Why You’ll Love This Modern Bowl Recipe
The Modern Bowl is now discontinued at Cactus Club and if you haven’t had a chance to order it, it’s a delicious and nutritious meal! I got so many requests (sometimes from the same followers on my TikTok) because it’s just THAT memorable. Here are the reasons why you should try this bowl!
It’s a healthy, balanced meal: The bowl includes a variety of veggies, including cauliflower, broccoli, cucumber, and greens, as well as protein-rich tofu, and a flavorful dressing made with miso and ginger.
It’s customizable: You can adjust the recipe to suit your personal tastes or dietary restrictions. For example, if you don’t like tofu, you could use a different protein source such as chickpeas or tempeh.
It’s a restaurant-quality meal that you can make at home: If you’re a fan of Cactus Club’s Modern Bowl, making it at home allows you to enjoy it anytime you want, without having to go out to a restaurant.
It’s a fun, creative way to experiment with new flavors and ingredients: The bowl includes a variety of different components, from the tangy pineapple salsa to the savory miso carrot ginger sauce. Making this recipe can be a fun way to explore new flavors and cooking techniques.
Overall, making Cactus Club’s Modern Bowl at home can be a satisfying and delicious way to enjoy a healthy, flavorful meal that is also customizable to your preferences.
How To Make This Modern Bowl Recipe
To make the Cactus Club Modern Bowl at home, you’ll need to prepare several components:
Grilled Glazed Tofu: Cut firm tofu into cubes and grill until browned on all sides. Then, toss with a soy glaze made with soy sauce, maple syrup, rice vinegar, and gochujang.
Tabbouleh: Combine chopped parsley, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, green onion, cilantro, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
Pineapple Salsa: Combine diced pineapple, red onion, cilantro, lime juice, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
Roasted Cauliflower and Broccoli: Toss cauliflower and broccoli florets with olive oil, salt, and pepper, then roast in the oven until tender and golden brown.
Fresh Greens Salad: Toss mixed greens with a sherry vinaigrette made with sherry vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Jasmine Rice: Cook jasmine rice according to package instructions.
Miso Carrot Ginger Sauce: Blend cooked carrot, ginger, garlic, miso, and olive oil in a blender or food processor until smooth.
To assemble the bowl, start with a base of jasmine rice, then add the grilled tofu, tabbouleh, pineapple salsa, roasted cauliflower and broccoli, and fresh greens salad. Drizzle with miso carrot ginger sauce and sprinkle with cilantro and grape tomatoes. The full recipe is below!
Modern Bowl Recipe Tips
Grilled Glazed Tofu: Press the tofu to remove excess water before grilling to achieve a firmer texture. Be careful not to overcook the tofu as it can become too dry. I tried this a few different ways and it’s best to lightly submerge the tofu in the glaze and then add more glaze after it’s been on the grill for a few minutes. This allows it to create the sear marks without burning it.
Tabbouleh: Use a sharp knife to finely chop the parsley and other ingredients to ensure that they are evenly distributed throughout the dish.
Pineapple Salsa: Use fresh, ripe pineapple for the best flavour, but frozen works really well too! I used a mix of both and if you use the frozen one, make sure you use it as soon as it defrosts or it loozes the colour. If you prefer a spicier salsa, add diced jalapeno or chili flakes.
Roasted Cauliflower and Broccoli: Make sure to cut the vegetables into similar-sized pieces to ensure even cooking. Don’t overcrowd the baking sheet to ensure that the vegetables roast evenly.
Fresh Greens Salad: Use a mix of your favorite greens, such as arugula, kale, and spinach, for added variety. I usually buy mine from Costco and it’s a good mix of everything. Dress the salad just before serving to prevent it from becoming soggy.
Jasmine Rice: Rinse the rice before cooking to remove excess starch and achieve a fluffier texture. Use a rice cooker or follow the package instructions to ensure perfectly cooked rice.
Miso Carrot Ginger Sauce: Adjust the amount of miso and ginger to suit your taste preferences. If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of water to thin it out.
The Modern Bowl Recipe
Ingredients
Makes 2 Bowls
Soy-Glazed Tofu
- 1 block extra firm tofu, pressed and cut into slices
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons gochujang
- 1 tablespoon oil for grilling
Tabouleh
- 2 cups parsley, finely chopped
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, diced
- 1 cup cucumber, diced
- 1/3 cup green onion, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon fine kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 Cup Cooked Quinoa or Wheat Bulgar
Pineapple Salsa
- 2 cups fresh pineapple, diced
- 1/2 red onion, finely diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Carrot Ginger Miso Dressing
- 3/4 cup carrot, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon miso paste
- 1 Cup of cauliflower, cut into florets
- 1 Cup of broccoli, cut into florets
- 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil
- Salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste to taste
- 2 Cups of Rice, Cooked as per package instructions
- 1 Cup of Mixed Greens
- 1 Cup of Grape Tomatoes, halved
- Green Onion for Garnishing
- Cilantro for Garnishing
Instructions
There is a large number components to this recipe. My suggest is to cook in the following order:
Cook rice according to package directions. Then roast the vegetables because it takes the longest to cook and prepare the pineapple salsa, tabouleh, carrot ginger miso sauce and sherry vinaigrette set them aside. You can also prep all of those components ahead of time and they can be made in any order. Cook the tofu last to ensure it’s hot and then put together the dish with the rice and put all the components together with the mixed greens, grape tomatoes and garnishes.
Roasted Vegetables
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Toss the cauliflower and broccoli florets with olive oil in a large bowl.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Spread the vegetables out on a baking sheet in a single layer.
- Roast for 20-25 minutes or until tender and golden brown, flipping the vegetables halfway through.
- Remove from the oven and serve as a side dish or as part of a larger meal.
You can also add additional seasonings or spices to the vegetables, such as cumin or paprika, to add more flavour.
In a large bowl, combine chopped parsley, diced cherry tomatoes, diced cucumber, thinly sliced green onion, and chopped cilantro.
In a separate small bowl, whisk together olive oil, kosher salt, and black pepper to make the dressing.
Pour the dressing over the salad and toss until everything is evenly coated.
Let the salad sit for 10-15 minutes to allow the flavors to meld together.
Serve chilled or at room temperature, and enjoy!
Note: If you prefer a more traditional tabouleh salad, you can substitute the cilantro for an equal amount of chopped mint.
Pineapple Salsa
