Can I just say, “Yum!”. I love bowls. They’re a great way to add vegetables, protein, complex carbs, flavors, and all. And so versatile to meet everyone’s needs and palate, so easy to add or omit an ingredient. And the homemade dressings with these bowls take them to the next level. Adjust as you wish and enjoy!
Butternut Squash Taco Bowl
As with all bowls, you can tailor this bowl as you wish using the ingredients you choose. The first time I made these bowls, I used salsa and avocado for the ‘dressing’. I then went back and created the lime cilantro dressing below. Personally, I really like the lime cilantro addition. The flavors of all blended very well together – delicious!
Ingredients:
1 pound butternut squash, peeled & cubed
1-2 15 ounce cans black beans, drained & rinsed (if using black beans as your protein source, use 2 cans; if adding another protein source, 1 can likely sufficient)
6 cups mixed greens
Tomatoes, chopped
Red onions, chopped
Black olives, sliced
Cilantro, chopped
Avocado, cubed
Jalapenos
Salsa
Lime wedges
Spritz of avocado oil
For the Lime Cilantro Dressing
1 cup fresh cilantro
1 garlic clove
¼ cup fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons maple syrup or honey
½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Make it creamy (optional - choose one):
1 avocado OR
½ cup yogurt (non-dairy or dairy based)
Directions:
Spritz the butternut squash with avocado oil and chili powder and then either place in the air fryer or bake in oven at 400 degrees F until fork tender, approximately 20 minutes.
While the squash is cooking, chop the tomatoes, red onion, olives, cilantro, and avocado.
Blend the ingredients together to make the lime cilantro dressing.
Assemble the bowls with the various ingredients.
Spicy Salmon Bowl
Simply the name already has me interested. I’ve made this bowl several times using both raw and cooked vegetables, depending on what I have on hand and what sounds appealing to the family. In the picture above, I added roasted cauliflower. And the Trader Joe’s Chili Crunch seasoning on the salmon provides just the amount of kick that my family likes.
Adapted from Delish.
Ingredients:
For the salmon
1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup chili garlic sauce (I’ve used the Trader Joe’s Chili Crunch and did not add any additional oil)
Juice of 1 lime
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 4-ounce pieces salmon fillets
For the quick pickled cucumbers
1/2 cup rice vinegar or rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
3 Persian cucumbers or 1 large English cucumber, thinly sliced
For the bowls
Cooked brown rice
1 avocado, sliced
2 medium carrots, grated
1-2 cups cabbage, shredded
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
Cilantro leaves, torn
Sesame seeds
Furikake seasoning
Sriarcha
Directions
Prepare salmon: Preheat oven to 400° and line a large baking sheet with foil. In a medium bowl, whisk together soy sauce, olive oil, chili garlic sauce, lime juice, and garlic. Add salmon and gently toss to combine. Place on prepared baking sheet and bake until salmon is fork-tender,10-15 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare pickled cucumbers: In a microwave-safe bowl or jar, add vinegar, sugar, and salt and microwave until sugar and salt are dissolved, about 2 minutes. Stir in sesame oil, then add cucumbers and shake to combine. Cover with a tight-fitting lid or plastic wrap until ready to use.
Assemble bowls: Divide rice among 4 bowls. Top with salmon, pickled cucumbers, avocado, carrot, red onion, cilantro, sesame seeds, and any other desired topping.
Build Your Own Buddha Bowl
I always love vegetables, but in this bowl, I also really enjoyed the poached eggs and the tangy carrot ginger dressing.
Adapted from Cookie and Kate.
Ingredients:
2-4 cups brown rice/quinoa blend, cooked
4-8 poached eggs
1 ½ cups shelled edamame
1 ½ cups trimmed and roughly chopped snap peas
4 cups chopped cabbage
4 cups roasted broccoli, or steamed
1 ½ cups cucumber, thinly sliced
½ cup green onions, thinly sliced
1 avocado, sliced
Furikake seasoning
1 cup carrot ginger dressing
For the Carrot Ginger Dressing
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup rice vinegar
2 medium carrots, washed and roughly chopped
2 tablespoons peeled and roughly chopped fresh ginger
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 teaspoons honey
1 ½ teaspoons toasted sesame oil
¼ teaspoon Himalayan salt
Directions:
Cook the rice/quinoa. I used a blend so doubled the water. Bring to a boil and then add the rice/quinoa, reduce to simmer and cook for 20 or so minutes until soft.
Roast the broccoli in the oven at 400 F or air fryer. Spritz with avocado oil and toss. Cook 10-20 minutes until a bit crisp and fork tender.
Steam or microwave the edamame until hot.
Chop the vegetables – snap peas, cabbage, cucumbers, green onions.
Make the carrot ginger dressing. In a blender, combine all of the salad dressing ingredients and blend until smooth.
Assemble the bowls as you desire and drizzle with carrot ginger dressing & enjoy!
Greek Chicken Bowl
This bowl recipe all started with some freshly picked lemons. You could make this bowl as a salad or light with cauliflower rice or include a heartier complex carb, such as quinoa, brown rice, or wild rice. If desiring a plant-only bowl, you can omit the chicken and use more chickpeas.
Ingredients:
For the chicken:
1 pound chicken breast
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon red chili flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
For the bowls:
Tomatoes, chopped
Cucumbers, chopped
Mixed greens
Chickpeas, rinsed and drained
Purple onion, chopped
Kalamata olives, sliced
Avocado, cubed
Optional: feta cheese
For a base beyond the greens, you could use cauliflower rice, quinoa, brown rice, etc.
For the lemon dill dressing:
½ cup tahini
1 cup fresh dill
¼ cup lemon juice
1 garlic clove
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
½ - 1 cup water, adjust for desired thickness
¼ teaspoon Himalayan salt
If desiring a prepared dressing, you could use Trader Joe’s Vegan Creamy Dill Dressing (my only ‘beef’ with that dressing is that they use canola oil; not the worst, but not the best)
Directions:
1. In a bowl, combine the yogurt, olive oil, cubed chicken, garlic, oregano, chili flakes, and a large pinch each of salt and pepper. Let marinate for 15 minutes at room temperature or up to overnight in the refrigerator.
2. Preheat the oven to 425° F. Arrange the chicken on a baking sheet. Bake 15 minutes, toss and bake another 5-10 minutes, or until cooked through. Switch the oven to broil. Broil 1-2 minutes, until the chicken chars on the edges. You could also cook the chicken on the stove or air fryer.
3. Meanwhile, chop the bowl toppings you wish to include, such as cucumbers, tomatoes, onion, olives, and avocado. If using canned chickpeas, rinse and drain.
4.Prepare the lemon dill dressing. Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. If needed, add water to thin the sauce as desired. Season to taste.
5. To assemble, add lettuce to a bowl. Top with chicken, chickpeas, vegetables, avocado, feta cheese, and any other desired toppings. Drizzle dressing over the top.
I really enjoyed preparing and consuming these 'bowls'. I certainly hope you do as well. And if you have a bowl recipe that you'd like to share, please send my way.
In Health,
Natalie