A few weeks ago I went to a talk about food (what to eat, what not to eat, what is healthy, what is bad for you, etc…). At the beginning of the lecture, the woman had everyone close their eyes and picture their ultimate comfort food. Then she asked for people to yell them out. People yelled out things like, pizza, macaroni n’ Cheese, and mashed potatoes.
I’m pretty sure everyone fell into her trap and she was hoping people would think of typically unhealthy meals when they thought of comfort food. I remember her asking, “Does anyone think of broccoli?”. While I do enjoy foods like mac n’ cheese and pizza, when I think of comfort food, what comes to my mind is a big bowl of roasted vegetables, quinoa, and a delicious, yet simple, dressing.
I didn’t originally make this recipe thinking that I would post it on the blog. I originally made this version of the recipe as a last minute “It is New Year’s Eve and I need to find a way to eat lots and lots of black eyed peas for dinner so that I can have lots of luck in the New Year”. I grabbed a can of black eyed peas on my way home from work and once I got home I realized that I had some broccoli, sweet potatoes, lemon, thyme, and tahini lying around. I roasted the veggies, cooked the quinoa and put them into a big bowl with the beans. I squeezed some lemon juice on top, drizzled some tahini & threw in some thyme leaves.
I mixed everything up and called it dinner. I ate the leftovers the next day for lunch and then I found myself craving more so I made it again the next night, and the next night… And, now while I’m editing the photos and writing this post, I’m craving it again. I love this bowl because it is really simple with just a few ingredients and what makes it really delicious is the easy squeeze of lemon and drizzle of tahini on top. I decided to change it up for the blog and use some white beans instead of black eyed peas, but you are welcome to use any kinds of beans you like. I prefer a milder tasting white bean for this recipe.
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Roasted Sweet Potato & Broccoli Winter Bowls
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4-5 1x
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried quinoa, rinsed
- 4 heaping cups diced sweet potatoes, 1/2 inch dice
- 4 heaping cups small broccoli florets
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups cooked white beans
- Tahini for drizzling
- Lemon wedges for squeezing
- Fresh thyme leaves
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Cook the quiona according to package directions.
- Place diced vegetables on a large baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat and roast until tender and slightly caramelized, about 30 minutes, flipping once.
- Assemble the bowls: This recipe will make 4-6 bowls, depending on size. In each bowl, add an equal amount of quinoa roasted vegetables, and white beans. Drizzle with desired amount of tahini and lemon juice. Season with salt, to taste and top with fresh thyme leaves.
Notes
There isn’t much accurate measuring needed for this dish. It is more of a, make each component and then mix them together in a small bowl and then squeeze some lemon juice over, drizzle some tahini, and add some salt. Feel free to let me know if you would like more accurate directions.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Category: Entree, Gluten Free, Vegan
Actually, Izzy, I’m with you on this one! A big bowl of roasted veggies would be really high on my list of comfort foods, too … not sure the hubs would be so into the idea, though.
Love the idea of that tahini drizzle … got to try that one!
I’m glad you feel the same way, Helen! They are so good and so good for us! Haha, my husband wouldn’t agree at all either! He is all about the pizza š
If I was at that lecture, I would have yelled out “mashed potatoes and gravy!” That’s my ultimate comfort food. But this roasted veggie bowl sounds delicious too! And definitely much healthier. Pretty pictures Isadora!
Haha, Natalie! Mashed potatoes are one of my favorite foods too! It doesn’t get much more comforting than that š
What a beautiful presentation! This looks delicious and healthy! Perfect combination.
Thank you, Kelley! It is a pretty simple dish, but soo good š
Well this is just healthy in a bowl! I am trying to eat more meals like this at the moment – my goal of this year is to eat lots more vegetables.
Haha, thank you, Dannii! That is an awesome goal and I think I need to do that too!
Just randomly found your blog and I’m impressed plus I Love Love Love this recipe. All the ingredients that I love and always have on hand š
Hi Vanessa! Thank you so much!! I always seem to have these ingredients on hand too! I think that might be how this recipe came about, haha! Thanks so much for stopping by š
I LOVE This!! I’m just like you! I love roasted veggies as a healthy nourishing dish!! š They definitely are a comfort food! I wrote on my blog about how I think of healthy food as comfort food… it comforts you body and nourishing your soul!! š Love it! Love your recipe…and your blog (as usual)!!
Thank you, Cailee! Me too! They are one of my favorite things, especially in the winter time! I so agree, it really does nourish your soul and make you feel so good š
This right here is a beautiful bowl of comfort food, and I’d take this over pizza any day. I love these ingredients, and serving them with a drizzle of tahini is a wonderful idea! Pinned. š
Thank you, Marcie!! I love pizza, but a bowl like this always has my heart š Thanks so much for pinning!
I just love bowls like this! I do something similar and I like to have some grains or beans to anchor it and then a whole bunch of vegetables. I eat sweet potatoes essentially everyday and it’s great against the crunch of the broccoli. I can see why you’re craving it again. I’m craving it now!
Aren’t bowls like that the best?! I kinda just like to throw random things in and hope they all taste good together! I’ve been eating sweet potatoes everyday too, they are the best! Also, I just made this again for dinner tonight š
This looks really good!! I find it really hard for me to eat salads right now, maybe because it is so cold? I just can’t get into them. But I do love my veggies! I am going to try this to take to work, something nice and warm, but still healthy!
I wish it was colder here! It is supposed to be 70 this week and I feel like summer is just around the corner! I’m trying to get in all the wintery food I can before that happens!
If only I had this for lunch. I don’t think I would even return to work afterwards lol. Amazing dish.
Haha, it is always so hard to return to work after lunch š
I think I would have shouted out pizza, mac & cheese…. but also in mind are the veggies like sweet potatoes, cabbage and cauliflower. Especially cabbage. I’d like to hear more about this talk!
Your winter bowl is beautiful and full of nourishing goodness. Oh, and that lemon tahini gives all the components a vibrant zing! Thank you for this, Izzy! <3
Haha, pizza and mac n’ cheese are pretty comforting! I can’t argue with that! On a totally unrelated note, I was just thinking that our husbands would probably be best friends! The talk was pretty good, but the one thing that stands out most in my memory was when she was randomly talking about C-sections and said that babies born with C-sections are more likely to be fat! Totally unrelated as well, haha! I guess it is getting late here š Lemon and tahini is my new favorite dressing that I have been putting on everything!
hehe, best buds especially in the food department!
This sweet potato winter bowl looks like the perfect meal to me! I’ve had sweet potatoes and quinoa every night lately too and I absolutely love the sound of the tahini, lemon and thyme leaves you added here. The broccoli and beans make this such a healthy and satisfying meal! Love it!
Me too, Kelly! I actually just made another big batch for dinner tonight, I’m kind of obsessed! It really is so hearty!
I’m with you! I love a big slice of cheesy pizza any day, but a big bowlful of roast veggies? My kinda comfort food. š These bowls seriously look amazing—what a perfect winter detox dinner!
It is pretty impossible to say no to pizza! But when it is cold I just want a nice bowl of roasted things to curl up with! I hope you are staying warm, Sarah! š
Quinoa bowls like this one are comfort food to me too. And they’re the perfect weeknight meal to casually throw everything together or to make sense of seemingly disparate leftovers in the fridge.
So true Katie, this is a great meal to use leftovers for! Random bowls of yumminess are some of my favorites š
Just pinned this recipe to try, it looks delicious and super filling – just what you need to cheer yourself up in winter!
Thank you, Becky! I just made it again for dinner tonight! I’m kinda obsessed with it lately š
I love winter bowls as such, healthy, easy and flavorful. Definitely making it soon.
Me too, Kathy! I especially love it when they are easy!
I just bought a big bag of a quinoa and have been trying to find new ways to use it. I love this! It’s sounds absolutely delicious and a perfect way to use that quinoa š
This would be the perfect way to use up your quiona, Danielle! I like to make a big pot of it to have on hand throughout the week to throw into pretty much everything I make š
This bowls look delicious, Izzy! I love the name of them. Such a great idea to combine sweet potatoes and broccoli. Sounds so filling and delicious! Glad you decided to share this with us!
Thanks, Gayle! I’m on a bit of a sweet potato kick lately! It really is so filling and now I’m wishing I had some more for lunch tomorrow š
Yummy! I just pinned a very similar recipe from smitten kitchen– theirs had a miso dressing on top, but I love the simplicity of yours and the addition of beans! Can’t wait to try it! Looks deeeelicious.
Ohhh, I’ll have to check out the one from Smitten Kitchen, I love miso! I hope you love it, Savanah!
It’s funny. . . Do you remember playing “food dare” all the time as kids? I remember once, you and Faune gave me what I thought was a chip with salsa and lettuce on it. I took a bite and hidden under the lettuce was a dollop of miso. I spit it out, thinking it was the foulest thing I’d ever tasted. I didn’t even know what miso was, but you guys told me in a fit of laughter, and for years I harbored a hatred for the stuff, grossed out by the mere thought of it. After reading the smitten kitchen post utilizing it, I decided I’d give it another try. The sweet potato-broccoli bowl looked so fantastic, I figured the miso dressing was worth a shot. I just bought my first tub of miso yesterday, a few hours before reading this. I first just tried a quick cup of broth and I loved it! I even thought of your mom, and thought, “wow, she was on to something!” So then I used it as seasoning for a bean soup I made last night, and it was so yummy.
Anyway, sorry for rambling about something unrelated to your recipe (haha), but it totally made me giggle when you said you love miso too. Acquired tastes and all. š I’ll have to try it as a dressing as well.
PS- that last picture you posted, with everything stirred together, looks AMAZING. Again, can’t wait to try this bowl!
Hahaha, I’m laughing so hard right now! I totally remember playing food dare and I remember the miso and umaboshi plum paste that was so salty too! I think we hid both of them under everything! I think I have always hated miso because of that game too! I bought my first tub of it a few months ago and I’ve been using it so much! It seems to add the perfect salty flavor to everything. I’ll have to post some more miso recipes soon š
I just saw this quinoa bowl on fb and it looks delicious! Can’t wait to try it!
Thanks, Mira! I’ve been eating it for weeks now š