Rainbow vegetable bowl

Rainbow vegetable boWL

This is a very simple blueprint for a vegetable bowl made not with hyper seasonal vegetables but with ones that you can get all year round – kale, broccoli and carrot. In fact, you probably have these ingredients in your fridge right now.

Obviously this recipe is highly adaptable so use whatever vegetables you have on hand. The important thing is to remember to incorporate different textures and flavors. I start with store bought hummus; before you all tell me that homemade hummus is better (I agree), I also think store bought is just fine and it is something we always have in the house for after school snack. Needless to say, opt for a good brand of hummus - my favourite right now is this one. I dress the hummus up with fresh herbs and lemon and then it’s ready. The carrots are roasted with harissa flakes but you could use any spice blend to add some contrast. The textural topping is important too. My initial plan was to top with dukkah but I was out of that so I used everything bagel spice instead. I will be making iterations of this bowl for the months ahead.

Serves 4 / gluten free, vegan

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Ingredients

• 2 small heads (580g / 20-ounces) broccoli, cut into florets
• 4 carrots (400g / 14 ounces), peeled and cut into 2-3cm / 1-inch chunks
• extra virgin olive oil
• sea salt and pepper
• 1 teaspoon harissa flakes, or other spice blend such as ras el hanout, baharat, shawarma
• 4 cups (120g) kale leaves (about 1/2 bunch)
• 285g / 10-ounces store bought hummus
• 1/2 cup chopped soft herbs such as dill, mint, parsley, coriander (cilantro)
• 1 lemon, halved
• 3-4 cups cooked quinoa, brown rice, black rice or lentils
• Everything spice blend, dukkah, furikake, toasted sesame seeds or chopped nuts, to top

1. Preheat oven to 220˚C / 425˚F. Place the carrots on one side of a sheet pan (baking tray) and the broccoli on the other. Drizzle both with olive oil and season both with salt and pepper. Scatter the harissa flakes (or spice blend) over the carrots and toss them to coat. Toss the broccoli to coat. Place in the oven and roast until the vegetables are tender and golden around the edges - the broccoli will take around 15 minutes remove that first whereas the carrots will take closer to 20-25 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, place the kale leaves into a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and add a little sea salt. Massage the leaves vigorously for 30 -60 seconds to tenderize them.

3. Scoop the hummus into a bowl. Add the herbs, and squeeze in the juice of 1/2 lemon. Stir to combine.

4. Set out 4 shallow bowls. Place a large dollop of hummus into each bowl and smear it across the bottom and sides. Top with 3/4-1 cup of quinoa, brown rice, black rice or lentils, and then divide the kale, carrot, and broccoli between the bowls. To finish, season with salt and pepper, drizzle with olive oil, squeeze over a little lemon juice and finish with a scatter of everything spice blend, dukkah, furikake, or toasted sesame seeds/nuts.