Veggie Bowl Recipes (Vegan & Oil-Free)
These simple 15-minute Veggie Bowl Recipes are perfect for a quick lunch or dinner in a hurry. Different variations can even be prepared ahead of time to eat throughout the week when you don’t have time to meal plan.
I don’t really think of this dish as a recipe, because it’s so customizable. Definitely not a one-size-fits-all kind of meal.
We love veggie bowls because they’re…
- Easy to make
- Packed with nutrients
- Super healthy
- Completely satisfying
- Customizable
- Crunchy
- Delicious
Most of the time, I like to make my bowls super simple with things like brown rice, steamed broccoli, broccoli slaw, shredded carrots, chickpeas, crushed peanuts, and a simple tahini sauce. However, this vegan bowl recipe can have any number of variations according to what’s in the refrigerator at any given moment.
Veggie bowl options
- Grains: rice, bulgur, quinoa, farro, buckwheat, millet, or other grain. This article Cooking Healthy Grains might be helpful.
- Beans: chickpeas, edamame, peas, lentils, black beans, or others
- Greens: broccoli, kale, spinach, arugula, etc
- Vegetables: cauliflower, sweet potatoes, asparagus, radishes, pea pods, carrots, bean sprouts, shredded cabbage, peppers, tomato, you get the picture.
- Other: tofu, tempeh, soy curls, hummus, nuts, seeds, cilantro, avocado, whatever
- Dressings: tahini sauce, peanut sauce, miso dressing, ginger dressing, tzatziki sauce, endless possibilities
There are lots of different grains to choose from, but most of the time I make mine with brown rice or bulgur.
Although bulgur is not as well known as other grains like rice, barley, and quinoa, it is by far my favorite due to its versatility. I’ve written an entire article about why I love this particular grain so much. How to Cook Bulgur & Recipes.
Grains help control our weight by keeping us full for longer, so adding a little rice, bulgur, quinoa, or other grain to your veggie bowl is an excellent idea.
The recipe card at the bottom of the page has the full list of ingredients with measurements and instructions.
Veggie bowl sauces
I like all kinds of dressings for vegan rice bowls. The main thing I’m concerned about is how easy they are to make. These are some of my favorite simple sauces to use.
- Tahini Sauce
- Sweet and Sour Sauce
- Teriyaki Sauce
- Creamy Peanut Sauce
- Chipotle Sauce
- Orange Miso Dressing
- Sweet Sesame Ginger Sauce
- Oil-Free Tangy Vinegar Sauce
For these veggie bowls, I’ve included this super simple Tahini Sauce, but you really can choose any of the ones listed above that you prefer.
How to make tahini dressing for veggie bowl recipes
This lemony tahini dressing really is easy to make with only a few ingredients, bowl, and whisk.
Simply add all ingredients except the water to a medium-sized bowl and whisk together.
Slowly add in water and whisk until creamy and pourable. If the mixture seems stiff at first, continue to whisk and add small amounts of water at a time until smooth and creamy.
It keeps in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
A full list of ingredients, measurements, directions, and print button can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this page.
Great uses for tahini sauce
- falafel sauce
- salad dressing
- pasta sauce
- veggie bowls
- roasted vegetables
- marinade
- dip for veggies
- burger & sandwich topping
Whichever combination of ingredients and sauce you decide to use in your healthy veggie bowl, rest assured your arteries and cells are saying, “Thank you!”
For those of you new to the whole food plant-based lifestyle, we’ve created a FREE 7-Day Plant-Based Menu Planner to help you get started!
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If you try this recipe, please let us know how you like it by rating it and leaving a comment. We love to hear from you!
Veggie Bowl Recipes
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked brown rice or other grain bulgur, quinoa, etc
- 2 cups broccoli florets
- 1 cup shredded broccoli
- 1/2 cup shredded carrots
- 1 cup cooked chickpeas or other bean
- crushed peanuts or other seeds or nuts, optional
- 1 cup tahini sauce ingredients below
Tahini Sauce
- 1/3 cup tahini paste
- 1/3 cup water
- 1/3 cup lemon juice
- 1-2 tablespoons maple syrup or other sweetener optional
- 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic optional
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric optional
- sriracha sauce or other hot sauce optional
Instructions
- Cook grain according to package instructions. I love to use leftover rice or bulgur that is already in my refrigerator. Another option is to buy the brown rice in boil-in bags that can be cooked on the stove top in about 10 minutes.
- Steam broccoli in microwave or on stove top. I steam mine in the microwave by placing florets in microwave safe bowl, adding approximately 4 Tbsp of water, and cooking on high for 3 minutes.
- To assemble, place cooked rice or other grain in medium serving bowl with cooked broccoli or other vegetables of choice. Roasted cauliflower or sweet potatoes work well too.
- Add cooked beans if using. Normally, I used chickpeas in my veggie bowl, but any beans you have onhand will be fine. Some favorites are edamame, peas, lentils, black beans, or others.
- Add shredded broccoli, carrots, other vegetables, crushed peanuts.
- Drizzle tahini sauce over top and serve!
Tahini Sauce
- Add all ingredients except the water to a medium-sized bowl and whisk together.
- Slowly add in water and whisk until creamy and pourable. If the mixture seems stiff at first, continue to whisk and add small amounts of water at a time until smooth and creamy.
- Keeps in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
Video
Notes
Veggie bowl options
- Grains: rice, bulgur, quinoa, farro, buckwheat, millet, or other grain. This article Cooking Healthy Grains might be helpful.
- Beans: chickpeas, edamame, peas, lentils, black beans, or others
- Greens: broccoli, kale, spinach, arugula, etc
- Vegetables: cauliflower, sweet potatoes, asparagus, radishes, pea pods, carrots, bean sprouts, shredded cabbage, peppers, tomato, you get the picture.
- Other: tofu, tempeh, soy curls, hummus, nuts, seeds, cilantro, avocado, whatever
- Dressings: tahini sauce, peanut sauce, miso dressing, ginger dressing, tzatziki sauce, endless possibilities
Nutrition
Disclaimer
To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
About Terri Edwards
Hi guys! I am the content creator behind EatPlant-Based and a licensed Food for Life instructor with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. I am passionate about sharing healthy recipes and tips to empower others to get healthy. I’m so glad you’re here! Read More…
This is just my kind of meal 🙂 I have a tahini sauce I love really much as well – tahini, apple cider vinegar, tamari, water, ground coriander and ginger, garlic powder, and a pinch each of white pepper and cayenne pepper! So yummy. I love it over potatoes too :3 Thank you for sharing, I’m always up for more inspiration 🙂 Have a lovely day <3