Vegetarian Bento Box

this vegetarian bento box has all sorts of goodies: marinated tofu, sesame hazelnut furikake on rice and plenty of vegetables (pickled, marinated, sauteed and roasted!), with chocolate for dessert! 

past me is writing this earlier than i usually would because i'm busy eating ice cream and picking up a sanded trashcan in la this weekend. meaning i will definitely be needing a vegetarian bento box (or at the very least, more vegetables period) in my system.

this bento box was inspired by the autumn bento that laughing planet was featuring a few years ago, full of ginger-soy tofu, kale, pickled beets / daikon / pears / carrots, curry roasted squash, jasmine rice, orange-sesame miso sauce and sesame hazelnut gomasio. it's a mouthful, so i tried to pare down the number of veggies + the amount of time it'd take to put together such a beast. in the end, here's what's up in this version:

• marinated tofu
• garlicky cucumbers
• quick-pickled daikon (when in doubt i add pickled vegetables to all my lunches apparently)
• roasted butternut squash with thai curry paste
• lemongrass sauteed kale
• sesame hazelnut furikake on steamed rice
• chocolate optional (but is it really?)

still too much for you? feel free to buy marinated tofu (think trader joe's or ranch 99), pickled daikon and furikake (try mitsuwa), and your bento box will come together quicker.

5 from 4 votes

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Vegetarian Bento Box

Prep Time

1 hr

Cook Time

20 mins

Total Time

1 hr 20 mins

 

This vegetarian bento box is a colorful lunch idea with plenty of veggies, and it's perfect for meal-prepping!

Course: Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: Asian

Keyword: butternut squash, cucumbers, daikon, dairy-free, egg-free, furikake, garlic, ginger, green onions, hazelnuts, kale, pickles, quick pickles, radish, rice, scallions, seaweed, sesame seeds, squash, tofu, vegetables, vegetarian

Servings: 2 people

Calories: 725 kcal

Ingredients

Marinated Tofu

• 1" knob ginger peeled and minced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• 1 T sesame oil
• 8 oz block tofu cubed

Garlicky Cucumbers

• 1 cucumber thinly sliced
• 1 T chili garlic sauce

Pickled Daikon

• ½ medium daikon peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 T white vinegar
• 1 T granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Curried Butternut Squash

• ½ butternut squash peeled and cubed
• 1 T Thai curry paste
• 1 T canola oil

Sauteed Kale

• leaves from 1 bunch kale
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1" knob ginger peeled and minced
• 1 T minced lemongrass

Sesame Hazelnut Furikake and Assembly

• ½ T sesame seeds
• 2 T shredded nori
• 2 T toasted hazelnuts chopped
• ¼ teaspoon coarse sea salt
• ½ teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 cup cooked rice

Instructions

Marinated Tofu

1. In a shallow container, combine everything. Mix the tofu occasionally while it marinates in the fridge (preferably overnight, though 30+ minutes works too).

Garlicky Cucumbers

1. Mix everything in a medium bowl.

Pickled Daikon

1. Mix everything in a medium covered container (I like using an old jam or pickle jar). Let marinate for 15-20 minutes, or preferably overnight. These are good for a month in the fridge.

Curried Butternut Squash

1. Whisk the curry paste and oil until homogeneous (there should be no chunks of curry paste). Toss with the squash, then spread on an oiled sheet tray.
2. Roast at 450F for 15-20 minutes, or until fork-tender.

Sauteed Kale

1. Heat a bit of oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
2. Add everything with a pinch of salt, then saute until the kale is wilted.

Sesame Hazelnut Furikake

1. Mix the sesame seeds, nori, nuts and salt in a small bowl to combine.

Assembly

1. Using a bento box (or whatever shallow and flat resealable container you want), divvy up the tofu, cucumbers, pickled daikon, squash, kale and rice. Drizzle the sesame oil over the rice and sprinkle with the furikake.

Recipe Notes

Don’t feel like cold tofu? Feel free to pan-fry it to get it crispy on all sides, then toss it in the sauce before packing it.

You can add turmeric to your daikon if you want- it adds a nice yellow color (and turmeric is supposedly super good for you). I’d suggest starting small (ie ¼ teaspoon or ½ tsp) if you’re feeling wary.

Note that calorie information does not include chocolate.