15-Minute Plant-Based Bowls
By the Gracious Vegan
Bowls aren’t always the fastest meal to make. You have to be very strategic to cook everything for a bowl in 15 minutes. Here are my suggestions. With a buddy in the kitchen, 15 minutes is definitely doable. Even with one cook it’s possible, but not as fun.
Quick cooking grain
Whole wheat, regular, or tri-color couscous (pour boiling water, amount equal to couscous, over it, cover, wait 5 minutes, stir, wait another 5 minutes)
Bulgur (boil 10-12 minutes with twice as much water as bulgur)
Buckwheat groats (boil 10-12 minutes with twice as much water as groats)
Quinoa (boil 10-12 minutes uncovered with twice as much water as quinoa, then cover and let sit 5 minutes)
Cauliflower or broccoli rice (microwaving is the fastest way to cook these)
Prepare frozen or shelf-stable brown rice
Protein
Beans
Broiled tofu, tempeh, or seitan (broil them with the vegetables) *
Vegetables
Broiled zucchini *
Raw diced cucumbers, tomatoes, onions
Boiled/microwaved corn, green beans, cauliflower, broccoli, and/or other
Sauce
Tahini sauce, vegan crema (if you’ve pre-soaked the cashews), salsa, peanut sauce, any other fast or store-bought sauce like Yumm
Toppings
Green onions
Shredded red cabbage
Olives
Pepitas or other seeds
Cilantro
Lime zest
Garam masala
* Easy basting sauce for broiling vegetables and proteins:
3 Tablespoons water
1 Tablespoon miso (your choice of color/strength) (What is Miso?)
1 Tablespoon tahini
1.5 teaspoon lemon pepper or other spice mix