Cozy and creamy mashed potatoes, topped with battered and smothered barbeque tofu, zesty and fresh corn salsa, and some simple slaw!
Prep Time: 10 mins – Cook Time: 30 mins – Yield: 2 BBQ Bowls
I’m so excited to share this perfect weeknight dinner with you guys! BBQ sauce is one of my all-time favorite condiments (judge me if you must, but I am not a fan of ketchup) and I am obsessed with everything that comes with good barbeque! Mashed potatoes, coleslaw, corn, all of it! And that’s why I’m here to show y’all how to vegan-ize it all.
Let’s do a little run down of the main components:
– mashed potatoes, in my books, are the ultimate comfort food. There’s a misconception that vegan mashed potatoes can’t be creamy or buttery, but that simply isn’t true. I made these garlic and herb mashed potatoes around the holidays, and my non-vegan family members loved it! In this recipe, I’m going to show you how to make creamy and mind-blowingly delicious mashed potatoes with just four ingredients.
– corn salsa is the perfect way to add some freshness and acidity to any meal. When I’m going for a more tropical vibe, I like to make this mango salsa. But, corn is a much more affordable and accessible alternative. With lime, red onion, and cilantro, this salsa works super well with tacos, burritos, nourish bowls, or even for dipping tortilla chips in. Plus, I’m counting this as the vegetable of this meal 🤣
– bbq tofu is the main source of protein in this meal. In my opinion, tofu is the yummiest when it is battered, fried in shallow oil, and then tossed in a delicious sauce. That method is super versatile because there are so many sauces, I love tossing mine in teriyaki sauce, peanut sauce, curry sauce, and of course BBQ sauce! One super important detail that you can’t miss is that this must be done with extra firm tofu. If you get soft or silken tofu, it will be super watery and will be very fragile to handle. Extra firm (or at least “firm”) is the way to go!
– coleslaw has kind of been iffy for me in the past. I was never a big mayo fan, and all the coleslaws I had (before going vegan) were always 80% mayo to 20% shredded veggies (maybe that’s a slight exaggeration, but you get the idea). If you like traditional coleslaw, you are more than welcome to use that in your bbq bowl. But, if you’re like me and never really liked traditional coleslaw, then use can use my simple method of just combining shredded cabbage & carrots with some lime juice for a simple yet effective topping.
Ingredients:
(mashed potatoes)
– 2 large russet potatoes
– 1/3 cup plant milk*
– 1/4 cup vegan butter
– 1/2 tsp salt
(corn salsa)
– 1 can of corn
– juice of 1 lime
– 1/4 of a red onion; finely diced
– 1/4 cup packed cilantro; finely diced
– 1/4 tsp salt
– 1/4 tsp garlic powder
(bbq tofu)
– 1 block of extra-firm tofu**; pressed
– 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
– 1/4 cup corn starch
– 3/4 cup water
– pinch of salt
– pinch of pepper
– approx. 1/2 cup vegetable oil***
– 3/4 cup vegan bbq sauce
(coleslaw)
– 1 cup coleslaw veggies (shredded cabbage and carrots)
– 1 tbsp lime juice
* make sure your milk is unsweetened and not flavored; I used unsweetened soy
** your tofu needs to be at least “firm”, but “extra firm” is best
*** however much oil fills your frying pan about 1/2 cm deep
Instructions:
- Fill a large pot half way with water and place on medium-high heat. We’re bringing this to a boil for our potatoes.
- While that’s coming to a boil, peel and cut your potatoes into 1″ chunks. Place the potatoes into the water once it is boiling and cook them for 20-25 mins, or until soft.
- In the meantime, let’s make the bbq tofu. Cut your block into around 20 pieces (I cut mine into triangles, but any shape works).
- Then, in a medium bowl, add the flour, cornstarch, salt, pepper, and water to create the tofu batter. Stir until combined with no lumps. If the batter is too thick for dipping, add more water (1 tbsp at a time) until it reaches the right consistency.
- Then, add the vegetable oil to a frying pan on medium-high heat. Batter each piece of tofu (dip in the batter and then let it drip off the excess for 5 seconds) and then place in the pan.
- Cook each piece of tofu for about 3-4 mins (or until browned and crispy) on each side.
- While the tofu is cooking and the potatoes are boiling, make the corn salsa and “coleslaw”.
- To make the corn salsa, rise the can of corn and then add the corn to a medium bowl. Then add the lime juice, red onion, cilantro, salt, and garlic powder and mix.
- To make the “coleslaw”, simply add the veggies and lime juice to a small bowl and mix.
- Once the tofu is done cooking, add the tofu and bbq sauce to a large bowl and toss until each piece of tofu is coated (feel free to add more sauce if desired).
- By now, the potatoes should be soft. Drain them from the water and add them to a large bowl. With a potato masher, mash them until smooth. Then, add the milk, butter, and salt and mix until combined.
- Lastly, you must assemble your bbq bowl. Add some mashed potatoes, bbq tofu, corn salsa, coleslaw, and any other toppings you desire and enjoy!
Liked this recipe and want to see more? Check out my most recent posts! And, feel free to leave a comment down below!