Vegan Broccoli and Bulgur Lunch Bowls
Tomorrow is my birthday, so I should be talking about cake but here I go talking about vegan bulgur bowls instead. I didn't have time to bake a cake this weekend because my lovely mother came for a semi-surprise visit so instead of baking, we did fun things like go for long walks through Prospect Park. (I did have time to make a big ol' batch of banana pudding though and it was deeeeelish. More on that soon.)
Back to the bulgur bowls. I often have reverse beach body syndrome. Instead of thinking uh oh, summer's coming, I should slim down! I think, wow, I ate soooo much ice cream and sooo many hot dogs this summer, I need to detox! So now that Labor Day has passed, I've been trying to cut back on all my burrito-filled lunches and Danish-filled breakfasts. My skin has never looked better and -- those urban legends about how eating better gives you more energy to get to the gym? Totally true.
Now the question is how long this can last.... I pawned off most of the banana pudding to Can, Mom, Rich and Dan. Buuut birthday cake....
I got this recipe from SMITTEN KITCHEN. I made some very small adjustments, so please check out her original work and give her some well-deserved love.
Vegan Broccoli and Bulgur Lunch Bowls
- 1 cup bulgur
- 2 cups water
- salt, pepper
- 2 sweet potatoes
- 1 lb broccoli
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 teaspoons sesame seeds
- 1 Tablespoon fresh ginger
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 Tablespoons white miso paste
- 2 Tablespoons tahini
- 1 Tablespoon honey
- 4 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons sesame oil
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
Cooking Directions
- Combine bulgur and water in a small saucepan. Season well and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to simmer and cook until water is gone, about 10 minutes. Turn off heat, stir to fluff and set aside.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Peel sweet potatoes and cut into 1/2 inch cubes. Cut florets off of broccoli into bite-sized portions. Using a vegetable peeler, peel broccoli stem well and then cut into 1/2 inch cubes. Combine sweet potatoes and broccoli in a large bowl. Season generously with salt and pepper. Pour 1/4 cup olive oil over the vegetables. Toss to coat and then spread onto baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for about 20 minutes, until edges crisp up and center of sweet potatoes is soft when pierced with a fork. You might want to toss veggies once halfway through cooking.
- For the dressing, start by giving ginger and garlic a good chop. Combine this with remaining ingredients (miso, tahini, honey, vinegar, oils) in a food processor and puree to combine.
- To serve, divide bulgur into four bowls. Top with 1/4 of the roasted veggies and 1/4 of the dressing. Finally, sprinkle with a good pinch of sesame seeds.
