This vegan Shredded Tofu & Avocado Rice Bowl might look a little unusual but it tastes INCREDIBLE and is a filling, quick healthy lunch option. Made by mixing mashed avocado and shredded tofu with fresh ingredients like lemon, cilantro and red onion it is a fresh and filling meal. Plus, it’s very easy to make and only takes 15 minutes. Perfect for a quick working from home lunch.

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Wait… you can shred tofu?
Yes! You read that right. You can shred extra firm tofu using a regular grater. It’s a delicious way to enjoy tofu – shredding it creates thin strips that go a little crispy around the edges when baked or fried. It’s like a vegan version of shredded chicken. All the extra surface area also means there’s more room to coat the tofu in delicious umami seasonings. So it’s a win for both texture and taste. Plus, even if you’re not vegan, this is a great little swap for shredded chicken that is way more affordable than buying meat. I have tried it using both the extra fine shred and also the regular shred size on my grater and it works perfectly in both.
I can’t take credit for the original concept though, it was my foodie friend Sezzy Brown came up with this genius idea. It went viral on Instagram a couple of years ago because everybody couldn’t believe tofu could have such a transformation.
Now, this recipe is exceptionally easy but I must stress – it is ESSENTIAL that you use extra firm tofu. Otherwise it will not work and your tofu will turn to mush. Make sure you read the label carefully – extra firm tofu is sometimes marked as ‘hard’ tofu but anything labelled as ‘classic’ or simply ‘firm’ will not be robust enough. A good way to tell if you’ve got the right kind is the packaging. Extra firm tofu is almost always sold in a vaccuum sealed bag (because it is dense enough to hold its shape and not break apart when transported and handled). By comparison, softer types of tofu (like silken) will typically be packed in a hard plastic tray with a peel-off plastic liner on top. If you’re new to the world of tofu, check out this great tofu guide from Serious Eats.
Once you’ve got your hands on the right kind of tofu, you’re off to the races! All the other ingredients in this recipe are your standard pantry staples or regular produce items. No more vegan secret tricks from here on in I promise hehe.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Balanced and Nutritious: With healthy fats from the avocado, protein from the tofu, wholegrain carbs from the brown rice plus fresh herbs of cilantro this is a very balanced lunch bowl. You could even add some leafy greens or shredded carrot if you wanted to make it even more veggie-packed.
- Quick and Easy: Ready in just 15 minutes, making this shredded tofu bowl is super easy when you need a quick lunch or light dinner.
- Versatile: You could easily make this into a high-protein, vegan friendly brunch by dolloping the shredded tofu-avocado mixture onto a bagel or some sourdough toast instead of brown rice.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s a list of what you’ll need to make your own Shredded Tofu & Avocado bowl at home. You’ll find the specific quantities for each ingredient listed in the recipe card at the bottom of this post, but for your convenience, here’s a shopping list of everything you’ll need:
- Extra firm tofu
- Avocado
- Soy sauce
- Red onion
- Mayonnaise
- Seaweed Snacks
- Brown rice (I used Minsley’s Organic brown rice microwave bowl to make this even easier)
- Lemon
- Chilli Flakes
- Cilantro
- Sushi ginger
- Sesame seeds
Storage
This recipe is best enjoyed fresh, so eat immediately. The avocado will slowly start to turn brown once it has been mashed, and although in theory it is safe to eat if kept refrigerated, it just doesn’t look very appealing.
If you enjoyed this recipe, Iād be thrilled if you could leave a star rating and review! Donāt forget to tag me in your photos on Instagram @glowdiaries___ so I can see and share your creations. Iām sure @sezzy.brown would also love to see it too, so feel free to tag us both! I hope you love this quick and easy lunch.

Shredded Tofu Avocado Bowl
Ingredients
- 1-2 tbsp olive oil
- 300 g extra firm tofu finely shredded
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 avocado
- 1/2 red onion finely diced
- 3 tbsp cilantro finely chopped
- 1 lemon juiced
- 3-4 tbsp mayonnaise plant-based
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes optional
- pinch of salt
To serve
- 2 packs roasted seaweed (nori) snacks
- 2 serves cooked brown rice
- Sushi ginger
- Sesame seeds
- Cilantro
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a medium size frypan. Add the shredded tofu and sauce sauce. Cook for 7-10 minutes over medium heat, stirring regularly, until golden.
- Halve the avocado and remove the pit and skin. Add the avocado to a large mixing bowl with finely diced red onion, cilantro, lemon juice, mayonnaise, salt, red pepper flakes (optional). Mash with a fork until mostly smooth.
- Add the cooked shredded tofu to the avocado mixture and stir to combine.
- Divide the brown rice into bowls to serve, then scoop the tofu-avocado mixture on top. Garnish with sushi ginger, sesame seeds and extra cilantro.
- Serve immediately with seaweed snacks which can be used to scoop up the mixture.
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