Fall Harvest Tofu Sweet Potato Bowl

This fall-inspired tofu sweet potato bowl is the kind of meal that reminds you how satisfying plant-based eating can be. Each layer offers something special: baked tofu, sautéed kale and sweet potato, farro for satisfying chewiness, and a maple-turmeric vinaigrette that ties everything together with a zesty golden glow.

Hearty enough for dinner, but also works beautifully for make-ahead lunches during the fall season.

Baked tofu bowls with sweet potatoes and kale in white bowl with yellow napkin.

There’s something deeply comforting about settling into seasonal routines, and fall meals like this one help us do just that. These tofu sweet potato bowls are satisfying, flavorful, and and ideal when you're craving something warm and grounding.

You can prep the tofu, grains, and sauce in advance and then assemble when you're hungry. (Your future self will thank you for the options.)

Looking for more seasonal recipes to make this fall? Try my Sweet Potato Casserole, Minestrone Stew with Butternut Squash, or Warm Roasted Vegetable Quinoa Salad.

More bowl ideas:

You can also find a full collection of salads and bowls here.

Baked Tofu Harvest Bowls with sweet potato and kale in white bowls with yellow napkin.
Crispy baked tofu on a sheet pan.

I usually bake tofu for about 30 minutes total, or until the edges are golden brown and slightly crispy.

Once the tofu is cooked, take it out of the oven and set aside while you make the rest of the bowl components.

Next, whisk the sauce.

Just whisk oil, apple cider vinegar, cumin, turmeric, maple syrup, soy sauce, and garlic powder and you're good to go.

Then, sauté the vegetables:

First, heat oil in a 12-inch fry pan that has a lid.

Stir in onion and ginger and cook 5 minutes, or until the onion is translucent.

Stir in sweet potatoes, cover the frypan with the lid, and cook 10 minutes, stirring every few minutes or so. Add additional oil and adjust the heat on the burner as needed to prevent the vegetables from burning or sticking to the pan.

Sweet potatoes in frypan.

After 10 minutes, or whenever the sweet potatoes are softened and beginning to brown on the edges, stir in kale and cook 5 more minutes.

In the end, the sweet potatoes should be tender and cooked all the way through, and the kale will be wilted and darker in color.

It'll look something like this:

Sweet potatoes and kale in a frypan.

Once the veggies are cooked, all the main components of these Baked Tofu Bowls are finished, but I also like to add a couple of optional toppings to seal the deal: toasted pecans and dried cherries.

How to Make Toasted Pecans:

I like to prep the toasted pecans ahead of time so they're already ready to go for bowls, oatmeal, and snacks. You can also toast the pecans right before you make the crispy tofu.

Just preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit first.

Then, spread pecan halves on a rimmed baking sheet and bake about 7 minutes, or until they have a strong, nutty aroma. Check the nuts often in the final minutes. They can burn easily.

Serving

Now, each component of these Baked Tofu Harvest Bowls is ready to go and it's time to assemble.

Divide the cooked farro, sautéed sweet potatoes and kale, and tofu pieces between bowls. Drizzle with sauce and garnish with toasted pecans and dried cherries or cranberries if you want. (Trust me, you want.)

Assembling is where you can really let your creativity shine. Your bowl doesn't have to look exactly like mine.

Baked Tofu Bowls with sweet potatoes and kale in white bowl with cream napkin.

Making Ahead

I love these Baked Tofu Bowls for meal prep. You can cook the entire recipe in advance and store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week.

If you don't want to make the whole thing ahead of time, but still want to make this weeknight-friendly, prep some of the parts in advance. You can make the tofu, farro, sauce, and pecans up to a week ahead of time if you want.

Looking for more tofu recipes? Try these.

📖 Recipe

Baked Tofu Bowls with sweet potatoes and kale in white bowl with cream napkin.

Fall Harvest Tofu Sweet Potato Bowl

Stephanie McKercher, RDN
These Baked Tofu Harvest Bowls are the cozy, plant-based meal your fall table has been waiting for. Packed with nourishing textures and flavors—from baked tofu and caramelized sweet potatoes to hearty kale and chewy farro—each bowl is finished with a golden maple-turmeric dressing and crunchy pecans. This recipe is a celebration of autumn produce, bringing together warm spices and comforting ingredients that feel just right for cooler weather.
5 from 2 votes
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course dinner, lunch
Cuisine vegan, vegetarian
Servings 4 people
Calories 640 kcal

Equipment

  • 12-inch fry pan with lid

Ingredients
  

Baked Tofu:

  • 1 block extra firm tofu, drained, pressed, and sliced into 2-inch pieces (see note)
  • 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
  • 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon maple syrup
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Farro:

  • 1 cup dry pearled farro (see note)

Sauce:

  • ¼ cup grapeseed oil
  • 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • 2 teaspoons maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon soy sauce or tamari/liquid aminos
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder

Vegetables:

  • 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil or as needed to coat pan
  • ½ cup diced onion (¼ large)
  • 1- inch piece ginger, grated
  • 3 cups chopped sweet potatoes (about 2 medium chopped into 1-inch pieces)
  • 1 pound kale, chopped
  • Salt and pepper

Optional toppings:

  • Toasted pecans or walnuts
  • Dried cherries or cranberries

Instructions
 

Prepare baked tofu:

  • Preheat the oven to 450 degrees fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
  • Whisk grapeseed oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce, maple syrup, garlic powder, and black pepper.
  • Brush the sauce onto the tofu pieces, reserving some sauce for serving if desired.
  • Spread the tofu pieces in a single layer on the baking sheet. Transfer to the center rack of the oven and bake 30 minutes, flipping halfway through, or until golden brown.
  • Remove from the oven and set aside.

Prepare farro:

  • Add farro to a pot with 3 cups water. Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes, or until tender. Drain any excess liquid and set aside.

Prepare sauce:

  • In the meantime, whisk grapeseed oil, cider vinegar, cumin, turmeric, maple syrup, soy sauce, and garlic powder. Set aside.

Prepare vegetables:

  • Heat grapeseed oil in a 12-inch fry pan with a lid. Stir in onion and ginger and cook 5 minutes, or until onion is translucent. Stir in sweet potatoes, cover, and cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add additional oil and adjust the heat as needed to prevent vegetables from burning or sticking to the pan.
  • After 10 minutes, or once the sweet potatoes are softened, stir in kale and cook 5 additional minutes, or until sweet potatoes are tender and kale is wilted. Turn off the heat and set aside.

Serve:

  • Divide baked tofu, cooked farro, vegetables, and sauce between bowls. Garnish with toasted pecans and dried cherries if desired.

Notes

Tofu Note: Pressing tofu removes the liquid it's packaged with and improves the final texture. Read my tutorial, How to Press Tofu, if you haven't done this before.
Farro Note: Pearled farro cooks faster than whole farro. You can use any type of farro for this recipe, just note that the cooking time will vary. Reference the cooking instructions on your package of farro for more information. 
To toast pecans: Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and spread pecans on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake 7 minutes, or until they have a strong, nutty aroma. Toast pecans up to a week in advance.
Gluten-free variation: Substitute brown rice for farro. Substitute gluten-free tamari or liquid aminos for soy sauce.
Meal prep: Make Crispy Tofu, farro, and sauce up to five days in advance if desired.
Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days.

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9 Comments

    1. Hi Kelley, I haven't tested this, but I think it would freeze well! Let me know if you try it. Hope you enjoy the recipe 🙂

    1. Hi Marianne, there are 640 calories per serving, including the baked tofu that's linked here. Thanks!

  1. Love the colors of your food! Great recipe! I'm also trying to switch to a healthier lifestyle and started to mine for healthy recipes like yours. Also, I started a marathon training with SportMe, and I managed to get rid of some pounds. Your blog posts are super inspiring for me in this phase, thanks!

  2. 5 stars
    What a gorgeous bowl! I love that is starts with baked tofu-- what a great veg protein. Love the veggies in it too.