Fall Veggie Bowl with Tahini Dressing
For as long as I can remember, I have dreaded the start of Fall, or what I call “the F word”. I think it’s always been less about actually hating Fall and more about grieving the loss of Summer and preparing for the impending doom of Winter in New England. I know, I’m super dramatic.
Over the years I’ve found some ways to take the edge off of Autumn. First, you must buy an obscene amount of on-trend “sweater weather” apparel— booties, chunky sweaters, puffer vests— whatever warms your soul during these dark times. Second, you should probably figure out your favorite Autumn alcoholic beverage (this one might be the most important). Pumpkin beer, cider, or a good glass of red wine are all good options and will go a long way in making the end of summer more bearable. And last, embrace in-season produce! Squash, sweet potato, apples, cranberries, eggplant, kale, figs, pumpkins, zucchini, spinach... I could go on and on. All these foods are nutrient packed and taste the best this time of the year! So them while you can!
This Fall Veggie Bowl is the definition of healthy, comfort food. It’s warm and hearty, but packs in lots of protein and fiber! It’s topped with pomegranate, pepitas, and a creamy tahini sauce. This bowl is perfect for meal-prepping or a family dinner!
Ingredients:
For the Bowl-
1 - 1.5 cups grain of your choice cooked according to package instructions (I used Trader Joe’s Harvest Grains Blend)
3-4 cups kale (cut off the stem)
1 sweet potato
1 delicata squash
1 15.5 oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
½ cup shaved parmesan cheese
½ cups pomegranate seeds
¼ cup pepitas or pumpkin seeds
For the Tahini Dressing
½ cup tahini
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 clove garlic
¼ cup warm water (plus extra to reach desired consistency)
Salt and pepper, to taste
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Roughly chop kale into bite-sized pieces. Dice sweet potato into 1/2-inch pieces. Halve delicata squash. Scoop out the seeds, then cut into ½-inch half-moons. Place drained/rinsed chickpeas on a paper towel to dry.
On a baking sheet, toss kale with a drizzle of olive oil and salt and pepper, to taste. On a separate baking sheet, arrange sweet potato, squash, and chickpeas separately. Drizzle sweet potato and squash with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss chickpeas with a drizzle of olive oil, smoked paprika, and salt/pepper.
Put both baking sheets in the oven. Roast kale for 10 minutes. Let sweet potato, squash and chickpeas roast for 20-24 minutes.
While the veggies, squash, and chickpeas roast, cook your grain (I chose to cook my harvest blend in veggie stock, instead of water, for added flavor).
Place all dressing ingredients in a food processor and blend until creamy. Add additional warm water 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach a desired consistency.
Mix roasted kale into your prepared grain. Divide between serving bowls and top with roasted squash, sweet potato, and chickpeas. Drizzle dressing on top and garnish with shaved parmesan, pomegranate seeds, and pepitas.
*Don’t have a food processor? Make the tahini dressing by mincing the garlic and whisking all ingredients until smooth.
**Don’t have time to make tahini dressing? Pair this bowl with your favorite creamy dressing. Trader Joe’s Carrot Ginger Miso salad dressing would be my recommendation!
