Vegan Salmon
This vegan salmon bowl is a perfect dish for those who miss the flavors of the sea. It ticks all the boxes for nutrition, texture, and taste!
If you’ve come across my recipes before, you know how much I love to veganize different dishes. From holiday favorites to viral TikTok trends, I want you to be able to enjoy familiar dishes while living your best plant-based life. This vegan salmon is no exception! Using tofu, you get the beautiful combination of savory, fishy flavors and the soft crumbly texture of poached salmon.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- If you have missed seafood since transitioning to the plant-based diet, this recipe is definitely for you!
- Between the tofu “salmon”, rice, edamame, and fresh veggies, you can satisfy all of your nutritional needs. This vegan salmon bowl has a healthy balance of protein, carbs, fats, and fiber.
- This dish really hits the spot if you like Asian flavors! Next time you want a delicious rice bowl, give this vegan salmon a try!
- If you have a rice cooker or an Instant Pot-style appliance, this is a great way to take advantage of it.
- The addition of kimchi helps the process of digestion, not to mention kimchi is delicious!
How to Make This Recipe
Slice your block of tofu in half. Then, slice each half vertically in half until you have four equal pieces the size of a salmon fillet. Using a sharp knife, carefully score the top of your slices in a diagonal pattern to create a fish-like appearance.
In a bowl, combine the marinade ingredients: broth, soy sauce, beet powder, hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, oil, and nori. Place the tofu in a sealable container or a ziplock bag, along with the marinade. Soak for at least half an hour.
Cook the rice and edamame as required. Depending on the type of rice, and the appliance you use, it may take little to no effort. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Bake in an air fryer or oven, and cook your “salmon” for 20 minutes at 400F.
When cooking is complete, transfer the rice into 4 bowls, followed by your “tofu salmon” and desired toppings. Enjoy!
Hack It!
- The toppings I used included fresh cucumber, fresh radish, fresh avocado, vegan kimchi, and toasted sesame seeds. Feel free to get creative with yours!
- This recipe is undoubtedly soy-heavy. If you want to make it soy-free, it will take some work. You’ll need to find an alternative to traditional tofu, which can be replaced with chickpea or pumpkin tofu. Soy sauce and hoisin sauce can be replaced with coconut aminos and maple syrup. Instead of edamame, you could use green beans or green peas, both worthy members of the Cool Beans series.
- If you want to add extra spice to this vegan salmon bowl, you could use sriracha sauce or red chili flakes as a topping.
- You can always add extra flavors to rice as you cook it. For example, you can add a drop of sesame oil, soy sauce, coconut milk, lime juice, or garlic powder.
Other Recipes You’ll Love
If you love simple yet powerful recipes like this one, you’ll love our PlantYou Planner! It’s a digital meal planner platform that allows you to forge a weekly menu from a database of OVER 600 recipes! Isn’t that incredible? You can also toggle the number of servings for each dish to make sure no food goes to waste, and your household is fully fed.
You should also check out the PlantYou Cookbook, especially if you don’t consider yourself a virtuoso in the kitchen. This book was written with regular folk in mind. That’s why the dishes are simple, budget-friendly, and delicious. Perfect for beginner cooks and busy people.
The Recipe: Vegan Salmon
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup sushi rice
- 1 cup edamame beans, shelled, frozen
- 2 ½ cup water
For the "salmon"
- 1 block extra firm tofu
- 1 ½ cup vegetable broth
- 1 ½ tbsp beet powder, optional, for color
- 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
- ½ sheet nori, crushed
- 1 tsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
Equipment
- rice cooker or similar
- bowl for marinade
- lidded container or ziplock bag
- knife
- chopping board
Instructions
- Slice your block of tofu in half. Then slice each half vertically in half until you have four equal pieces. Using a sharp knife, carefully score the top of your slices of tofu in a diagonal pattern to create a “fish” like appearance.
- In a bowl, combine all listed marinade ingredients. Place the tofu in a sealable container or ziplock bag along with the marinade. Soak at least half an hour.
- Cook your rice and edamame according to package directions. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In an air fryer or an oven, bake for 20 minutes at 400F.
- When cooking is complete, transfer the rice into 4 bowls, followed by your “tofu salmon” and desired toppings. Enjoy!
