Brown Girl Vegan

Category: High Protein

  • Vegan Chickpea ‘Tuna’ Rice Bowl

    Vegan Chickpea ‘Tuna’ Rice Bowl

    This easy chickpea ‘tuna’ is made with healthy ingredients & paired with edamame, cucumbers, pickled ginger and avocado for the perfect high protein meal!

    The delicious and flavourful combination of chickpea ‘tuna’, avocado, edamame, cucumbers with a generous drizzle of sriracha is just perfection! You can make this within 30 minutes – even blitzing it for quicker preparation!

    Having lived in a really hot and humid country all year round, these refreshing rice bowls are one way to keep me sane. Fresh, crunchy vegetables are a must and when paired with a warm bowl of rice and this chickpea ‘tuna’ with 25 grams of protein, flavour and nutrition are guaranteed.

    Making this vegan tuna is so simple – simply mash the chickpeas (or blitz them), then combine them with chopped celery, spring onions, dill, capers, seasonings and vegan mayo.

    Ingredients You Need

    • organic chickpeas – I just use cooked chickpeas from a can for quicker prep.
    • celery – this contributes to the signature flavour in tuna salads!
    • herbs – spring onions, fresh fill, capers
    • acidity – lemon juice
    • seasonings – garlic powder, old bay seasoning
    • vegan mayonnaise – I used a vegan garlic aioli!
    • sauce – sriracha
    • serving – cooked white rice, edamame, cucumber, avocado
    • garnish – toasted white and black sesame seeds

    Gluten free substitutions: Ensure your sauces – vegan mayo and sriracha – are gluten free.

    Allium free substitutions: Omit spring onions and garlic powder. Add a pinch of hing (asafoetida) into the chickpea tuna mixture.

    Print Recipe

    Vegan Chickpea ‘Tuna’ Rice Bowl

    This easy chickpea 'tuna' is made with healthy ingredients & paired with edamame, cucumbers, pickled ginger and avocado for the perfect high protein meal!
    Prep Time15 minutes
    Cook Time15 minutes
    Total Time30 minutes
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Fusion, Japanese
    Keyword: chickpeas, japanese recipes, rice bowl, vegan tuna
    Servings: 2

    Ingredients

    • 1 can cooked chickpeas 400g
    • 1 medium celery stick 6-8 inches
    • 3 tbsp chopped spring onions
    • 1 stalk fresh dill or 1 tsp dried dill
    • 6 capers
    • 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
    • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
    • 1/2 tsp old bay seasoning
    • 3 tbsp vegan mayo
    • salt
    • black pepper
    • sriracha

    Serving

    • 2 servings white rice or sushi rice
    • 2/3 cup cooked edamame
    • 1 medium japanese cucumber
    • 1 avocado
    • 2 tsp white sesame seeds
    • 2 tsp black sesame seeds
    • pickled sushi ginger optional

    Instructions

    • Rinse and drain the chickpeas – mash them to bit or you can also blitz them.
    • Chop celery, spring onions, dill and capers. Add them to the chickpea mix.
    • Add the rest of the ingredients – lemon juice, garlic powder, old bay seasoning, salt, black pepper, and vegan mayo. Mix well.
    • Serve 3 scoops of vegan tuna with rice, followed by cucumbers, edamame, avocado, and pickled ginger.
    • Drizzle sriracha over the vegan tuna and garnish with toasted sesame seeds. Enjoy!

  • Korean Braised Tempeh

    Korean Braised Tempeh

    This spicy braised tempeh dish, inspired by dubu-jorim is coated in a savoury, spicy sauce seasoned with lots of spring onions and toasted sesame seeds.

    This simple tempeh recipe will have you ACTUALLY like tempeh – it’s air fried to the perfect crisp (you can also pan fry it) and coated in a spicy soy sauce with lots of spring onions and sesame seeds for the ultimate flavour. It makes a nice pairing with rice, noodles or anything really from spring rolls to wraps and sandwiches.

    Tempeh is not commonly used in many Korean dishes but tofu is – as it soaks up all the flavour and is an amazing source of protein. Just like tofu, tempeh is also incredibly versatile, so you can add it as a substitute to most dishes while still getting the same spicy or sweet flavours. It also makes the flavour of tempeh less ‘strong’ as it’s ultimately still a fermented dish, so you can’t really tell it’s tempeh.

    One more thing about this recipe is that you can use tempeh the way you buy it – no boiling required! It involves a simple two-step process air-frying the tofu until golden brown and crispy (yes it gets crispy even without corn starch), then braising them in a spicy-soy sauce loaded with chopped scallions. The aroma is wonderful!

    Ingredients You Need

    • Tempeh: using fresh tempeh would be ideal so the flavours are maximized.
    • Spicy-soy sauce: light soy sauce, sesame oil, gochugaru and coconut sugar to balance out the spice
    • Aromatics: spring onions – add both white and green parts but reserve some of the green for later! You can also use garlic, depending on your preference.
    • Garnish: toasted sesame seeds and green onions

    Gluten free substitutions: Use gluten free light soy sauce.

    Allium free substitutions: Unfortunately, this recipe requires scallions but you can always omit it. A good substitute might be coriander – if you don’t mind the strong flavour and aroma.

    Print Recipe

    Korean Braised Tempeh

    This spicy braised tempeh dish, inspired by dubu-jorim is coated in a savoury, spicy sauce seasoned with lots of spring onions and toasted sesame seeds.
    Prep Time10 minutes
    Cook Time10 minutes
    Total Time20 minutes
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Fusion, Korean
    Keyword: korean recipes, tempeh
    Servings: 2

    Ingredients

    • 450 g tempeh
    • oil for pan frying / air frying
    • 3 tbsp light soy sauce
    • 2 tbsp sesame oil
    • 1 tsp coconut sugar
    • 1 tbsp gochugaru
    • 1 tsp minced garlic
    • 2 tsp toasted sesame seeds  black and white
    • 1/3 cup scallions
    • 1/4 cup water

    Garnish

    • scallions
    • toasted sesame seeds black and white

    Instructions

    • Slice tofu into triangles and pan fry or air fry with olive oil (or any other neutral oil) until crispy.
    • Mix all the ingredients needed for the sauce – sesame oil, soy sauce, coconut sugar, gochugaru, garlic, scallions and toasted sesame seeds.
    • Pour the sauce over the fried tofu and braise it for a few minutes, letting it soak up all the flavour.
    • Garnish with spring onions and sesame seeds. Enjoy!

  • Vegan Dal Makhani (Restaurant Style)

    Vegan Dal Makhani (Restaurant Style)

    This creamy dairy free dal makhani is packed with black lentils and kidney beans cooked in fresh aromatics & spices for the perfect high protein dish!

    This authentic Indian-style Dal Makhani is creamy, dairy free and is packed with protein & fibre from black urad dal and kidney beans. This recipe packs in 19 grams of protein per serving (including 2 wholewheat rotis) and 19 grams of fibre.

    Dal Makhani is a traditional punjabi lentils dish that’s usually slow-cooked with butter (makhan) and cream, hence the name “dal makhani”. Slow cooking gives it deep, smoky flavour and velvety texture – however it is not necessary. You can cook them for 15-20 minutes for a nice flavour.

    Ingredients You Need

    • black urad dal – these black lentils are high in dietary fibre and folates. Unlike green lentils, black lentils contain anthocyanins – the powerful antioxidant found in dark berries like blueberries and blackberries.
    • kidney beans – I personally prefer using canned kidney beans (organic ones with only kidney beans, salt and water) as they tend to be faster.
    • whole spices – bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, cumin seeds
    • aromatics – medium tomatoes, red onion, garlic, ginger
    • ground spices – kashmiri chili powder, coriander, turmeric, cumin, garam masala
    • vegan cream – coconut cream
    • garnish – chopped coriander
    • to pair with – wholewheat roti, vegan naan, brown rice

    Gluten free substitutions: There’s no gluten in this recipe. Pair with gluten free naan, roti or rice.

    Allium free substitutions: Omit garlic and onion. Substitute with a pinch of hing. Use 3 medium tomatoes instead of 2.

    Print Recipe

    Vegan Dal Makhani (Restaurant Style)

    This creamy dairy free dal makhani is packed with black lentils and kidney beans cooked in fresh aromatics & spices for the perfect high protein dish!
    Prep Time12 hours
    Cook Time40 minutes
    Total Time12 hours 40 minutes
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Indian
    Keyword: high protein, kidney beans, lentils
    Servings: 4

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup black urad dal
    • 4 cups water
    • 1 can kidney beans (250g drained weight)
    • 1 bay leaf
    • 1 cinnamon
    • 4 cloves
    • 4 cardamom
    • 1 tsp cumin seeds
    • 2 red onions
    • 3 cloves garlic
    • 2 medium tomatoes
    • 1 tsp ginger paste
    • 2 tbsp olive oil or neutral oil
    • 1 tbsp kashmiri chili powder
    • 1/4 tsp turmeric
    • 1 tsp cumin
    • 1 tsp coriander
    • 1/2 tbsp garam masala
    • 1/4 cup coconut cream
    • 1 tbsp vegan butter
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 1.5-2 cups water (used to boil lentils)

    Garnish

    • coconut cream
    • chopped coriander
    • vegan roti

    Instructions

    • Rinse and soak black urad dal in water overnight or at least 8 hours.
    • Drain and pressure cook with 4 cups water for about 15-20 minutes (or 5-6), until very soft and mushy. Drain and keep the water from the cooked dal for the masala later.
    • Chop onions, garlic, ginger and tomatoes roughly. Blend with some water until you get a smooth paste.
    • Add olive oil to a pot. Add all whole spices, cumin seeds and let them sizzle.
    • Add in the blended paste, ground spices and cook until oil separates (5–7 minutes). Add salt to taste.
    • Add the cooked dal and kidney beans along with 2 cups of water to the masala. Simmer on low heat for 5-10 minutes. Add more water if it gets too thick.
    • Stir in coconut cream, vegan butter and simmer for another 5 minutes.
    • Garnish with a swirl of coconut cream and chopped coriander. Serve hot with naan, roti, or steamed basmati rice.
  • Creamy Double Tofu Ramen

    Creamy Double Tofu Ramen

    This high protein double tofu ramen is made with a silky sesame tofu broth, noodles and topped with soy marinated air fried tofu, scallions and homemade chili crisp.

    This dish was inspired by the famous Tantanmen, but we’ll be simplifying the recipe by blending together tofu, sesame paste and aromatics for the perfect silky smooth broth. This recipe contains 35 grams of protein per serving which is perfect if you’re looking to up your plant based protein intake!

    We’ll be using silken tofu for the broth and extra firm tofu to make soy marinated tofu which will then be air fried. Pair it with scallions and my Homemade 5-minute Chili Oil for the perfect meal!

    Ingredients You Need

    • silken tofu and extra firm tofu
    • white miso – I use a gluten free low sodium variant!
    • sesame paste – this has a different flavour profile than tahini with more of a roasted aroma. However, if you don’t have sesame paste, feel free to use tahini!
    • seasonings – light soy sauce, sake, mirin, mushroom seasoning
    • aromatics – garlic and ginger, scallions
    • noodles – preferably high protein ramen noodles (I used millet + buckwheat ramen!)
    • garnish – toasted sesame seeds, scallions, chili oil

    Gluten free substitutions: Use gluten free miso and gluten free soy sauce. Ensure mushroom seasoning is gluten free too.

    Allium free substitutions: Omit scallions and garlic. Substitute with a pinch of hing in the broth.

    Print Recipe

    Creamy Double Tofu Ramen

    This high protein double tofu ramen is made with a silky sesame tofu broth, noodles and topped with soy marinated air fried tofu, scallions and homemade chili crisp.
    Prep Time20 minutes
    Cook Time20 minutes
    Total Time40 minutes
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Chinese, Japanese
    Keyword: high protein, silken tofu, tofu recipes
    Servings: 3

    Ingredients

    Sesame Tofu Broth

    • 150 g silken tofu
    • 1 tbsp white miso
    • 1 tbsp sesame paste
    • 1 tbsp light soy sauce
    • 1 tbsp sake
    • 1 tbsp mirin
    • 1/2 tbsp mushroom seasoning
    • 2-3 cloves roasted garlic
    • 2-3 slices roasted ginger
    • 1 cup oat milk or soy milk
    • 1/2 cup noodle water
    • 3 servings high protein noodles
    • 450 g extra firm tofu
    • 2 tbsp light soy sauce for marination
    • oil for air frying

    Garnish

    • 1-2 stalks scallions
    • toasted sesame seeds
    • asian greens bok choy, spinach, kai lan
    • toasted sesame seeds

    Instructions

    • Slice tofu into squares or cubes. Marinate them in 2 tbsp light soy sauce for 5-10 minutes. Air fry them with a drizzle of oil for 10 minutes at 180C until crispy.
    • Cook the noodles of your choice according to package instructions. Save the noodle water for the sesame tofu broth later.
    • To a high speed blender, add silken tofu, miso, sesame paste, sake, mirin, light soy sauce, mushroom seasoning, roasted garlic and ginger (you can just saute them on a pan).
    • To a pot add soy milk, noodle water and the blended paste. Bring to a boil and whisk together until there are no lumps.
    • Assemble the noodles. Place the noodles in a bowl and spoon over a few ladles of the broth. Top with the air fried tofu, scallions, toasted sesame seeds and chili crisp. Enjoy!

  • Tofu Skin Rolls (Dim Sum Beancurd Rolls)

    Tofu Skin Rolls (Dim Sum Beancurd Rolls)

    These high protein beancurd skin rolls are stuffed with tofu, mushrooms, carrots and drenched in an umami sauce for the perfect mouthwatering dish!

    Beancurd skin rolls, also known as tofu skin rolls or fu pei guen (腐皮卷), are a popular dim sum prepared by wrapping a flavourful filling in sheets of dried beancurd skin (also called yuba or bean curd sheets) and then steaming or deep-frying them.

    The tofu skin I used here contains 42 grams of protein (4 servings) which is insane! When stuffed with extra firm tofu, you get 25 grams of protein per serving so it makes for the perfect high protein snack. You can get tofu skin at asian supermarkets – dried or frozen. Dried ones are pretty shelf-stable so you can keep them for 1-2 years.

    Ingredients You Need

    • dried beancurd sheets
    • protein – extra firm tofu or tempeh
    • vegetables – shitake mushrooms, carrot
    • aromatics – spring onions
    • binder – cornstarch
    • seasonings – sesame oil, mushroom seasoning, five spice
    • sweetener – agave / coconut sugar / maple syrup
    • umami sauce
      • aromatics – ginger, garlic, green onion
      • sauces – soy sauce, vegan oyster sauce, cooking wine, agave, white pepper
      • corn starch slurry

    Gluten free substitutions: Ensure mushroom seasoning is gluten free. Use gluten free soy sauce and vegan oyster sauce.

    Allium free substitutions: Substitute spring onions with coriander for the filling. Instead of garlic, use a pinch of hing (asafoetida).

    Print Recipe

    Tofu Skin Rolls (Dim Sum Beancurd Rolls)

    These high protein beancurd skin rolls are stuffed with tofu, mushrooms, carrots and drenched in an umami sauce for the perfect mouthwatering dish!
    Prep Time30 minutes
    Cook Time30 minutes
    Total Time1 hour
    Course: Appetizer
    Cuisine: Chinese
    Keyword: asian, beancurd skin, high protein, tofu skin
    Servings: 4

    Ingredients

    • 125 g beancurd skin 3 sheets
    • 1 tbsp corn starch + 2tbsp water
    • 450 g extra firm tofu
    • 6 fresh shitake mushrooms
    • 1 small carrot
    • 2 stalks spring onions
    • 1 tbsp cornstarch
    • 1 tbsp sesame oil
    • 1 tbsp mushroom seasoning
    • 1/2 tsp five spice
    • 1 tsp agave
    • 1 tsp salt

    Sauce

    • 1 tbsp sesame oil
    • 3-4 slices ginger
    • 3 cloves garlic smashed
    • 2 stalks green onion
    • 1 tsp light soy sauce
    • 1 tbsp vegan oyster sauce
    • 1 tbsp cooking wine
    • 1 tsp agave
    • 1/2 tsp white pepper
    • 1/2 cup water
    • 1 tsp cornstarch +1 tbsp water

    Instructions

    • Lightly dampen or briefly soak sheets in warm water until pliable. Pat dry. This step is optional because steaming them would soften them as well.
    • Chop shitake mushrooms and cooked them until all water is released. Chop spring onions and julienne carrots.
    • Crumble some tofu in a bowl. Mix together cooked mushrooms, carrots, spring onions and all seasoning. Combine well.
    • Cut the beancurd sheets into squares – about 15-20cm in length.
    • Place a spoonful of filling onto a sheet, roll it up like a spring roll, and seal the 4 edges with corn starch slurry.
    • Steam in a steamer basket for 8-10 minutes.
    • Add oil to a pan and saute ginger, garlic and scallions. Add seasonings, water, corn starch slurry and bring to a boil.
    • Plate the tofu skin rolls neatly on a plate and spoon the sauce over. Garnish with more green onions and toasted sesame seeds. Enjoy!

  • Vegan Mapo Tofu

    Vegan Mapo Tofu

    The easiest Vegan Mapo Tofu recipe made in just 20 minutes – packed with flavour from fresh spices, sauces and protein from silken tofu and textured vegetable protein!

    Mapo Tofu is a popular Chinese dish from Sichuan province & is traditionally made with minced meat, like beef. I first tried this dish at a Sichuan Restaurant and instantly fell in love. But obviously, I had to make it vegan and also gut friendly so everyone can enjoy this beautiful dish!

    It’s best paired with a steaming bowl of hot rice. You can also use the sauce base for other dishes like Mala Xiang Guo or use other vegetables like eggplants. But first, let’s dig into the ingredients that went into this spicy, flavourful tofu recipe.

    This 30-minute Mapo Tofu recipe is irresistable

    Ingredients You Need

    • Type of Tofu – soft, silken tofu is best for this dish. I used the brand below.
    • Plant-based Mince – I used a mix of textured vegetable protein and shitake mushrooms. You can also use any plant-based mince of your choice or minced tempeh if you prefer.
    • Sauce Base – hot broad bean paste is the crucial ingredient for the flavour.
    • Spices – Ground sichuan peppercorns, minced ginger, and garlic for a strong flavour (hing if you don’t consume onions or garlic)
    Soft silken tofu I use for this recipe

    Tips to perfect this Vegan Mapo Tofu

    Mapo Tofu is best paired with rice!

    I find that grinding my sichuan peppercorns to a coarse texture gives the dish a fresh, sharp flavour. Using good quality peppercorns are super important!

    For the minced meat substitute, I personally perfect using either shitake mushrooms or textured vegetable protein for the best texture and taste. However, you can use any plant-based mince of your choice. For a higher protein option, try using crumbled tempeh which gives this dish 22 grams of protein PER SERVING!

    Gluten free substitutions: Use gluten free chili paste or chili oil instead of hot bean paste / broad bean paste. Use tamari / coconut aminos / gluten free soy sauce instead of soy sauce.

    Allium free substitutions: Substitute 2 cloves of garlic for a pinch of hing (check if gluten free) and omit spring onions (substitute with chopped cilantro).

    Print Recipe

    Vegan Mapo Tofu

    The easiest mapo tofu recipe made in just 30 minutes – packed with flavour from spices, silken tofu and plant based meat!
    Prep Time5 minutes
    Cook Time15 minutes
    Total Time20 minutes
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Asian
    Keyword: mapo tofu, tofu recipes
    Servings: 4

    Ingredients

    • 300 g silken tofu
    • 1/3 cup dried textured vegetable protein OR 150g tempeh
    • 1/2 cup shitake mushrooms
    • 1 tsp minced garlic
    • 1 tsp minced ginger
    • 1 tbsp gochugaru (sub 1 tsp chili flakes)
    • 1 tbsp sesame oil
    • 2 dried red chillies
    • 2.5 tbsp broad bean paste
    • 1 tsp sichuan pepper
    • 1/2 tsp 5-spice powder
    • 1 tsp sweetener
    • 1 tbsp light soy sauce
    • 1 cup water add more water if required
    • 1 tbsp corn starch (+1/4 cup water)
    • salt

    Garnish

    • chopped spring onions

    Instructions

    • Cut silken tofu into even cubes. Soak textured vegetable protein in hot water for 5 minutes, then drain.
    • Deseed the red chilies if you can't handle spice. Sauté red chilies in sesame oil.
    • Add minced ginger and garlic to the oil and sauté until fragrant. Add chili flakes or gochugaru at this step (optional).
    • Add TVP, mushrooms and wait for it to be 3/4 cooked. Add 1 tsp sichuan pepper , 5-spice powder then broad bean paste. Give it a good mix.
    • Add sweetener, soy sauce, water and let simmer for about 5 minutes. Add silken tofu cubes.
    • Add soy sauce, then corn starch slurry, give it a good mix and simmer for another 5 minutes.
    • Serve with spring onions and chili oil if you want an extra spicy kick.