basil, or any herbs you already have on hand
Crushed red pepper - omit as desired
Pepitas or pumpkin seeds - I added roasted pepitas for a delicious crunch. Plus, they are a good source of fiber and heart-healthy fats.

Try marinating your tofu beforehand with one of my 3 Easy 10-Minute Tofu Marinades for the easiest tofu meal prep. For more healthy salads with plant-based protein, visit my Vegan Salad Recipes page.

📖 Instructions

Step 1. Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Cook the orzo according to the directions on the packet until al dente. Drain and set aside.

Sweet potato and tofu cubes tossed with cornstarch and olive oil in a glass bowl.

Step 2. Transfer the tofu and sweet potato to a large bowl. Add the cornstarch and toss until evenly coated. Add a drizzle of olive oil, and salt, and toss to coat.

Roasted sweet potato chunks, and crispy roasted tofu cubes on a white rimmed baking sheet.

Step 3. Transfer the tofu and sweet potato to a large rimmed nonstick baking sheet. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until golden.

Chopped lacinato kale on a wooden cutting board with a blue handled chef's knife.

Step 4. Chop the red onion and kale. Make sure to chop them small so they do not overwhelm this Orzo Salad. Plus, this way they will be more evenly incorporated throughout.

Dressing in a grey bowl made from olive oil, dried herbs, and vinegar.

Step 5. Mix the olive oil, red wine vinegar, maple syrup, Italian seasoning, and crushed red pepper in a medium bowl. Press or grate the garlic into the bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

Orzo, crispy tofu, chopped kale, roasted sweet potato, chopped red onion, and roasted pepitas in a white bowl with a white pouring bowl of dressing on the side.

Step 6. Transfer the orzo, kale, red onion, parsley, pepitas, tofu, and sweet potato to a large bowl. Mix to combine. Add the dressing to the Orzo Salad and crispy tofu, and toss until evenly coated.

💡 Expert Tips

Cut the tofu and sweet potato evenly into ¾-inch cubes so they cook evenly and become crispy. Cornstarch adds even more crispness to them, but it is an optional ingredient.
Chop the kale and red onion small. The Orzo Salad tastes best this way as there will be a mixture of veggies in each bite.
To reduce the sharpness of the red onion, soak the cut onion in water for 10 minutes before adding it to the salad.
Storage: Refrigerate any remaining Tofu and Sweet Potato Bowl with Orzo in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

🙋🏽‍♀️ Recipe FAQs

How do I meal prep Tofu and Sweet Potato Bowl with Orzo ahead of time?

Cook the orzo, drain, and set aside to cool. Toss it with a drizzle of olive oil so it does not stick together.
Bake the tofu and sweet potato, and chop the kale and red onion. Refrigerate the orzo in an airtight container, the sweet potato and tofu together in a separate container, and the kale and red onion in a third container. Alternatively, you can combine these ingredients and refrigerate them in one large container.
Make the dressing and refrigerate it in a separate airtight container. Add dressing for serving.

What is orzo?

Orzo is a thin, rice-shaped pasta. It is classified as pastina or 'little pasta,' which is a category of very small pastas. It is often mistaken for rice because of its shape, but it is made from semolina, a type of flour that comes from durum wheat. Orzo is used widely in soups, but it is also great for salads.

Is semolina flour healthier?

Orzo is made from semolina flour. Semolina is coarser than traditional flour and may be darker and more golden in color. The coarse texture of semolina, as opposed to the fine texture of white flour, makes it a healthier choice because it is absorbed more slowly. Plus, it contains nutrients like fiber, carbohydrates, and protein.