We love a meal that serves up lots of healthy ingredients in every bite, and this one has been a go-to in our house for years. I especially love it for lunches – one batch and I have a week’s worth (if it’s just me).
Start with grains
The bowl starts with hearty grains. Quinoa or brown rice are great, but you could sub in farro, barley, bulgur, or any other preferred grain.
Add roasted vegetables
Top them with a variety of perfectly roasted and seasoned vegetables. Since this a simple dish, it’s important to ensure each ingredient, especially the veg, is cooked and seasoned properly. It makes a difference!
Our favorites are sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, carrots, and red bell pepper. This mix offers a nice variety of color, flavor, and texture. Sometimes I’ll roast some onion and asparagus, too.
You could also throw in cauliflower, broccoli, zucchini, yellow squash, etc. It’s up to you, your taste buds, and what’s in season – experimenting is part of the fun! Just be sure to adjust roasting times, as more tender choices, like asparagus, won’t take as long as denser vegetables, like sweet potatoes. You may need to give some a head start and add others later on.
Mix in black beans
To the grain and vegetables, we add black beans for an additional boost of protein and fiber. You could also use other legumes, like lentils or small red beans. Chickpeas would work, too. Again, it’s entirely up to you and your preferences.
[If you’re not going the vegan/vegetarian route, try mixing in a lean protein. Roasted chicken is excellent in this dish.]
Top with curry mustard sauce
Atop this feast for the eyes and taste buds is an amazing curry mustard sauce. It’s the secret to the flavor and it only takes three ingredients: vegan mayo, yellow mustard, and curry powder. BAM!
Many times, I end up making a bigger batch of the curry mustard sauce. It never seems to last.
For garnish, sliced green onions, chopped chives, or chopped parsley are nice finishes. Toasted, sliced almonds are good, too. The options are endless.
And that’s it – simple food prepared with care. It’s delicious, full of healthy ingredients, and easy to customize to your liking. Enjoy!
Powerhouse Grain and Veggie Bowl
Ingredients
For the grain bowl
- 2 cups cooked quinoa or brown rice
- 1 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
- ½ lb. Brussels sprouts, halved remove the stem end and tough, outer leaves
- 2 medium-sized carrots, peeled and diced
- ½ lb. sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into one-inch chunks
- 1 large red bell pepper, diced
- olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- Sliced green onion, chopped chives, or chopped parsley for garnish optional
For the sauce
- ½ cup vegan mayonnaise we use Hellman's plant-based mayo
- 4 tsp. yellow mustard
- 2 tsp. Madras curry powder or regular curry powder
Instructions
Roast the vegetables
- Preheat oven to 400℉.
- Add the Brussels sprouts, carrots, sweet potato chunks, and red bell pepper to a sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat, then season with salt and pepper.
- Place the vegetables in your preheated oven and roast for about 30 minutes, or till the vegetables are tender, but not mushy. You should be able to pierce them with a fork easily, but they shouldn't fall apart.
- Remove the vegetables from the oven and layer the black beans on top, then mix them together. This will help warm the black beans.
Prepare the curry mustard sauce
- While the vegetables are roasting, whisk the vegan mayo, yellow mustard, and curry powder together in a small bowl until thoroughly combined. Set aside (or refrigerate if you're making it ahead of time).
Assemble the bowls
- Add a â…“ cup of the cooked quinoa or brown rice (warm it up if needed) to a bowl. Top with a generous scoop of roasted vegetables and black beans.
- Top each bowl with a dollop of curry mustard sauce and garnish with sliced green onion, chopped chives, or chopped parsley.