Buddha bowls, grain bowls, power bowls, BOWWWLLLLSSSSS! Whatever you call ’em, it seems like super healthy bowls packed full of veggie deliciousness are all the rage right now. And for good reason! They are super flavorful, incredibly healthy, and super easy to make. Bowlz for lyfe!
The idea of posting a bowl recipe is a bit tricky, because the whole concept behind an awesome bowl is that you use what you have. When I make a power bowl, I usually just take whatever veggies I have kicking around the kitchen, roast them, and then put them on a bed of whole grains (farro, quinoa, freekeh, brown rice, whatever!). I then usually top the whole thing with either a lemon tahini sauce (if I’m feeling vegan) or a runny egg (because a runny egg makes everything better). Bowl. Done.
I really hope you’ll head to your kitchen and have fun experimenting with whatever flavors and textures you want to put together into a bowl, but if you’re looking for a little bowlspiration, I have a great one for you—Cauliflower and Quinoa Power Bowls.
There is (obviously) a whole lot more in these than just cauliflower and quinoa, but if I tried to put all the ingredients into the title, you’d have to scroll for an hour just to get to the recipe. Cauliflower, Cabbage, Onion, Spinach, Chickpea, Pepita, Quinoa Bowls with Lemon-Tahini Sauce just doesn’t really roll of the tongue, ya know?
There are a lot of parts to this bowl, which would make you think it’d be a two hour long adventure, but the whole thing comes together in less than 45 minutes. This bowl is the perfect example of how you can make your kitchen work for you.
Your oven roasts the veggies while your stove cooks the quinoa while you mix up the sauce. It’s multitasking without feeling like you’re running around like a mad woman. And, at the end, you get a delicious bowl of good-for-you veggies and grains!
Of course, this recipe is just a jumping off point. If you don’t like cabbage, leave it out. Only have kale instead of spinach? Cool! Want to swap in honey for maple syrup? That’ll work, too. Don’t let the fact that there is a recipe listed below squelch your creativity. Go forth and bowl it up, kids!
Cauliflower and Quinoa Power Bowls
These vegan Cauliflower and Quinoa Power Bowls pack a serious nutritional punch, and they aren't short on flavor, either!
Ingredients
For the Quinoa:
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 cup quinoa
For the Veggies:
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 small head cauliflower, cut into bite-sized florets
- 1/4 head red cabbage, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 large onion, cut into slices
- 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 4 cups fresh spinach
- Raw pepitas, for garnish
For the Tahini-Lemon Sauce:
- 1/3 cup tahini
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1-2 tablespoons water, to thin
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°.
- In a medium-size saucepan, combine the vegetable broth and quinoa. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to low, cover, and simmer until the broth is absorbed and the quinoa is tender—about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and leave covered while you finish preparing the bowls.
- While the quinoa is cooking, prepare the veggies by whisking together the olive oil, cumin, garlic powder, chili powder, and salt and pepper in a small bowl.
- Place the cauliflower, cabbage, onion, chickpeas, and spinach onto a large baking sheet. Drizzle the olive oil mixture over top of all the veggies. Then roast in preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, or until all the veggies are tender and begin to brown.
- Meanwhile, whisk together all the ingredients for the sauce, thinning as necessary with water.
- To assemble bowls, spoon quinoa into the bottom of a bowl, top with the veggies, then drizzle with the sauce. Garnish with pepitas.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1 servingAmount Per Serving: Calories: 606Total Fat: 36gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 27gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 908mgCarbohydrates: 56gFiber: 15gSugar: 13gProtein: 25g
At Wholefully, we believe that good nutrition is about much more than just the numbers on the nutrition facts panel. Please use the above information as only a small part of what helps you decide what foods are nourishing for you.
