White Kimchi & Crispy Tofu Rice Bowl

White Kimchi & Crispy Tofu Rice Bowl

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Author:

Sharon Flynn

This bowl is all about balance—crispy edges meet cooling kimchi, warm rice meets cold vegetables, and rich sesame meets bright citrus. Rice bowls like this - covered with various pickles, kimchi's and krauts have been a go-to meal. It's nourishing, doesn't weigh you down, and as easy as making a sandwich (particularly if you are practiced at washing, soaking and cooking rice). Cook more rice than you need and refrigerate to cook with over the week. This one requires a little more work but not much. 

Ingredients

For the bowl:

• 2 cups cooked short-grain rice (day-old is perfect)

• 300g firm tofu, pressed and cubed

• 1 cup white kimchi, chopped

• ¼ cup white kimchi brine

• 1 avocado, sliced

• ½ cucumber, ribboned with a peeler

• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

• 2 spring onions, sliced

• Nori sheets, torn

• Sesame oil for frying and drizzling over the top

Quick sesame dressing:

• 2 tablespoons sesame oil

• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar

• 1 tablespoon white kimchi brine

• 1 teaspoon soy sauce or tamari

• ½ teaspoon honey or maple syrup

• Pinch of salt

Directions

1. Make the dressing: Whisk all dressing ingredients together and set aside.
2. Crisp the tofu: Pat tofu cubes very dry with paper towel. Heat 2 tablespoons sesame oil in a non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add tofu in a single layer (don't crowd the pan) and cook without moving for 3-4 minutes until golden. Flip and cook another 2-3 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towel.
3. Assemble bowls: Divide warm rice between two bowls. Drizzle each with a little white kimchi brine and a touch of sesame oil.
4. Top it: Arrange crispy tofu, white kimchi, avocado, cucumber ribbons, and spring onions on the rice.
5. Finish: Drizzle with sesame dressing, sprinkle with sesame seeds and torn nori.

Variations:

1. Add a soft-boiled egg (6-minute egg is perfect)

2. Toss in edamame or sugar snap peas

3. Add leftover grilled salmon or chicken

4. Scatter with microgreens or shiso leaves

5. For extra crunch, add some pickled radish or bean sprouts

6. Make it vegan: Our White Kimchi is not vegan - so change it for our Vegan kimchi and skip the honey in the dressing and use maple syrup instead.

Recipe Note

NOTE ON RICE: 

The Health Benefit:

When you cook rice (or pasta, potatoes, etc.) and then cool it in the fridge, some of the digestible starch transforms into resistant starch through that retrogradation process. This type of starch "resists" digestion in your small intestine and instead acts more like fiber.

Why this matters:

1. Lower glycemic impact - Cooled and reheated rice causes a smaller blood sugar spike than freshly cooked rice. Some studies show the glycemic index can drop by as much as 10-15%.
2. Prebiotic benefits - Resistant starch feeds the beneficial bacteria in your gut (just like the fiber in fermented foods!). It gets fermented in your large intestine, producing short-chain fatty acids that support gut health.
3. Better satiety - You feel fuller for longer because resistant starch digests more slowly.
4. Fewer absorbable calories - Because some of the starch isn't fully digested, you actually absorb slightly fewer calories from the same amount of rice.
5. Improved insulin sensitivity - Regular consumption of resistant starch may help improve how your body handles blood sugar over time.

The bonus: The resistant starch remains even when you reheat the rice! So your fried rice or rice bowl gets both the textural benefits AND the health benefits.

How to maximize it:

• Cook rice, let it cool completely
• Refrigerate for at least 12-24 hours
• Reheat gently (though even high-heat cooking preserves much of the resistant starch)
• 
  

This is particularly brilliant for those of us interested in gut health and fermentation—it's another way to support your microbiome alongside all those lovely probiotics from kimchi, natto, and other fermented foods!

The Science:

1. Drier grains - Fresh rice is quite moist. When refrigerated overnight, the surface moisture evaporates, leaving you with drier, firmer grains that won't turn mushy when stir-fried.
2. Starch retrogradation - As rice cools, the starch molecules recrystallize (a process called retrogradation). This makes each grain firmer and more separate, rather than sticky and clumped together.
3. Better texture - Those separated, drier grains mean you get individual pieces of rice that can crisp up slightly when fried, rather than a gluey mass. This creates that proper fried rice texture with distinct grains.
4. High-heat friendly - Lower moisture content means the rice can develop that slightly crispy, toasted edge without steaming. You get much better "wok hei" (that smoky, charred flavour from high-heat cooking).

Practical tips:

• Spread cooked rice on a tray to cool before refrigerating—this prevents condensation from making it soggy
• Break up any clumps with your hands before using
• Day-old rice that's 1-2 days old is ideal; beyond that it can get too dry and hard
• If you need to use fresh rice, spread it on a tray and let it cool completely, then refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours

When it matters most:

• Fried rice (essential!)
• Rice bowls where you're adding moisture on top
• Dishes where you want distinct rice grains

When fresh rice is fine:

• Serving rice plain alongside curries or stews
• Risotto-style dishes
• When you want fluffy, soft rice

So in this tofu rice bowl recipe, day-old rice gives you better texture and helps the grains stay distinct when you drizzle the kimchi brine and dressing over top however I often just use gorgeous and hot rice straight from the cooker. YUM. 

White kimchi's delicate, refreshing character is perfect for this —use our Fermentary White Kimchi which is also available in subscription boxes and online!