Creamy Balsamic Veggie Nourish Bowls

Creamy Balsamic Veggie Nourish Bowls are delicious and so easy to meal prep. This recipe is super flexible, pop in your favourite mix of veggies, grain and protein. The creamy balsamic dressing brings it all together!

So I have this thing with bowl food, not unlike a lot of other people who are #obsessed I know! But there’s no denying that creating a colourful bowl can be a fun way to enjoy a lot of nutritious food. The more variety and colour you get in there, the better they tend to look. And that means more colourful healthy veggies for you! Mixed up with wholegrains and protein, nourish bowls are pretty easy to develop into a wonderfully satisfying, balanced meal.

These Creamy Balsamic Veggie Nourish Bowls cram in a rainbow of veggies, whole grains and some seeds for crunch. The balsamic dressing is of course, the mega delicious essential element! Back in London, I was addicted to a particular salad sold by a store near my office building. The thing that always got me was the amazing balsamic dressing in there. Not just tangy and blended with olive oil like your typical dressing, this one was thick and kind creamy (in a GOOD way). Turns out, it’s pretty easy to recreate this yummy creamy effect with one of my favourite healthy ingredients – TAHINI! Is there anything this magical substance cannot do?!

This recipe for Creamy Balsamic Veggie Nourish Bowls is quite a loose recipe. Aside from the creamy balsamic dressing – obviously essential! – the rest of the thing is pretty forgiving. You can use up whatever veggies, grains and/or protein you have on hand. Of course, I think the mix I’ve suggested below makes a pretty awesome bowl, so if you prefer to stick to a recipe then definitely try this one. Roasted broccoli is basically one of my favourite things ever so I really think you should include it!

I photographed these nourish bowls with buckwheat as my grain of choice, but brown rice is a solid option if you can’t or don’t want to use buckwheat. (You could also use quinoa, or roast sweet potato if you prefer grain-free). As for protein, these were also photographed with tuna added in. Obviously as you can get this canned, it’s a great option if you’re meal prepping because you can just make the bowls and pack them with a can of tuna. But again, mix it up! This bowl would also be yummy with lentils, chickpeas, halloumi, grilled chicken or salmon in there.

Creamy Balsamic Veggie Nourish Bowls

Creamy Balsamic Veggie Nourish Bowls are deliciously gluten free and dairy free. Super easy to meal prep, this healthy recipe is flexible and you can mix up your favourite veggies, grain and protein. 

5 from 7 votes

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: dairy free, egg free, gluten free, nut free, vegetarian

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes minutes

Servings: 2 bowls

Ingredients

Nourish Bowls

• 1/2 head broccoli - about 200-250 grams
• 1 large zucchini
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes
• 2 handfuls baby spinach or other salad greens
• 1 handful fresh mint
• 1 tbsp sunflower seeds
• 1 tbsp pumpkin seeds
• 1/2 cup buckwheat groats or brown rice*
• salt and pepper to season

Creamy Balsamic Dressing

• 3 tbsp tahini (I prefer hulled tahini in this recipe)
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp honey - optional - if you prefer a less tangy dressing

Instructions

Make the Nourish Bowls

• Start by preparing the grain. If you're using buckwheat, bring a pot of water to boil with enough water to cover the buckwheat by at least one inch. Add in the buckwheat and cook at a gentle boil for 12 minutes, then drain the water and allow the buckwheat to cool (I usually spread it on a tray and let it cool on that - you could also strain it through a sieve and leave it in there to cool). If you're using another grain instead e.g. rice, prepare according to packet instructions.
• Prepare the roasted veggies while the buckwheat is cooking. Preheat oven to 180 C. Chop the broccoli and zucchini into small, evenly sized pieces and arrange on a baking tray. Drizzle over a tablespoon of olive oil, season with salt and pepper, then roast for about 25 minutes. For the last 10 minutes, add in the cherry tomatoes too (just toss them onto the tray whole). Once cooked to your liking, remove veggies from the oven and allow to cool a little.

Make the Creamy Balsamic Dressing

• Combine the tahini, olive oil and balsamic vinegar in a small bowl and whisk together. Add a few tablespoons of water to thin the dressing out, and whisk again. Repeat until you have a suitable consistency. Add the teaspoon of honey if the dressing is too tart for your liking. Season with a little salt and pepper as desired.

Assemble the Nourish Bowls

• This recipe makes two bowls. So, grab two bowls or containers so you can divide everything evenly between them. Then, layer in your ingredients as follows - salad leaves, roasted broccoli and zucchini, buckwheat/other grain, roasted tomatoes, seeds, fresh mint. 
• Finish by drizzling over the dressing. If you've meal prepped these you may prefer to keep the dressing separate until you serve the bowl, but you don't have to. You can also top these bowls with your preferred protein e.g. chickpeas, salmon, halloumi, chicken, etc. 

Notes

*I like these nourish bowls best with buckwheat or brown rice, however you could also use quinoa or even roasted sweet potato (if you want a grain-free option).

*To make the salad dressing vegan you can swap the honey for maple syrup, if you're using it.

*Please use the veggies as a guide only! Use whatever veggies you have around and make a beautiful, colourful bowl.

Have you made this recipe?I love seeing your creations! Take a photo and then tag me @nourish.everyday on Instagram!

p.s. do you like bowl food? You might also like these bowl ideas:

• Roasted Turmeric Cauliflower Buddha Bowls
• Mediterranean Halloumi Buckwheat Nourish Bowls
• Maple Tahini Brussels Sprouts Quinoa Bowls