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?
Regardless of what you want to call it, it’s a bowl you’ll love for about a million and one reasons.
Like it’s a healthy one-pan dinner. A vegetarian dinner recipe you won’t be able to get enough of. One that makes winter vegetables shine. One that makes eating good-for-you taste good, too.
It’s as easy as slicing and dicing and then letting it be for an easy sheet pan dinner. 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 available? 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 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 the sauce. One of the first times 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 your tahini seems like it’s curdling, 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!
Get the Recipe Roasted Root Vegetable Bowls with Tahini Dressing
Ingredients
Root Vegetables – approximately 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 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 1/2 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/2 – 3/4 tsp fine sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 Tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
- 2-3 tsp honey
- 5-6 Tablespoon cold water
Equipment
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 them in an even layer across the pan.- Cut the top off of the garlic bulb and place it 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. Check the garlic at this point; it should be tender, and if so, remove the garlic packet 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 the veggies are fork-tender and slightly caramelized, add the chopped kale to the pan. Remove the garlic from the foil packet and squeeze the cloves onto the baking sheet as well. Toss everything together, and return to the warm oven for 1-2 minutes so the kale wilts.
- 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 as needed to taste.
- Assemble: Assemble the bowls with roasted vegetables (on top of rice or quinoa if desired) and top with tahini dressing. Garnish with chopped walnuts, soft-boiled egg, and fresh herbs as desired.
Notes
- Make sure all vegetables are similar in size when you cut them.
- Not into tahini? Try out an easy avocado sauce!
- Want to make it vegan? Sub maple syrup for honey in the dressing and omit the egg on top.
Hi. I made the dish but it doesn’t say what to do with the garlic.
Hi Janny – oops, so sorry about that, it was in the post but not the recipe card, thanks for pointing that out! You’ll squeeze the roasted garlic into the mixture of veggies; I’ve updated it now. Hope you enjoy!
Yummy! Not a fan of tahini so I used cashew butter in the dressing instead and just put all of the ingredients in a smoothie cup and blended it up 🙂 Thank you for this great recipe!
Awesome, thanks for sharing your swap, Madelyn! I’m glad you enjoyed!