Today I’m sharing a plant-based bowl featuring some seasonal produce for September – I hate the shorter days and worse weather as we shift from Summer to Autumn, but I do love this time of year in terms of food, so in the interest of leaning into seasonal changes, I really recommend trying this recipe…
INGREDIENTS
Vegetables:
Cherry tomatoes (or baby plum)
Chard (kale also works)
Butternut squash (or any other squash / pumpkin)
Cauliflower
Red onion
Fibre:
Beluga lentils (or any other lentil – pre-cooked)
Chickpeas (pre-cooked)
Pearl barley (or any other whole grain)
Flavour:
Turmeric
Chilli flakes
Toppings:
Pecan nuts
Pumpkin seeds
Pomegranate seeds
Fresh parsley
Dressing:
Apple cider vinegar
Mustard
Maple syrup
Extra-virgin olive oil
TIPS & NOTES
This is a simple recipe, I just recommend ensuring that if you use canned chickpeas or lentils, once you’ve drained and rinsed them, just pat them dry so they don’t split in the oven. You can also use pre-cooked whole grains, if you like (such as these ones from Merchant Gourmet which I often use), just microwave them with the chard to wilt it down.
September Harvest Bowl
A simple plant-based bowl that makes the most of September produce
Ingredients
-
*
100g of pearl barley (rinsed)
- 1/4 of a small butternut squash (c.300g) (peeled and cut into bite-sized cubes)
- 150g of chard (roughly chopped)
- 1 small head of cauliflower (c.350g) (cut into florets)
- 100g of cherry tomatoes
- 1 small red onion (cut into thick wedges)
- 120g (1/2 a 400g can) of chickpeas (drained, rinsed and patted dry)
- 20g of pecans
- 100g of beluga lentils
- 1 tsp of maple syrup
- 1 tsp of mustard
- 1 tbsp of apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp of extra-virgin olive oil (+ extra for cooking)
- 1 tsp of turmeric
- 1/2 a tsp of chilli flakes (halve this if you don’t like heat)
- 25g of pomegranate seeds
- A small handful (c.3g) of fresh parsley (stems removed)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 180C
- Add the squash, tomatoes, cauliflower and red onion to an oven dish or sheet pan, season with salt and pepper, sprinkle over the turmeric and chilli flakes and drizzle with olive oil – toss together and roast for 25-30 mins (tossing halfway through)
- 10 minutes into the vegetable cooking time, add the chickpeas and lentils to a sheet pan, spreading out evenly, and season with salt and pepper, drizzle with olive oil and toss together – add to the oven (toss halfway throughg)
- Add a drizzle of olive oil to a small lidded saucepan over a medium heat, add the pearl barley, salt and pepper and toast in the oil for a couple of minutes before adding 150ml of water – cover and bring to the boil before reducing to a simmer for c.20 mins until the water is absorbed (stirring occasionally)
- Add the pecans and pumpkin seeds to a small ovenproof dish and add for the final 7-10 mins of the vegetables’ cooking time – once they’re fragrant, remove, allow to cool a little and then give them a rough chop
- When the pearl barley is 90% done, add the chard, stir, cover and cook for a final couple of minutes
- Make the dressing by combining the extra-virgin olive oil, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup and mustard with a pinch of salt and pepper in a jar and shaking up or in a small jug and whisking together
- Serve by adding the chard and barley to the bottom of a plate and layering over the chickpea and lentil mix, vegetables, pumpkin seeds and pecans, drizzle over the dressing, sprinkle over the pomegranate seeds and finish with the parsley leaves
Let me know if you try this harvest bowl!
But First, Food 
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