A Protein Veggie Bowl is a simple way to combine all of your favorite veggies and protein in one delicious bowl! Top it with a great dressing like the one below and you will have a lunch you’ll want to repeat day after day.
My Protein Veggie Bowl is one of my favorite summer recipes! I’ve been noticing the trend of Buddha bowls in the past few years and am finally getting on the bandwagon and trying some of my own. I love the concept – small portions of vegetables, proteins, and grains all mixed together in a simple bowl. When I want a healthy, low-cal lunch with LOTS of vegetables, a bowl is always my go-to! Although a “real” Buddha bowl is typically vegetarian, I like to add chicken to mine for added protein and a really great dressing (I mean, why NOT?!). Choose the ingredients you like best for your protein veggie bowl and play around with different combinations.
Here are some ingredients to choose from to make your own Protein Veggie Bowl:
For the base: brown rice, quinoa, sweet potatoes (roasted), cous cous, salad greens or cabbage
Add a protein: chicken, sliced steak, prosciutto, tofu, chickpeas, hummus
Veggies: chopped broccoli, carrots, bell peppers, zucchini, radish, beets, cauliflower
For crunch: sesame seeds, cashews, peanuts, almonds, asian noodles
Add a dressing or fruit for sweetness or added flavor
You can also pick a theme like Greek or Mexican and add the flavors you love from those themes. A Greek protein bowl might combine seasoned chicken, cous cous, zucchini, tomatoes, olives and a light lemon dressing. For a Mexican protein bowl, add some brown or yellow rice, black beans, corn, black olives, shredded cheese, and either chicken or steak.
The possibilities are endless!
Here’s my recent favorite version!
Protein Veggie Bowl
Ingredients
Bowl Ingredients:
- 1 lb chicken tenderloins baked with olive oil, salt, and pepper
- 2 cups purple cabbage shredded
- 1 can chickpeas
- 2 cups matchstick carrots
- 2 cups broccoli florets chopped
- 1 Red bell pepper chopped
- crunch Asian noodles cashews, or peanuts (optional)
Dressing:
- 1/4 cup peanut butter
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp ginger paste
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp srirachi
- 2 tbsp warm water more if you want the dressing thinner
Instructions
- Arrange vegetables and salad ingredients in a bowl.
- Mix the dressing ingredients together in a Mason jar and whisk well. Add as much dressing to bowl as desired and save the rest in the fridge.
