Watermelon Hot Honey Tofu Halloumi Couscous Bowls (Vegan)
Fresh summery and vibrant, these Watermelon Hot Honey Tofu Halloumi Couscous Bowls are the perfect meal prep recipe and are a great plant-based, gluten-free meal high in fibre and protein.
Welcome back to day 4 of my mini series all about grain bowls. These vibrant summery bowls are so perfect as they are so simple to make but taste so good. They are really refreshing with cubes of watermelon and a simple lemony dressing. The best part has to be the tofu “halloumi” which turns love and crispy in the air fryer while keeping a soft and tender middle. Use this tofu recipe for other bowls, or to go on top of pasta dishes, it’s so tasty.
Why will I love these bowls?
These bowls are so good:
- Nourishing, wholesome and so delicious
- Vibrant, crunchy and refreshing
- Perfectly summery
- Ideal for hotter days
- Can be made ahead of time
- Ideal for meal prep
- Fresh simple summer flavours
- With a plant-based alternative to hot honey halloumi
- Using tofu and maple syrup
- With giant couscous as the base
- Or you can use another grain too
- Gut-healthy (miso and range of veggies)
- A great source of plant-based protein
- High in fibre
- Naturally egg-free, dairy-free and vegan
- Easily gluten-free and nut-free
- Great way to use up fresh watermelon
- Ready in 15 minutes
- Makes a great lunch or light dinner
If you already love the sound of these bowls, then skip ahead to the recipe card below. Or, first let’s discuss the recipe in more detail.
What ingredients do I need?
You can see the ingredients with weights in the recipe card below and see my favourite and recommended products in the “shop the recipe” section.
For the tofu halloumi:
- Firm tofu: I love firm not extra-firm here for a softer inside texture.
- White miso paste: this adds fermented goodness. Simply dissolve it in warm – not hot – water.
- Extra virgin olive oil: use a good quality EVOO for the best flavour and nutritional benefits.
- Apple cider vinegar: for tang and it’s great for gut health, too.
- Maple syrup: for the hot “honey” element.
- Nutritional yeast: this adds the cheesiness of halloumi.
- Lemon: for tang.
- Dried herbs: oregano, garlic and chilli flakes.
- Salt and pepper: to season.
As for the salad:
- Giant couscous: I love this shape, it’s so good to use in salads and cooks in about 8 minutes on the hob.
- Watermelon: the fresher the better.
- Cucumber: this adds freshness.
- Avocado: for creaminess.
- Pistachios: for some added crunch.
- Pumpkin seeds: these are rich in zinc and magnesium and add a great crunch.
- Baby spinach: to add some iron and green goodness.
And to make the dressing:
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Lime: for tang (or you can use lemon).
- Taijn: or use chilli flakes and some salt.
- Maple syrup
Are these gluten-free and nut-free?
To make this recipe gluten-free, use GF couscous or another grain and to make this nut-free, leave out the pistachios.
How do I make these?
These bowls are ready in a few steps:
- Prepare the tofu marinade: in a large shallow dish.
- Pat the tofu dry and chop into cubes: and add to the dish.
- Toss the tofu in the marinade: and leave for 20 minutes (or up to 2-3 days in the fridge, sealed).
- Add the cubes to a tray and air fry for 15 minutes: until golden and sticky. Or you can cook them in a large frying pan.
- Cook the couscous: about 8 minutes.
- Chop up the salad components: and add to a bowl.
- Whisk the salad dressing ingredients: and season to taste.
- Plate up the salad and top with all of the veggies and fruits, the tofu and nuts/seeds: and pour over the dressing.
How long will they last?
These bowls will keep well for 2-3 days in the fridge (in a sealed container). I like to add my baby spinach on the day of eating so it doesn’t wilt.
What other recipes can I try?
For more bowl meals:
- Chickpea Smashed Cucumber Quinoa Bowls with Satay Sauce
- Edamame Hummus and Lemon Tofu Buckwheat Bowls
- Cashew Kale Quinoa Bowls with Crispy Tofu
- Mediterranean Rice Bowls with Chickpeas
- Mango Tofu Quinoa Salad
Watermelon Hot Honey Tofu Halloumi Couscous Bowls (Vegan)
Fresh summery and vibrant, these Watermelon Hot Honey Tofu Halloumi Couscous Bowls are the perfect meal prep recipe and are a great plant-based, gluten-free meal high in fibre and protein.
Ingredients
For the Tofu Halloumi:
- 200g firm tofu, cubed
- 1 tbsp warm water
- 1 tsp white miso paste
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- ½ lemon, juiced
- Herbs: 1 tsp dried oregano, ½ tsp garlic powder, ¼ tsp chilli flakes
- Salt and black pepper
For the Couscous Salad:
- 100g giant couscous
- ½ small watermelon, cubed
- ½ cucumber
- 1 avocado, sliced
- 30g pistachios, chopped
- 30g pumpkin seeds
- 2 large handfuls baby spinach
For the Dressing:
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- ½ lime, juiced
- ½ tsp tajin or ¼ tsp chilli flakes
- ½ tsp maple syrup
Instructions
- Start with the tofu halloumi. Pat the tofu dry and cut into cubes about 2-cm in size. For the marinade, whisk the water and miso until dissolved and pour into a shallow dish. Add in the extra virgin olive oil, apple cider vinegar, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, oregano, garlic, chilli flakes and season with salt and pepper. Whisk to combine.
- Place the tofu cubes into the marinade and gently flip them all over so they are evenly coated. You can now cover and leave this for 20 minutes or up to 2 hours to marinade in the fridge. This will keep for 2-3 days in the fridge.
- To cook the tofu, spread onto a baking tray and air fry for 15 minutes, until golden crispy. You can also cook them in a frying pan, with some extra olive oil.
- For the couscous salad, add the couscous to a pan of boiling water and cook for 8 minutes or according to packet instructions and then rinse under cold water.
- Slice the cucumber in half lengthways and scoop out the seeds in the middle (you can eat these now) and then thinly slice. Prepare the watermelon and avocado, too.
- Combine the dressing ingredients and whisk to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
- When ready to eat, add some spinach to the bowls and then the couscous. Add on the watermelon, cucumber, avocado and the tofu halloumi. Sprinkle over the pistachios and pumpkin seeds and then pour over the dressing. toss to combine and enjoy.
- Keep leftovers in a sealed container for 2-3 days (best to keep the spinach separate if you can as it will wilt over time).
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Stay in touch
I look forward to hearing what you think of these Watermelon Hot Honey Tofu Halloumi Couscous Bowls so please let me know in the comments below and leave a star review above. If you do make these rolls, I’d love to see, so please tag me, I’m @nourishing.amy on Instagram and use the hashtag #nourishingamy. I’m also on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest – please say hello!
With watermelon love x
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