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This veggie power bowl draws heavily on the freezer and pantry without sacrificing flavor or nutrition. Makes a fabulous vegan, gluten-free, 10-minute meal for one or many.
Why we love this recipe
I’m such a fan of a big, vibrant dinner bowl. This happy rainbow of complex carbs, plant-based protein, and good fats will keep you satisfied for hours. A veggie power bowl is:
- So quick — ready in 10 minutes
- Easy to put together from pantry, freezer, and long-lived ingredients
- Colorful, nutritious, and fresh
- Flexible — let everyone choose their own adventure from within a set of options you can feel good about
- Vegan, gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free — you name it
- Eminently scalable — make one or many
I first published this recipe here back in 2016. I’ve since updated the post for clarity, but the recipe remains the same.
What you’ll need
Here’s a glance at the ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe.
- Canned chickpeas make this recipe quick and easy, and they work great here. You can cook your own chickpeas from dried, of course, if you like. The two cans in this recipe (which makes four power bowls) equal about 3 ½ cups of cooked chickpeas.
- When I first published this recipe, I called for frozen chopped broccoli, which is nice and small and distributes so well throughout your bites of dinner. These days it’s nearly impossible to find, so petite florets are just fine, too. Of course you can steam broccoli from fresh if you prefer. I just love that the frozen stuff is easy to keep on hand, and it works nicely in this unfussy recipe.
- Frozen corn is a great choice here, too. Cook it lightly in the microwave according to package instructions.
- You can really include any fresh greens that you have on hand. Baby spinach is one of my favorites, and baby arugula would also work beautifully.
- Red or orange bell pepper adds a nice crunch and some gorgeous color.
- I like to use sliced pimento-stuffed green olives for little pops of brininess and umami, but you can use any kind you like.
- Here’s how to make the fabulous balsamic shallot vinaigrette pictured here.
How to make it
Here’s an overview of what you’ll do to make one or more veggie power bowls. You can see the steps in action in the video that accompanies this post, and get all the details in the recipe card below.
- First you’ll lightly cook the corn and broccoli. I like to do this in the microwave — just put them in a lidded container with a couple of tablespoons of water, cook for a few minutes, and drain.
- Layer the ingredients into one or more serving bowls, or arrange them buffet style and let people assemble their own bowls.
- I usually have a batch of dressing in the fridge (and recommend doing this to make healthy eating more accessible), but if you don’t it’s quick easy to whip up a batch. You can shake it up right in a lidded jar and store leftovers in it.
- Drizzle bowls with dressing and serve.
Expert tips and FAQs
Let me stop you right there. You sure can. Pretty much any substitutions or additions you’d like to make will be just fine in a recipe like this. Some easy options are changing up the greens, beans, or dressing (search this site for more great options), adding a grain, or adding a crunchy topping like nuts or seeds. I recommend keeping a wide variety of colors, textures, and flavors, and I like to include a leafy element, a starch, and some crunch whenever possible.
You can prep all the elements up to a week in advance and store in airtight containers in the fridge. I like to assemble the bowls right before serving — or you can meal prep them and just add dressing at the last minute.
More favorite power bowls
- Black bean taco bowls
- Salt-and-pepper tofu sushi bowls
- Forbidden rice buddha bowls
- Halloumi and lentil bowls
- Sweet potato buddha bowls
- Quinoa power bowls
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Veggie Power Bowls
Ingredients
- 16 ounces (454 grams) frozen chopped broccoli or petite florets
- 16 ounces (454 grams) frozen corn
- 5 ounces baby spinach
- 2 15.5- ounce 439-gram cans chickpeas, rinsed, drained, and patted dry
- 1 bell pepper, sliced
- 7 ounces (198 grams) sliced Spanish-style olives with pimentos, drained
- 1 recipe balsamic shallot vinaigrette
Instructions
- Cook the broccoli and the corn in the microwave according to package directions. I like to put each in a separate lidded container with a couple of tablespoons of water and heat until just cooked through. To save time, you can use a container large enough to accommodate them both, compare cooking times, and add one to the other at the appropriate moment. Drain vegetables and divide among individual serving bowls or place into separate bowls if serving buffet-style.
- Place each ingredient in a separate bowl and let diners assemble their own meals. Or, to assemble each bowl, start with spinach and layer in other ingredients, finishing with a drizzle of dressing.
Notes
- Canned chickpeas make this recipe quick and easy, and they work great here. You can cook your own chickpeas from dried, of course, if you like. The two cans in this recipe equal about 3 ½ cups of cooked chickpeas.
- Pretty much any substitutions or additions you'd like to make will be just fine in a recipe like this. Some easy options are changing up the greens, beans, or dressing (search this site for more great options), adding a grain, or adding a crunchy topping like nuts or seeds. I recommend keeping a wide variety of colors, textures, and flavors, and I like to include a leafy element, a starch, and some crunch whenever possible.
- You can prep all the elements up to a week in advance and store in airtight containers in the fridge. I like to assemble the bowls right before serving — or you can meal prep them and just add dressing at the last minute.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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