I love hearty and flavorful salads, but sometimes they are just not filling.
My friend, Steph, took me to a wonderful vegan/vegetarian restaurant in Toronto many months ago and introduced me to the wonderful world of bowl meals. She figured it was the perfect place to eat with my vegetarian diet, plus we are both easy going when it comes to food. I have to say, eating at Fresh was one of the best experiences ever! It was small and packed, but the food was soooo good! For the first time, I was sad that I do not live in Toronto.
Of course, over the course of weeks, all I could think about was the Fresh Powerhouse Bowl meal I had. I wanted it everyday but there was no way I was going into Toronto just for that recipe (though it was tempting!) The Fresh Powerhouse Bowl was so delicious and tasty, without being overly complicated. I knew I could probably recreate the recipe at home. And I did just that!
Tofu steaks, pea shoots, sunflower seeds: I know it sounds difficult, but I assure you it is not! My local grocery store carried all the ingredients I needed. I even added additional ingredients not originally in the salad for extra nutrition. This Fresh Powerhouse Bowl is super easy to make, and makes A LOT! I was so happy I ordered the small portion at the restaurant, because there is no way I would have finished a large (and I was seeing Book of Mormon after dinner, so I did not want to take home leftovers.) At home, I can eat it over the course of a couple of days. My non-salad loving husband really enjoyed this meal (probably because it is not technically a salad!)
Packed full of nutrition and delicious flavors, you are sure to be satisfied with this recipe!
📖 Recipe
Fresh Powerhouse Bowl
A blend of healthy ingredients make this Fresh Powerhouse Bowl more than just a salad! Easily gluten-free, vegan, and dairy-free!
Ingredients
- 1 avocado, sliced
- 1 cup chickpeas
- ½ lb extra firm tofu, sliced into triangles
- Sunflower sprouts
- Pea shoots
- 2 tbsp. sunflower seeds
- ¼ cup toasted, assorted nuts
- 1 tomato, diced
- 1 small red onion, diced
- ¼ cup cooked basmati rice
- Spicy Tahini Sauce:
- ⅛ cup tahini paste
- 1 tsp. chili garlic sauce (or more to taste.)
- Squeeze of lemon juice (to taste, but I think I added 1 tbsp.)
- Water (based on consistency, start with 1 tbsp.)
Instructions
- To make the spicy tahini sauce, mix together the tahini paste, garlic sauce, and lemon juice. Add in enough water until you reach your desired consistency (I like a chunkier sauce, but add more water for a thinner sauce.) If needed, add a pinch of salt!
- Place a large frying pan over medium or medium-high heat. Add the tofu triangles to the dry pan and allow to cook until golden brown on both sides. I seasoned the tofu with some salt, pepper, and a squeeze of lime juice, but you can dress it however you see fit!
- Layer the salad in a large bowl. Start with the rice, but after that you can layer it however you see fit. I sprinkled the sunflower sprouts and pea shoots on top and made sure to coat the cooked tofu with the sauce. Serve chilled or room temperature.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 2 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 788Total Fat: 48gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 38gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 611mgCarbohydrates: 66gFiber: 23gSugar: 14gProtein: 36g
(If you are looking for more healthy vegan/vegetarian/gluten-free meals, check out Fresh's Menu: I have no affiliation with them, but really enjoyed my experience there.)
Soooo, funny story. I did not realize it, but Fresh actually sells their recipes in a cookbook. I recreated this recipe my own way, but I am going to order their cookbook so I can have all the wonderful meals on hand. Seriously, I had such a hard time choosing just one meal off their menu. And how cool is it that they provide all the recipes for you?!
Once again, this Fresh Powerhouse Bowl can easily be customized and ingredients can be left out (but who would want to do that?!) You can serve the salad warm or chilled, and the tofu steaks can be made ahead of time.
Krista @ Joyful Healthy Eats
Wow! that is all i have to say! Amazing salad packed with so many nutrients. love it!
Kacey
Thanks, Krista!
Rachael @ La Fuji Mama
I LOVE bowl meals and this one looks absolutely fantastic. I love the addition of the nuts, plus anything that includes avocado basically is automatically on my favorites list. Cannot wait to try this one. I've already printed out the recipe!
Kacey
Woohoo! Thanks, Rachael! Avocados never last in our house!
Sue Lau
This looks SO GOOD! I am not vegetarian but I do like having tofu (had it last night in fact!). I love how the tofu is in there with chickpeas and nuts and that tahini dressing on that combo has to be the BOMB! Definitely want to try this one later---saving to pinterest! Thanks for sharing such a nice looking recipe! ~s
Kacey
A little bit of work, but well worth it! My husband is not even close to being vegetarian, but he loves my tofu recipes 🙂
Nora @ Savory Nothings
Bowl foods are aaaaawesome! I used to eat them all the time as a single student and I actually had to buy myself a big salad bowl to make sure all my veggies would fit 😀 This looks soooo good!
Kacey
So funny you mention the big salad bowl; that bowl I am using for the pictures is huge! I love eating my salads out of it and my husband teases me 🙂
Meg @ The Housewife in Training Files
We have a vegan restaurant here in KC and it is too die for! I love this bowl recipe and it fits in perfectly with all the fresh summer dishes I am craving!
Kacey
People turn their noses up at vegan meals, but some of my favourite recipes are vegan (they can be so flavourful and hearty!)
Deb@ Cooking on the Front Burner
Wow - love the punch this packs! Great recipe with lots of good stuff 🙂
Susan | LunaCafe
Wow, I want to jump right through the screen and grab that bowl. It looks fabulous. And healthy too? Almost too much to fathom. 🙂
Kacey
So healthy, but not lacking in any flavour 🙂
Sherri@The Well Floured Kitchen
Love the name of this dish ! And powerhouse it definitely is 🙂 We love salads with lots of goodies, lettuce is optional!
Kacey
I cannot take credit for the name 🙂 However, the bowl stands true to its name!
Kim Beaulieu
I love bowl type meals, especially after a workout. This one looks so fabulous.
Kacey
Thanks for the tip, Kim, this bowl would be perfect after a workout!
Alice
I love all the ingredients in this salad! I'm always on the lookout for a new salad to enjoy after work outs and this looks great!
Kacey
I am the same way, Alice! You can never have enough salad recipes!
Lora @cakeduchess
My body craves salads like this a few times a week! I made something similar yesterday and stuffed it in a multi-grain wrap for lunch yesterday. I love your recipe!!
Kacey
Ohh, that is a great idea to make a salad go even further! I need to try it 🙂
Kate @ Diethood
YES, bowl meals are amazing!! It's like a salad plus all-the-things found in my fridge. 😀 This sounds like the perfect quick, easy, and healthy meal.