Grain Bowl — Recipe 37 of 60
Cashew & Roasted Vegetable Grain Bowl
A hearty, colorful grain bowl built around roasted vegetables and a generous handful of cashews for richness and protein. Finished with a creamy cashew dressing that ties everything together beautifully. This bowl is the kind of meal that makes healthy eating feel effortless and genuinely enjoyable.
Nutrients (per serving)
- Calories
- ~490kcal
- Protein
- ~16g
- Carbs
- ~56g
- Fat
- ~22g
Ingredients
What you need
- 0140g split cashews, divided (20g toasted for bowl, 20g soaked for dressing)
- 022 tbsp pumpkin seeds, toasted
- 032 tbsp sunflower seeds, toasted
- 041 tbsp black chia seeds
- 05200g cooked quinoa or brown rice
- 061 medium sweet potato, cubed
- 071 medium beetroot, cubed
- 081 handful of cherry tomatoes
- 091 handful of rocket or spinach
- 102 tbsp olive oil for roasting
- 111 tsp cumin powder
- 121 tsp smoked paprika
- 13Salt and pepper to taste
- 14For the cashew dressing:
- 1520g split cashews, soaked in water for 30 minutes
- 162 tbsp lemon juice
- 171 clove garlic
- 181 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 191 tsp honey or maple syrup
- 203–4 tbsp water to thin
- 21Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
How to make it
- 01
Preheat oven to 200°C and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- 02
Toss sweet potato and beetroot cubes with olive oil, cumin, smoked paprika, salt and pepper until evenly coated.
- 03
Spread on the lined baking tray in a single layer and roast for 30–35 minutes until tender and caramelized at the edges, turning once halfway through.
- 04
While vegetables roast, toast 20g of cashews in a dry pan over medium heat for 3–4 minutes until golden. Set aside.
- 05
Toast pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds in the same pan for 3 minutes until golden. Set aside.
- 06
Prepare the cashew dressing by draining and rinsing the soaked cashews and blending them with lemon juice, garlic, apple cider vinegar, honey and water until completely smooth and pourable. Season with salt and pepper and blend once more.
- 07
Assemble the bowl starting with a base of quinoa or brown rice.
- 08
Arrange roasted sweet potato, beetroot, cherry tomatoes and rocket or spinach over the grain base.
- 09
Scatter toasted cashews, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds generously on top.
- 10
Sprinkle chia seeds over everything.
- 11
Drizzle cashew dressing generously over the entire bowl and serve immediately.
The science
Why it's good for you
This grain bowl is a nutritional symphony — every component contributes something meaningful. Cashews appear twice in this recipe, both as a topping and as the base of the dressing, maximizing their heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, magnesium and iron across the entire dish. Roasted beetroot is one of the richest dietary sources of nitrates, compounds that improve blood flow, lower blood pressure and enhance athletic endurance. Sweet potato provides beta-carotene, a powerful antioxidant that converts to vitamin A in the body for immune function and eye health. Quinoa as the grain base delivers complete plant protein and all essential amino acids — rare for a grain. Pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds complete the micronutrient profile with zinc, vitamin E and selenium. A bowl that genuinely covers every nutritional base in one beautiful meal.