Honey Sesame Tofu with Roasted Shishito Peppers and Green Beans - A plant-based, cilantro-brown rice bowl with sesame green beans and roasted shishito peppers. A sweet and spicy, healthy tofu bowl recipe.
I recently discovered shishito peppers. You know, those little green peppers that generally come bagged together? They aren’t super spicy, but have a bit more kick when compared to bell peppers. They say 1 in 10 peppers is super spicy, but I have yet to eat one I couldn’t handle. And that’s saying something! I’m a bit of a wimp when it comes to spicy foods...
I wanted to come up with a recipe that really made these shishito peppers shine. And since they are of Asian descent, I wanted to highlight them with tofu and other Asian-inspired flavors. So here you have Honey Sesame Tofu with Roasted Shishito Peppers and Green Beans.
Hi there! Below you’ll find affiliate links to great products that we enjoy using in our own kitchen.
This simple Asian-inspired recipe features sweet and salty crispy tofu, cilantro rice and blistered shishito peppers and green beans. It’s a great weeknight dinner meal and it’s completely plant-based!
Ready to make this Honey Sesame Tofu with Roasted Shishito Peppers and Green Beans? Let’s go!
1 - Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and Press out tofu: Getting more liquid out makes for crispier tofu. I like to put my tofu blocks between two towels and set a cutting board with my cast iron (or other heavy objects) on top and let it sit for at least 15 minutes. Once the tofu is pressed, cut into about 1-inch cubes or triangles. Get more tofu tips here.
2 - Cook Rice. Combine rice and water in a medium pot, bring to a boil and let simmer until liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender, about 45 minutes. Then remove the cooked rice from heat, season with salt, pepper, and cilantro.
3 - Marinate tofu. Combine soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, garlic, ginger and pepper in a large bowl. Add tofu cubes and marinate at least 15 minutes. Don’t discard the marinade. While the tofu is marinating, prep the green beans and shishito peppers.
4 - Bake tofu. Arrange tofu in a single layer on a lined baking sheet. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the tofu is golden brown and crispy. Flip after 15 minutes.
5 - Roast green beans. In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, garlic and red pepper flakes (optional). Arrange green beans on another lined baking sheet, drizzle the soy sauce mixture over the green beans (I used about 2 tablespoons for the green beans and reserved the rest to drizzle over the rice).
Roast green beans for 15 minutes. Once cooked, sprinkle with sesame seeds and transfer to a bowl to keep warm.
6 - Roast shishito peppers. Spread out peppers on a lined baking sheet (I use the same one I used for the green beans), coat peppers in olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 5-7 minutes.
7 - Serve. Combine cilantro rice, crispy tofu, sesame green beans and roasted shishito peppers in serving bowls. Drizzle rice with remaining marinade and/or green bean sauce, garnish with sesame seeds and more cilantro. Enjoy!
Honey Sesame Tofu with Roasted Shishito Peppers and Green Beans: Tips, Tricks and Tools
Eco-Friendly Tools: You’ll need a few tools for this recipe including a couple lined baking sheets, a medium pot, and mixing bowls.
Extra firm tofu: Look for organic extra firm tofu, as it will make for crispier tofu.
Tofu 101: Check out our post all about tofu. And our post on how to make perfectly crispy tofu.
Shishito Peppers: The seeds and veins of peppers are what give them their spice. Shishito peppers aren’t usually super spicy, but I would recommend cutting off the tops of the peppers and removing the seeds. When eating these peppers, I usually bite up to the top of the pepper and then pull off the top — the seeds usually come off this way. You can also cut off the tops, but you may be left with lots of seeds.
We hope you love this Honey Sesame Tofu with Roasted Shishito Peppers and Green Beans!
- A delicious plant-based meal that’s packed with fiber
- A great weeknight meal that comes together in under an hour
Love this simple tofu recipe? Check out our other delicious Tofu recipes like our Spicy Cashew Zucchini Noodles or Black Bean Tofu Bowl.
Did you enjoy this Honey Sesame Tofu with Roasted Shishito Peppers and Green Beans as much as we do?
Comment below! And rate the recipe to let us know how it turned out! Not cooking today? Save this Honey Sesame Tofu with Roasted Asian Vegetables for later by pinning it to your Vegan Dinner Recipes Board and make sure to tag us at The Crooked Carrot Instagram to show us your Honey Sesame Tofu with Roasted Asian Vegetables creations!
"The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it." - Robert Swan
📖 Recipe
Honey Sesame Tofu with Roasted Shishito Peppers and Green Beans
Ingredients
Crispy Tofu
- 1 (14 ounce) package tofu
- 4 tablespoons soy sauce or coconut aminos / tamari
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 2-3 cloves garlic minced
- 1-inch knob ginger grated
- pepper to taste
Cilantro Rice
- 1 cup brown rice
- 2 cups water / broth
- ½ cup cilantro roughly chopped
- salt + pepper to taste
Sesame Green Beans
- 12 ounces green beans
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce or coconut aminos / tamary
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 clove garlic
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
Roasted Shishito Peppers
- 8 ounces shishito peppers
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- salt + pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Prep tofu: Wrap tofu in a tea towel, place a cutting board or baking sheet on top of the tofu and place something heavy (dutch oven, cans, etc.) on top to press the liquid out. Let it rest this way for at least 10 minutes. Cut tofu into 1-inch cubes.
- Cook rice: Combine rice and water in a medium pot, bring to a boil and let simmer until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, about 45 minutes. Remove from heat, season with salt and pepper, then stir in cilantro.
- Marinate tofu: Make sure you’ve pressed the liquid out of the tofu first! Then, combine soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and pepper in a large bowl. Add tofu cubes and let marinate at least 15 minutes. Don’t discard the marinade!
- While the tofu is marinating, prep the green beans and shishito peppers.
- Bake tofu: Arrange tofu in a single layer on a lined baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes, flipping after 15 minutes.
- Prep green beans: Combine soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, garlic and red pepper flakes (optional) in a small bowl. Arrange green beans on another lined baking sheet, drizzle sauce over beans (I use about 2 tablespoons and reserve the rest for drizzling over the rice). Roast green beans for about 15 minutes. Once cooked, sprinkle with sesame seeds, and transfer to a bowl and keep warm.
- Roast shishito peppers: Spread out peppers on a lined baking sheet (I use the same one I used for the green beans), coat peppers in olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 5-7 minutes.
- Combine cilantro rice, crispy tofu, sesame green beans and roasted shishito peppers in serving bowls. Drizzle rice with remaining marinade and/or green bean sauce, garnish with sesame seeds and more cilantro. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Some of the links above are affiliate links. This means that should you purchase something through the link, The Crooked Carrot will receive a small commission. The item cost remains the same regardless of whether you purchase through our link or not. Any commission earned simply helps us continue to provide all our great content to you. From seasonal recipes to simple nutrition insights & sustainable zero waste tips, we have lots more to give!
Heather Doyle says
This was excellent. The tofu was super flavorful and all the elements combined to make this a not too sweet, spicy, tasty dish. Highly recommend - although I may try with jasmine rice next time, but there will be a next time!
Libby Bloom says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it Heather! Love your idea of having it with jasmine rice too!