These roasted vegetable bowls are full of hearty root veggies like sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips, beets, and roasted garlic, and topped with creamy tahini dressing! Make them for meal prep or an easy one-pan dinner!
If you’ve been here a while then you know how I feel about eating healthy. I love it if there are carbs and cheese involved. No, but really, I’m good with a cheese and carb-free meal IF and ONLY IF it’s loaded with flavor and texture.
So let me tell you: these bowls are just THAT: loaded with flavor and texture. And therefore exactly the kind of healthy, balanced meal I love. Should we even dare to call them Buddha bowls?
It’s a bowl you’ll love to for about a million and one reasons.
Like it’s a healthy one-pan dinner.
It’s as easy as slicing and dicing and then letting it be. It’s customizable and you can basically use whatever you have on hand.
Hello, fridge cleaning night. Hello, easy meal planning. Hello, Sunday lunch meal prep. Hello, hello, hello!
It’s pretty much going to be your new go-to weeknight dinner no matter what reason you love it for the most. But first things first:
What Are Root Vegetables?
You might be thinking: root vegetables?! What are those…?
Root vegetables are veggies that grow in the ground. They get lots of nutrients from the soil. Think potatoes. Think onions. What else do we have?
- Sweet potatoes
- Turnips
- Parsnips
- Beets
- Onion
- Carrots
- Garlic
This is where the mix and match comes in.
Only have Yukon Gold or Russet potatoes? Use ’em! No turnips in sight? That’s a-ok! Sub them out. Want to try a parsnip but not sure what the heck it is? Use a little less and try it out!
You will LOVE the versatility. I promise.
How to Roast Root Vegetables
Roasting veggies is one of my most favorite things. They become sweetly caramelized with some crispy edges. It only requires one pan, and it’s completely hands-off.
YES, and YES.
Start by preheating your oven to 425°F. You want it to be hot enough to get the veggies nice and caramelized.
Next up: chop and dice. If you want a super rustic look, you don’t even have to peel your veggies like carrots and parsnips (and you know I’m keeping the potato skins on for the extra fiber!). Just give them a good wash and chop.
I go for a chop on the bias to create more surface area for the carrots and parsnips to caramelize and roast up. To each their own.
As for the beets? Peel their exterior and dice into chunks of similar size. You have two choices here: roast on the same pan as the other veggies and be ok with some of them getting a red tint to them. OR place them on their own pan.
Hint: I’m team one pan. Fewer dishes. 😉 So toss all the veggies on the pan, drizzle with olive oil, toss, and bake. Toss again about halfway through so multiple sides can get the crispy caramelization.
For the roasted garlic, slice off the top of the entire bulb but do not separate the cloves.
Fold the bulb in a piece of tin foil with a drizzle of olive oil on top of the garlic. Place it on the baking sheet with the other veggies, or directly on the oven rack.
While the veggies roast away, make the dressing. TIME. SAVER.
Tips for How to Make Tahini Dressing
Before we get to the tips, you’ve got to know that tahini dressing results in a luxuriously creamy dressing without any dairy. It’s unbelievable.
What is tahini? You might be asking that first. Tahini is a sauce made from sesame seeds. It’s often used in hummus and other Mediterranean and Middle Eastern dishes.
It can be bitter, so it’s essential that when you’re making a tahini dressing recipe you adjust to your own tastes, and make sure you have a significant enough about of salt to balance it out. The lemon juice gives it the perfect acidic punch, too.
You also want to make sure you whisk in enough cold water in. One of the first time I made tahini dressing it looked like it curdled. It was separated and goopy and just plain weird.
I panicked.
I was so close to throwing it out before I added a little more cold water and continued whisking. Right before my eyes, it came back together resulting in the creamy dressing I desired.
So if that happens to you, DO NOT PANIC. Whisk in a little more cold water and let it come together into a creamy lemon tahini dressing.
Remember to taste test and adjust the acid and salt to your preferred taste!
What Next?
Once your oven-roasted root vegetables are ready, stir in some chopped kale for greenery and let it wilt a little. Squeeze the garlic cloves out of the bulb and stir those in, too.
Soft boil or poach an egg to put on top.
What to keep it vegan? Leave off the egg and sub maple syrup for the honey in the dressing.
Serve it over a bowl of brown rice, quinoa, or wheat berries for a hearty base.
Garnish with chopped walnuts and additional parsley for extra texture and flavor.
Done and done. Delicious, easy, healthy dinner is served!
Roasted Root Vegetable Bowls with Tahini Dressing
Ingredients
- Veggies ~3 1/2 - 4 pounds total
- 2 beets peeled and diced
- 1-2 large parsnips peeled and cut on the bias
- 2 medium carrots peeled and cut on the bias
- 1-2 large turnips peeled and diced
- 1 small yellow onion chunked
- 1 large sweet potato 1/2 inch cubed
- 1 garlic bulb
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1-2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups chopped kale
Tahini Dressing:
- 1/3 cup tahini
- 3 1/2 TBSP olive oil
- 1 1/2 TBSP fresh lemon juice
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1/2 - 3/4 tsp fine sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 2 TBSP fresh parsley chopped
- 2-3 tsp honey
- 5-6 TBSP cold water
Toppings:
- Soft boiled or poached eggs
- Walnuts
- Avocado
- Parsley
- Chives
Instructions
- Roast Vegetables: Preheat oven to 425°F. Toss beets, parsnips, carrots, turnips, onion, and sweet potato with olive oil, salt, and pepper on a large baking sheet. Spread evenly across the pan. Cut the top off of the garlic bulb and place in a piece of foil. Drizzle with olive oil and wrap in the foil. Place the garlic foil packet on the vegetable pan or directly on the oven rack. Roast vegetables for 30 minutes; remove garlic from the oven and set aside. Toss the other vegetables and return back to the oven to roast for an additional 10-15 minutes. Once vegetables are roasted, toss together with the chopped kale and return to the warm oven for 1-2 minutes to wilt.
- Tahini Dressing: Meanwhile, whisk together all dressing ingredients except for the water. Once they're combined, whisk in the cold water somewhat slowly until desired creaminess level is reached. If the dressing seems to separate, continue whisking in additional cold water until it comes together. Adjust levels for desired taste.
- Assemble: Assemble the bowls with roasted vegetables (on top of rice or quinioa if desired) and top with tahini dressing. Garnish with chopped walnuts, soft boiled egg, and fresh herbs as desired.