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 shade and texture, and so they’re so satisfying to eat.

Over the weekend, a pal and I acquired 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 pal had made a standard model only some days earlier. We couldn’t assist however evaluate 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 lots higher than “just about something” to share with you at present.

Right now’s vegan Greek bowls have been giving me life prior to now week. They’re filled with crisp, contemporary veggies and the refreshing tzatziki, together with a do-it-yourself vegan protein element and certainly one of 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 substances 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 check of time. Over time, these versatile little orbs have grow to be certainly one of my favourite vegan proteins to meal prep.

I add them to pasta and salads, and I additionally wish to dip them into certainly one of my tahini dressings for a straightforward, 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 contemporary lemon orzo pasta salad with peas and dill, however the vibrant, citrusy seasoning is similar.

Slightly 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 could possibly substitute Niçoise olives or one other kind of olive that you simply love.

You may also exchange the olives altogether and take a look at swapping them for jarred, roasted crimson pepper strips or sliced banana peppers.

Recent 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 just like the greens in a traditional Greek salad, in order that they really feel fairly acceptable for the recipe.

However after all, you probably have different contemporary greens or herbs available that have to be used up, you may be happy to make some artistic substitutions.

Cool, creamy vegan tzatziki

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

Instead of 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 acquired a cashew allergy or nut allergy, then you could possibly 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 advanced bowls, I exploit the identical recommendation that I’ve at all times been given about cooking: season every element as you go.

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

Additionally, you may add further heaps of tzatziki to the greens in the event you’d like a no-oil choice.

Are the Greek bowls gluten-free?

Due to 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 in the event you’d wish to make a substitute.

You would additionally use one other gluten-free, small pasta form, or you could possibly 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 formulation that guides most of my meal planning: a protein supply or sources (chickpeas + wheat pasta), healthful fat (cashews + olive oil), advanced 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 organize. Nonetheless, I believe it tastes higher after a minimum of an evening within the fridge, when the flavors have had an opportunity to meld. Because of this, I like to recommend making it a minimum of 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 rather well. Retailer them within the freezer for as much as eight weeks and defrost in a single day earlier than transferring 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.

Facet observe: that is how I’ll at all times put together orzo as a facet dish to any extent further! It’s so good.

Personally, I believe it’s effective 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 may cool it as a lot as you want—rushing cooling by transferring to the fridge, if you wish to—earlier than plating.

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

Technically, you could possibly make the French dressing as much as a full week forward of time, but it surely’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.

Prime 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 may combine all the scrumptious tzatziki into them, in order that all the things has somewhat little bit of that cooling, creamy taste and texture.

The Vegan Week

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

Whether or not you will have three, two, and even only one hour of time to spare, The Vegan Week will present you the right way to batch prepare dinner assorted, 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 bins simply.

All of that stated, in the event you’d wish to make the Greek bowls in a single fell swoop, that’s effective, 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 abruptly, can be worthwhile.

Vegan Greek Bowls with Cashew Tzatziki and Orzo

Creator – 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 contemporary parsley and/or dill, for garnish (non-compulsory)

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 nicely. 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 just a few teaspoons of French dressing over the mattress of greens.

• Prime every portion of greens with 1 / 4 every of the cooked orzo, tomatoes, cucumber, olives, and Chickpea Oat Balls. Prime every bowl with 1 / 4 cup or extra of tzatziki. Garnish with chopped contemporary 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