Roasted Veggie Grain Bowl Recipe, Plant-Based Protein, Healthy

• Food: Roasted Veggie Grain Bowl

• Writer: Alice

• Content-Type: Food Blog

This recipe for a veggie grain bowl meets all the requirements: it features a scoop of sauerkraut for flavor, loads of vegetables, a colorful sauce, and plant-based protein!

When I write about meal planning or how to make quick, simple dinners during the week, I frequently advise prepping ingredients on Sundays in large quantities.

Although I appreciate this strategy, I’m trying something a little different this week. I’m going to start with one meal, this delicious, simple Roasted Veggie Grain Bowl, and then use the same ingredients to create a different dinner every night for five nights so that each new meal builds on the prior one.

This page contains a recap of the entire week.

MAKING A FANTASTIC VEGGIE GRAIN BOWL

Since all good grain bowl recipes depend on ingredients, a grain bowl was an obvious choice to start our meal plan week.

I first used them in this recipe for a grain bowl and then incorporated other combinations of them into other dinners throughout the week. These are the groupings of components I started with:

• I use quinoa as a grain. It has a powerful punch of plant-based protein and is naturally gluten-free.
• Chickpeas are a staple plant-based protein that I use. You can welcome roast them for more crunch.
• Pesto made with kale and pepitas is a delicious sauce.
• Fresh vegetables: For an unexpectedly sweet variation, I top this bowl with roasted cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and parsnips.
• Sauerkraut gives this nutritious quinoa bowl a pickled, acidic flavor.
• Add some pepitas for crunch on top as an extra!
• Tonight, add these ingredients to the recipe for a grain bowl.
• After that, incorporate them in various ways into the other recipes in the meal plan throughout the week.

VARIATION IN RECIPES

This recipe for a grain bowl is one that I enjoy including in my five-day meal plan, but you can also use it as a guide to creating your own grain bowl at home. Consider the following categories when you create your own bowl:

• Use quinoa, or experiment with farro, white or brown rice, cauliflower rice, wheat berries, or millet as a grain!
• Protein: Consider baked tofu, tempeh, lentils, or black beans. Try adding a poached or fried egg to your bowl if you’re not vegan!
• A tasty sauce: Tahini sauce, basil pesto, cilantro lime dressing, peanut sauce, chipotle sauce, and chipotle sauce are all options.
• Any type of raw or roasted vegetable is welcome in a grain bowl! Depending on the flavor profile you want, combine various vegetables. Try grilling corn, sweet potatoes, bell peppers, cabbage, cherry tomatoes, and other vegetables.
• A pickle: My favorites are pickled onions and jalapenos.
• For crunch, I like to add nuts and seeds, but feta cheese and fresh herbs are also delicious additions.

Tell me which variations you try!

VEGGIE GRAIN BOWL

A quick, wholesome meal or make-ahead lunch is this grain bowl with roasted vegetables. For suggestions on how to alter it to fit your needs, see the page above!

INGREDIENTS IN VEGGIE GRAIN BOWL

GRAIN(MAKES EXTRA):

• 1 cup raw quinoa, rinsed
• 1 3/4 cups water

CREAMY KALE PEPITA PESTO (MAKES EXTRA):

• 1/2 cup pepitas (or shelled raw pistachios)
• 2 small garlic cloves
• 1 packed cup chopped kale
• 1 packed cup cilantro, more for garnish
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, water, and maple syrup or honey

ROASTED VEGETABLES:

• 2 parsnips, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
• florets from 1/2 cauliflower
• 1/2 bunch broccolini
• 1 1/2 cups halved Brussels sprouts

PROTEIN:

• 1 (14-ounce) can of chickpeas, drained & rinse, use ¼ cup per bowl, save the extra

PICKLE:

• scoop of sauerkraut

EXTRAS:

• a sprinkle of toasted pepitas

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Set two baking sheets with parchment paper in the oven and preheat it to 425 degrees.
2. Make the quinoa initially. To a medium pot, add the rinsed quinoa and water. It should be heated to a boil, then covered, and simmered for 15 minutes. Take it off the heat and let it rest covered for an additional 10 minutes. With a fork, fluff. I used a generous 1/2 cup per bowl, which will make about 3 cups.
3. Make the sauce following. Pepitas, garlic, kale, cilantro, lemon juice, sea salt, pepper, extra virgin olive oil, water, and maple syrup or honey should all be added to a blender and blended until smooth.
4. The vegetables are then roasted. Put the cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and parsnips on a single large baking sheet. On the second baking sheet, arrange the broccolini. Spread the vegetables evenly on the sheets after tossing them with a drizzle of olive oil and a few grinds of salt and pepper to coat. 20 to 25 minutes of roasting time, or until the edges of the cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and parsnips are golden brown. For 10 to 12 minutes, or until soft, roast the broccolini. Broccoli stems should be chopped once they are cool to the touch.
5. Scoop quinoa into bowls, add the roasted veggies, around 1/4 cup of chickpeas, a scoop of sauerkraut, and sprinkle with pepitas. Apply sauce in a drizzle. If needed, add more salt and pepper to taste before serving. Although the entire recipe makes four bowls, I combined these ingredients into two and preserved the remainder for tomorrow’s dinner.
6. In the refrigerator, keep any leftover quinoa, sauce, and chickpeas.