A satisfying rainbow of vegetables, perfect for a quick midweek dinner
Hello again friends! Today, we will be bringing to you one of our favourite weekly staple meals: Rainbow Veggie Dinner Bowls! We make some variation of this recipe every week to stock our fridge with easy grab-and-go meals. We have both been confined to working from home for the last few months due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. At the beginning we were always excited to prep something new for lunch every day. Let’s say that the novelty of cooking lunch from scratch while constrained to a 30-minute lunch break has worn off. Now, we thrive on convenience. Instant noodles, whilst delicious and filling, are not the healthiest option. Lately we have been gravitating towards these veggie dinner bowls for improved nutrition and far less sodium.
We love these veggie dinner bowls because they are easily adaptable to whatever ingredients you have available (or are trying to get rid of). You will be amazed by the beautiful and rich colour combinations of the ingredients. The visual appeal of this dish is unmatched by anything I have made for dinner. You can adjust the seasonings, sauces, and flavours of the dish to your taste. Feel free to leave out what you don’t like or add more of what you enjoy.
A couple of staples that we always have on hand
Yams
Purple yams, Japanese yams, orange yams, you name it! We always have a couple lying around in our pantry. You can swap for whatever starchy vegetable you have available. Yams are preferred because they are a bit more nutritious and of course, the beautiful purple or orange colours do wonders for visual appeal.
Beets
Although they can be a bit dirty and off-putting to buy fresh at the market, the payoff is worth the sacrifice. I will cook them off the same day I bring them home from the market so the dirt doesn’t stick around plus they keep well in the fridge all week once cooked. Beets are cheap, and so simple to cook off on your own so it’s worth giving it a try. Make sure to check out our detailed guide for cooking beets.
Cauliflower Rice
The texture of real rice without all of the extra carbs! This rice alternative works great in these dinner bowls. We buy it pre-made in the frozen isle or pick up a few non-refrigerated packs. Our favourite brand is Earthly Choice. We love being able to store it in our pantry instead of the fridge! Cauliflower rice can be painstaking to make from a head of cauliflower. The cost of the pre-made product is not more expensive than buying it fresh anyways, so I recommend going the lazy route for this component.
Kale
I absolutely love kale. It is so simple to prepare and like the beets, it keeps well in the fridge so you can add it to your meals throughout the week. You don’t need to do anything fancy to it and it’s not finicky to cook. Simply blanche in some boiling water until it turns bright green and viola!
Zucchini
For those who are late to the party, we don’t eat noodles anymore, we eat ZOODLES! A great way to cut down on carbs, and add texture to this meal. Zoodles are easily made with a zucchini spiralizer and cooked by simply in the microwave for one minute. Couldn’t get any easier than that!
Sauce
The last essential ingredient to making a satisfying and flavourful dinner bowl. I use this component to get creative and bring unexpected flavours to the dish. You can use any style of dressing you like! Some of the ones I have made in the past include: Korean-inspired Gochujang sauce, an earthy Indian turmeric and lemon dressing, Japanese ginger and miso sauce, lemon poppy seed sauce, the list goes on and on and the possibilities are endless!
Turn your leftovers into something delicious!
This recipe works great with whatever leftover protein you have in the fridge. Pictured below, you will find a variation of this featuring our favourite cauliflower rice from Earthly Choice and a leftover batch of spicy-sweet miso-glazed chickpeas in place of yams.
To finish off this dish, I always garnish with whatever fresh soft herbs we have on hand. Green onions are a mainstay in our fridge and we have a planter of them on the balcony so they are added to everything. Cilantro or dill adds freshness. Any soft and fragrant herb will pair well. I would skip adding parsley, as it tends to overpower the dish. Lastly, sprinkle sesame seeds on top for restaurant-quality presentation. Remember, the camera eats first!
A go-to lunch for your busy week
These rainbow veggie dinner bowls are great because they keep on giving throughout your busy week! Each individual component can be added to another dish or served on the side with a different meal. We like to use the leftover beets to make a quick side salad with feta cheese, arugula, balsamic vinaigrette, and sunflower seeds. The zoodles and kale can be added to soups and stir frys. I love having these cooked items in the fridge as it makes it easier to incorporate plenty of nutrient dense vegetables into your diet.
We hope you enjoy this meal idea! Dinner bowls are always in our weekly meal plan, so we experiment with new flavour combinations frequently. Please leave us a comment to let us know if you make it and what substitutions work for you! Happy cooking, friends!
Rainbow Veggie Dinner Bowls
Equipment
- Air Fryer
- Instant Pot
- Steamer basket accessory for InstantPot
- Zucchini Spiralizer
Ingredients
- 2 small yams
- 2 beets medium sized
- 1 bundle kale
- 1 zucchini medium sized
- 1 package cauliflower rice
- dill or cilantro optional, to garnish
- green onions optional, to garnish
Ginger Miso Sauce
- 2 tbsp freshly grated ginger
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1½ tbsp white miso paste
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp tahini
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp water optional, to thin sauce
Instructions
Yams
- Preheat Airfryer or conventional oven to 400°F
- Wrap yams tightly in parchment paper and cook in Airfryer on 'Airfry' setting for 35-40 mins. The baking time is the same If you are using a conventional oven. Yams are done when a toothpick can be easily inserted all the way through.
Beets
- Cook beets in the InstantPot on high for 30 mins using the steamer basket accessory. Use quick release function once cooking is done. Rinse with cold water and peel skins with a vegetable peeler. Chop into cubes and set aside until ready for assembly. If you have never cooked beets before, please refer to our detailed blogpost for cooking beets which includes the full instructions.
Kale
- Wash kale thoroughly with cold water. Remove leaves from stems. The stems can be discarded*.
- Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil.
- Roughly tear kale into bite-sized chunks.
- Add all of the kale leaves into the pot and wait about 1 minute until the leaves turn bright green. Carefully remove kale from the water using tongs and transfer into a dish. Set aside until ready for assembly.
Zoodles & Cauliflower Rice
- Use a zucchini spiralizer to create zoodles. If you don't have this tool, cut the zucchini into long, thin slices.
- Add raw zoodles to a microwave-safe serving dish along with the pre-made cauliflower rice. Microwave for 1 minute, until both components are tender.
Ginger Miso Sauce
- Combine ginger, garlic, miso paste, rice vinegar, tahini, sesame oil, soy sauce, and maple syrup into a small mixing bowl and whisk together.
- Add a teaspoon of water to thin out the sauce if it becomes too thick.
Assembly
- Arrange the kale, beets, and yams in the serving bowls on top of the zoodles and cauliflower rice, ensure each component is visible.
- Drizzle sauce over the veggies, and garnish with green onions and your favourite soft herbs. Enjoy!
Notes
- The kale stems can be saved to use in a home-made vegetable stock! Please refer to my veggie stock post for the full instructions.
- Microwaving the zoodles keeps their texture firm. Cooking too long can cause the zucchini to turn mushy. I find one minute in the microwave yields the perfect texture and cooks both the cauliflower rice and zoodles.
- For the cauliflower rice, I use the Earthly Choice brand.
- Works great with my spicy-sweet miso glazed chickpeas for extra protein! Pair with my recipe for lemon ginger sauce to complement the flavours.
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