Vegan Greek Bowls with Cashew Tzatziki

These vegan Greek bowls are made with lemony orzo, savory chickpea oat balls, and a cool, creamy, cashew tzatziki. They’re brimming with coloration and texture, and so they’re so satisfying to eat.

Over the weekend, a buddy and I obtained to speaking about tzatziki.

Admittedly, tzatziki isn’t a predictable dialog subject. However we’re each of Greek descent, and so is the creamy, yogurt-based, herby dip.

I had simply written about and shared my favourite recipe for vegan tzatziki. Coincidentally, my buddy had made a conventional model just a few days earlier. We couldn’t assist however examine notes.

We stated that we’d every eat the creamy, cooling dip with just about something: greens, salads, grilled burgers, kebabs, or simply torn items of toasted pita.

Luckily, I’ve a recipe that’s so much higher than “just about something” to share with you right this moment.

At this time’s vegan Greek bowls have been giving me life up to now week. They’re filled with crisp, recent veggies and the refreshing tzatziki, together with a do-it-yourself vegan protein element and one among my favourite meals: orzo!

They’re the proper healthful meal to make whereas summer season is in full swing.

Parts for the proper vegan Greek bowl

I’ve given you an mini ode to plant-based tzatziki already. What else finds its approach into the vegan Greek bowls?

Savory Mediterranean chickpea oat balls

Again in 2021, I made a recipe for chickpea oat balls. I keep in mind wanting to show a can of chickpeas into a flexible protein. On the time, the entire grain that I had available was rolled oats.

The 2 elements got here collectively, together with sun-dried tomatoes for seasoning and dietary yeast for savoriness.

The flavour profile was Mediterranean-inspired, and the feel was form of a hybrid of falafel, veggie burgers, and vegan meatballs.

You by no means know which recipes will stand the take a look at of time. Through the years, these versatile little orbs have turn out to be one among my favourite vegan proteins to meal prep.

I add them to pasta and salads, and I additionally prefer to dip them into one among my tahini dressings for a simple, savory afternoon snack.

The oat balls are the primary protein supply within the Greek bowls, and the give the entire recipe its heartiness and substance.

Lemony orzo

The opposite element that helps to make the Greek bowls tremendous satisfying is a mattress of lemony orzo.

This isn’t as elaborate a preparation as my beloved recent lemon orzo pasta salad with peas and dill, however the brilliant, citrusy seasoning is similar.

A bit little bit of lemon juice and zest, plus olive oil, salt, and pepper is all that’s wanted to show a tiny pasta form into the flavorful grain element on this bowl.

Kalamata olives

Like many individuals, one of many tastes that I’ve acquired with age is a critical love of olives. Maybe fittingly, given my mother’s household origins, kalamata olives are my favourite.

The olives add saltiness and savoriness to the vegan Greek bowls. If you happen to favor, you would substitute Niçoise olives or one other kind of olive that you simply love.

You can too exchange the olives altogether and take a look at swapping them for jarred, roasted purple pepper strips or sliced banana peppers.

Contemporary greens

It wouldn’t be a traditional vegan lunch bowl (or dinner bowl) with out some crunch and freshness. Right here, the greens are:

• chopped romaine lettuce
• grape or cherry tomatoes
• chopped cucumber
• herbs (dill and/or parsley)

All of those are much like the greens in a traditional Greek salad, so that they really feel fairly applicable for the recipe.

However after all, if in case you have different recent greens or herbs available that must be used up, you’ll be able to be at liberty to make some artistic substitutions.

Cool, creamy vegan tzatziki

The tzatziki that brings these Greek bowls to the subsequent degree is solely dairy-free, but it has the tangy taste and freshness of conventional tzatziki.

Rather than yogurt, there’s a base of blended, soaked cashews, lemon juice, lime juice, and salt. It’s really my recipe for vegan bitter cream, with the incorporation of herbs and garlic for conventional taste.

If you happen to’ve obtained a cashew allergy or nut allergy, then you would commerce the cashews for store-bought plant-based yogurt that fits your wants.

Greek French dressing

Whereas the cashew tzatziki creates loads of creamy, wealthy texture, I additionally like to decorate the greens for the Greek bowls frivolously with my Greek French dressing.

When constructing extra complicated bowls, I exploit the identical recommendation that I’ve all the time been given about cooking: season every element as you go.

The Greek French dressing is a reasonably easy dressing: purple wine vinegar, lemon, olive oil, garlic, and oregano. If there’s one other dressing that you simply favor, be at liberty to make use of it right here.

Additionally, you’ll be able to add additional heaps of tzatziki to the greens for those who’d like a no-oil possibility.

Are the Greek bowls gluten-free?

Because of orzo, which is a wheat-based pasta, the bowls aren’t gluten-free.

Nonetheless, there are gluten-free orzo varieties, which you should purchase on-line for those who’d prefer to make a substitute.

You would additionally use one other gluten-free, small pasta form, or you would attempt millet, quinoa, or rice as a alternative.

Easy methods to make a Greek-inspired, plant-based energy plate

Sure, it is a bowl recipe, however the blueprint is similar blueprint that I wrote about in my cookbook Energy Plates.

And it’s actually the identical method that guides most of my meal planning: a protein supply or sources (chickpeas + wheat pasta), healthful fat (cashews + olive oil), complicated carbs (beans + oats + wheat pasta), and veggies.

Whether or not we name it a plate or a bowl, right here’s now this nourishing meal comes collectively.

Step 1: Put together the tzatziki

As soon as the cashews are blended, my vegan tzatziki actually isn’t exhausting to arrange. Nonetheless, I feel it tastes higher after not less than an evening within the fridge, when the flavors have had an opportunity to meld. In consequence, I like to recommend making it not less than one full day earlier than getting ready the bowls.

Step 2: Make the chickpea oat balls

The chickpea oat balls are the Greek bowls’ most labor-intensive element.

If you happen to are likely to get overwhelmed when making an extended recipe, as I usually do, then it’s good to make these forward of time (as much as three days earlier than assembling the bowls).

The chickpea oat balls additionally freeze very well. Retailer them within the freezer for as much as eight weeks and defrost in a single day earlier than shifting on with the recipe.

Step 2: Boil and season the orzo

Fortunately, compared to entire grains comparable to wheat berries or rice, orzo may be very quick-cooking.

After boiling the orzo for about ten or twelve minutes, you’ll drain it.

Whereas the freshly cooked pasta is scorching, season it as instructed with lemon juice and zest, olive oil, and salt and pepper to style.

Aspect word: that is how I’ll all the time put together orzo as a aspect dish any further! It’s so good.

Personally, I feel it’s high quality if the orzo is a bit heat when it goes into the bowls, even when the bowls are largely meant to be served chilly. However you’ll be able to cool it as a lot as you want—dashing cooling by transferring to the fridge, if you wish to—earlier than plating.

Step 3: Make the Greek French dressing (if utilizing)

Technically, you would make the French dressing as much as a full week forward of time, however it’s fairly quick. You’ll be able to simply whisk or shake it collectively whereas the orzo is boiling.

Step 4: Assemble your Greek bowls

Now comes the enjoyable half. Start by dividing the romaine into 4 bowls (or onto 4 plates) and drizzling every portion frivolously with the French dressing.

High every mattress of greens with 1 / 4 of your olives, greens, chickpea oat balls, and cooked orzo.

Lastly, it’s time to serve. As you benefit from the bowls, you’ll be able to combine the entire scrumptious tzatziki into them, in order that every little thing has a bit of little bit of that cooling, creamy taste and texture.

The Vegan Week

Embrace the enjoyment of consuming do-it-yourself meals every single day with the hearty and healthful recipes in The Vegan Week.

Whether or not you have got three, two, and even only one hour of time to spare, The Vegan Week will present you methods to batch prepare dinner diversified, colourful, and comforting dishes over the weekend.

The greens can be chopped up a pair days forward of time, in order that they’re able to serve or put into lunch containers simply.

All of that stated, for those who’d prefer to make the Greek bowls in a single fell swoop, that’s high quality, too. I can’t say that it is a fast and simple recipe, however I can promise you that your effort, whether or not it’s in phases or all of sudden, shall be worthwhile.

Vegan Greek Bowls with Cashew Tzatziki and Orzo

Writer – Gena Hamshaw

Prep Time: 55 minutes minutes

Prepare dinner Time: 10 minutes minutes

Complete Time: 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Yields: 4 servings

• 1 cup dry orzo (225g)
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• Salt
• Freshly floor black pepper
• 6 cups chopped romaine lettuce (175g; about 1 head)
• 2 cups grape or cherry tomatoes, halved (320g)
• 2 cups peeled and chopped cucumber (260g)
• 1/2 cup sliced, pitted Kalamata olives (60g)
• 1/2 cup Greek French dressing (120ml)
• 1 batch Mediterranean chickpea oat balls
• 1 cup creamy vegan tzatziki (240ml; extra as desired)
• Chopped recent parsley and/or dill, for garnish (non-obligatory)

Put together the orzo

• Convey a medium pot of salted water to a boil over excessive warmth. Add the orzo and switch the warmth to medium excessive. Simmer the orzo, uncovered, for 10-12 minutes, till tender however not mushy. Drain the orzo.

• Switch the orzo to a medium bowl and add the lemon juice and zest and olive oil; toss effectively. Style the orzo and add salt and freshly floor black pepper as wanted. 

Assemble the bowls

• Divide the chopped romaine into 4 bowls or, if meal prepping, 4 storage containers. Drizzle a couple of teaspoons of French dressing over the mattress of greens.

• High every portion of greens with 1 / 4 every of the cooked orzo, tomatoes, cucumber, olives, and Chickpea Oat Balls. High every bowl with 1 / 4 cup or extra of tzatziki. Garnish with chopped recent parsley or dill, if desired, and serve or retailer.

Absolutely ready bowls might be stored in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as two days.

Each summer season, there appears to be a vegan bowl recipe that steals my coronary heart.

Final summer season it was quinoa beet bowls, and two summers earlier than it was chickpea burrito bowls.

These vegan Greek bowls are this summer season’s celebration of grains, greens, and beans. I hope you’ll love them, too!

xo