Delicious bowls of goodness
I love a meal in a bowl.
From a simple dhal, curry or chili beans on brown rice, to a serve of cooked grains topped with fridge fixings, ‘bowls’ are a versatile meal option.
The formula
Start with a layer of cooked grains on the bottom of the bowl. Top with protein, vegetables and a something to give it a bit of zing, like tang, texture or a sauce. Choose a theme or cuisine to tie all the elements together.
Think of old favourites like poke’ and dragon bowls as a template.
The elements
From the bottom to the top!
Grain inspiration:
- Quinoa
- Barley
- Farro
- Millet
- Rice: white/brown/long or short grain/wild/mixed, steamed or ‘soupy’ (congee link)
- “Cauliflower rice” (grain-free)
Protein possibilities:
- Tofu
- Tempeh
- Legumes
- Chicken
- Beef
- Fish
- Eggs
- Nuts
- Felafels/veggie nuggets
Prep your veg:
- Raw
- Blanched
- Steamed
- Roasted
- Pickled
- Spiralised
Add some zing:
- Toasted seeds, nuts or something crispy for texture
- Nori
- Sauces – green goddess, mayo (plain or spiked, eg with garlic, smoked chilli or wasabi), miso, tahini, sambal, harissa
![](https://gillstannard.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/A9DCAB7B-68C1-421B-9127-924290CFCA15_1_105_c-300x225.jpeg)
quinoa greens tofu almonds…now add a sauce
Themes
If you’re stumped for inspiration, choose a theme or cuisine to bring it all together. Take short cuts. It doesn’t have to be authentic.
Dragon bowl – with kim chi and Korean flavours or go the whole hog and make bibimbap with a fried egg and gochujang sauce. (This sheet pan vegetarian bibimbap is super simple!)
Poke´- Hawaiian/Japanese, usually with sushi style fish, avocado, salad vegetables, nori or furikake – served with soy sauce and tamari
Mexican/burrito bowl – spicy chilli beans, guacamole, grated carrot, corn, salsa topped with crumbled corn chips
Scandinavian – gravalax smoked or pickled fish, boiled eggs, beetroot, pickled cucumber apple, and sprinkle with lots of dill! Sauces – horseradish or lingonberry.
Japanese – traditional soba noodle, sushi rice or cooked okaya-style for a warmer option, topped with tamari soused bonito, traditional Japanese pickles, omelette, toasted nori and sesame seeds (or furikake).
Chinese – braised shitake mushrooms, spring onions, ginger and silken tofu, or poached chicken, pickled vegetables and coriander.
Spring – blanched asparagus, boiled eggs, radish with green goddess dressing.
Autumn – roasted root vegetables, crispy tempeh, miso tahini dressing.
Leftovers – what’s in the fridge? Barbecued/roast meat or veg, chilli beans, boiled eggs, lentil bake, pickles, avocado, sambal, kimchi, roasted peanuts, satay sauce…
Fussy eater bowls – put an array of toppings on a platter, with a few sauces or condiments on the side. Give each person a bowl of cooked grain and let them create their own. Pro tip: cooked grains can be frozen into portion sized serves, then steamed or microwaved to serve. If you have a member of your household who doesn’t like rice, quinoa etc make a batch of what they like and freeze extra portions for next time.
Need more ideas for a meal in a bowl? Check out the Bowl collection from Delicious.
What’s your favourite bowl?
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