Since my last article on this topic entitled, Ultimate Healthy Lunch or Dinner, I’ve shifted my diet from being about 90% vegetarian to 100% vegan for health and ethical reasons. In this article, I’ll be giving you an even healthier, tastier, smaller portion, and easier to prepare vegan lunch bowl recipe.
My switch from being a vegetarian to a vegan happened almost overnight after watching several documentaries in this list I created on this site.
New Ingredients
Fresh cabbage, white balsamic vinegar, quinoa, legumes (beans, peas, & lentils), cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, mushrooms, spinach, petite peas, hemp heart seeds, chia seeds, and psyllium powder (natural fiber).
These new ingredients, most of which are superfoods, are loaded with vitamins, omega fatty acids (3, 6, & 9), antioxidants, anti-inflammatory elements, proteinsa, and more. The health benefits of these ingredients are too numerous to list here.
New Equipment
Pressure cooker instead of a rice cooker for the quinoa and a slow cooker for the legumes. I purchased the hugely popular IP pressure cooker. The taste of the quinoa and legumes are much better using the pressure cooker. It also retains more of the nutrients, cooks faster, and uses less energy. I love it.
I’ve named this recipe the Vegan Superfood Lunch Bowl.
Length – Please don’t let the length and details of this recipe overwhelm you. In a few days or weeks, making it will become second nature and you’ll get it done in about 15 minutes or less.
Updates – I update this recipe as I make new discoveries. Updates are indicated by a change in the date at the bottom of the “recipe download” pages like this “V 18-20-02” (= year, day, month). By checking back periodically, you’ll know you have the healthiest one. 🙂
Vegan Superfood Lunch Bowl 2.0 – Recipe
Ingredients (1 serving.)
- 1 & 1/2 cups finely sliced/chopped fresh green cabbage. (Alternative: romaine lettuce.)
- 1 tablespoon chopped celery.
- 1 teaspoon diced sweet onion.
- 3-5 cherry or grape tomatoes.
- 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil.
- 1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar. (White avoids staining teeth.)
- 1 teaspoon unsalted dry roasted peanuts.
- 1 teaspoon unsalted sliced almonds or walnuts or both.
- 1 tablespoon of precooked quinoa.
- 1 tablespoon of precooked legumes (beans, peas, & lentils).
- 1 frozen broccoli crown.
- 1 frozen cauliflower crown.
- 3 frozen Brussels sprouts.
- 3 frozen mushroom slices.
- 1 tablespoon frozen spinach.
- 1 teaspoon frozen peas.
- 1/4 teaspoon hemp heart seeds.
- 1/4 teaspoon chia seeds.
- 1/4 teaspoon psyllium (natural fiber).
- 1 dash salt-free seasoning of your choice.
- 1 dash chili powder.
- 1 dash cayenne pepper powder.
- 1/4 diced (Hass) avocado.
Tofu
If you’re into tofu, you can add it along with the frozen vegetables. Strongly recommend using organic non-GMO tofu.
Accompaniments
- 24 oz. glass filtered water with squeezed lemon juice.
- Update: Now drink homemade super water.
- Dessert is either fresh or dried unsweetened mango, papaya, dates, or pitted prunes (plums). During hot weather months, frozen black or red grapes.
- No coffee. Gave it up!
Equipment
- Microwave.
- Pressure cooker or rice cooker and slow cooker.
- Medium (5-6” diameter) salad bowl.
- Medium size microwave-safe cooking bowl with cover.
- Heat protection pads or gloves.
- Cutting board. (Article: Best Cutting Boards.)
- Multi-purpose kitchen knife.
Preparation
- Add 1 & 1/2 cups finely sliced/chopped fresh green cabbage. (Alternative: romaine lettuce.)
- Add 1 tablespoon chopped celery.
- Add 1 teaspoon diced sweet onion.
- Add 3-5 cherry or grape tomatoes.
- Add 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil.
- Mix in oil.
- Add 1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar.
- Mix in vinegar.
- Add 1 teaspoon unsalted dry roasted peanuts.
- Add teaspoon unsalted sliced almonds or walnuts or both.
- Add 1/4 teaspoon hemp heart seeds.
- Add 1/4 teaspoon chia seeds.
- Add 1/4 teaspoon psyllium (natural fiber).
- 1 dash of salt-free seasoning of your choice.
- 1 dash cayenne red pepper powder.
- Mix.
- In a separate bowl…
- Add 1 frozen broccoli crown.
- Add 1 frozen cauliflower crown.
- Add 3 frozen Brussels sprouts.
- Add 3 frozen mushroom slices.
- Add 1 tablespoon frozen spinach.
- Add 1 teaspoon frozen peas.
- Cover bowl with a microwave-safe cover and cook on high for 1 & 1/2 minutes.
- Using heat protection pads, remove the bowl from the microwave.
- Remove the cover and cut the vegetables into small pieces.
- Drain. Using heat protection pads, replace the cover, firmly grasp the bowl, and push the cover slightly to one side to create a tiny opening for draining.
- Add 1 tablespoon of precooked quinoa. (See how to make under the “Details > Quinoa” subheading below.)
- Add 1 tablespoon of precooked legumes (beans, peas, & lentils). (See how to make under the “Details > Legumes” subheading below.)
- Add 1 dash chili powder.
- Add 1 dash cayenne pepper powder.
- Mix
- Cover the bowl and microwave on high for about 1-2 minutes.
- Drain in the same manner described above. Little or no liquid should drain out.
- Pour the warm ingredients on top or to one side of cabbage mix.
- Add 1/4 diced avocado on top.
Details
You don’t have to measure each ingredient exactly or include every item. If there are ingredients you like or don’t like, increase, reduce, or eliminate them. However, I encourage you to “not” remove ingredients simply because you’ve never eaten this particular combination of foods before. Be bold! Try it!
The key to enjoying a vegan diet over a “traditional” one is to “not” compare the taste but rather compare and appreciate the health benefits. Soon your taste buds will adjust and you’ll love the taste and hate the unhealthy stuff.
For expediency, I make a 5-7 day supply of quinoa and legumes mix in advance.
I buy bags of uncooked, pre-washed organic quinoa. To keep it fresh, I only cook about 3/4 of a cup at a time in a pressure cooker. I use organic low-sodium (salt) vegetable broth instead of water for taste and nutritional benefits. I also add a pinch of cumin and turmeric powder for the same reasons.
Follow your pressure cooker or rice cooker instructions on quinoa and broth amounts and cooking times.
I buy legumes (bean, pea, & lentils) soup mix in bulk. I use this soup mix instead of buying the items individually to save time and have a greater variety.
Be sure to thoroughly rinse the legumes with water before cooking.
I cook about 3/4 cup of the legumes in a pressure cooker. I use organic low-sodium (salt) vegetable broth instead of water for taste and nutritional benefits. I also add a pinch of cumin and turmeric powder for the same reasons.
Follow the pressure cooker or slow cooker instructions on the legumes and broth amounts and cooking times.
Recipe Download
Here’s a downloadable copy of this recipe. It is in a PDF format. You’ll need Adobe Reader to view and make a copy of it. To download a “free” copy of this software, go to Adobe.com.
Download a copy of this recipe here: Vegan Superfood Lunch Bowl
To your health and fitness.