These turmeric cauliflower bowls are the perfect quickie meal you have been looking for. Delightfully different, this one is sure to breathe fresh air into your mealtime repertoire. I like this one for breakfast, which may sound strange, but the hearty dose of fiber, protein and flavor makes it the perfect start to the day.
Turmeric is a magical spice. The golden hue makes it both beautiful and medicinal. It has been revered for centuries for it's health benefits across the globe. Combined with fresh black pepper and an aromatic spice mix with garlic, cumin and coriander, it's flavor is like no other.
This mix is perfect to make this turmeric cauliflower vegan bowl really pop. I like to add some heat with chili flakes after cooking since my children do not like spicy food, but if you add them while cooking it will intensify the heat.
What are Cauliflower Bowls?
Cauliflower bowls are a fun alternative to grain bowls or buddha bowls.
Basically, the cauliflower is the base, and you add all different kinds of spices, veggies, and toppings to make them into a complete meal. They're one of my favorite things and I could easily eat them on a daily basis.
For these turmeric cauliflower bowls, we start with a base of fresh veggies, like crispy cauliflower, zucchini and bell peppers. Then we sauté them quickly with the aromatic spices.
Next we layer in cous cous, water and chickpeas and cover to finish cooking the veggies and cous cous.
Last, we add the spinach to wilt and the fresh cherry tomatoes to warm. This combination of foods makes this turmeric cauliflower vegan bowl a nutritional powerhouse.
Just before serving, add a tahini drizzle to finish it off with a punchy, nutty garnish that adds so much flavor. All of the flavors truly sing together and they're the perfect meal any time of day!
Why you’ll love this Turmeric Cauliflower Recipe
- Ready in just 15 short minutes
- Easy enough for a last minute weeknight dinner but also great for meal prep
- Such a great way to load up on veggies
- Versatile enough to eat for breakfast, lunch, or dinner
- Customizable with lots of different vegetables and seasonings
Ingredients for Cauliflower Bowls
This recipe is all about fresh veggies with 6 different types in every bowl. Since the veggies need to be cooked, this is a great place to use produce that might not be fresh enough to eat raw in a salad.
- Cauliflower florets - These are the main ingredient in this recipe and are the perfect neutral base for all the other toppings. You can either buy a head of cauliflower and separate it into bite-sized florets yourself, or buy them already separated.
- Zucchini - For a soft, meaty texture that soaks up all the spices.
- Canned chickpeas - I love using chickpeas (AKA garbanzo beans) here because they have a nice, somewhat meaty texture and offer additional protein and fiber.
- Yellow bell pepper
- Freshly minced garlic
- Baby spinach - This will wilt in just moments while adding a nice dose of fiber and nutrients.
- Dry couscous - Cous cous is actually a type of pasta, and it cooks in just a few minutes. If you're gluten-free, feel free to use quinoa instead but you'll need to adjust the cooking time.
- Extra virgin olive oil - For more healthy fats and to help the veggies toast up nicely.
- Cherry tomatoes - These will plump up in the heat and add a nice freshness and acidity.
- Seasonings - We're going to be generous with spices here to layer in lots of flavor. I use a mix of turmeric, onion powder, smoked paprika, ground coriander, ground cumin, and salt and pepper to taste. Adding salt to taste makes it easier to cook with less sodium without skimping on flavor.
For the Tahini Dressing
- Tahini - Tahini made from ground sesame seeds, which offer healthy fats, protein, and fiber, plus a deliciously nutty taste that works great with the garlic and lemon.
- Fresh lemon juice
- Crushed red pepper flakes - For a little warmth. If you want a spicy tahini sauce, add more flakes, some cayenne pepper, or a dash or two of hot sauce.
- Garlic powder
- Salt and pepper
Pro Tip: For this recipe, I like to make the tahini sauce super thick, like yogurt consistency, but this drizzle can double as a dressing if you add more liquid. This tahini drizzle really finishes this bowl off with a burst of unexpected flavor which pairs so well with the other Middle Eastern spices.
How to Make Turmeric Cauliflower Bowls
This whole dish comes together quickly in a large pan - no need to preheat the oven at all. It's a super simple one-pot meal that's ready in just 15 minutes from start to finish!
- Heat pan on medium and add oil and garlic, cook for 3 minutes until garlic is fragrant.
- Add cauliflower, zucchini, turmeric, coriander, smoked paprika and cumin and cook for 5 minutes stirring often so that the spices do not burn.
- Add bell peppers and cook for 2-3 minutes
- Add water, salt, chickpeas and and cous cous and cover the pan, let boil for 2 minutes and turn off the heat to finish steaming the cous cous. Add baby spinach to the top, cover again and let sit covered for 5 minutes.
- Lastly, add the cherry tomatoes without cooking more, fluffing and folding in gently with a fork. Spinach will have wilted and all water will have been absorbed by cous cous. Top with crushed red and black pepper.
- To make the tahini drizzle, mix the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk.
Storing Suggestions
Feel free to store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. The leftovers taste great the next day, and they reheat well in the microwave for a quick meal (or a handy meal prep option packed with produce).
Tips for Making the Best Cauliflower Power Bowls
- Play with different veggies. The ingredients here are versatile and can easily change with the seasons. Sweet potatoes, brussels sprouts, and black beans are really nice during the cooler months of year when zucchini and tomatoes aren't available. These flavors also work well with red onions, broccoli, and kale, too. Pickled onions would add a nice brightness and a little acidity, as well.
- Add some sweetness. If you prefer slightly sweeter sauces, feel free to add a little splash of maple syrup to the sauce.
- Garnish with fresh herbs. I can never get enough fresh herbs. They're so good for you and they add more complex flavors to any dish. These turmeric cauliflower bowls would be great with fresh parsley, cilantro, chopped green onion, or chives.
- Spice it up. Prefer a spicier dish Add some chili powder or cayenne pepper to the seasoning mixture or some hot sauce to the tahini drizzle.
FAQs
Many people like to make cauliflower bowls with roasted cauliflower, which works, but is a different way of cooking than this recipe uses. I like to cook the veggies and spices together in the pan, then cover them with couscous to soak up that flavor. If you prefer the flavor of roasted cauliflower, you can roast it separately on a baking tray in the oven, and then add it just before serving.
This recipe already has a fair amount of protein from the veggies, chickpeas, and tahini. If you want more, consider adding some crispy tofu, tempeh, or some lentils.
The whole premise of this recipe is to cook the couscous with the veggies and the couscous to soak up the flavor. Since other grains, like white or brown rice, take so much longer to cook, the veggies would be way too overcooked if you used them instead. One alternative is to cook the grains separately and toss them together just before serving.
Other Delicious Vegan Bowl Recipes
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Turmeric Cauliflower Bowls (Vegan)
Equipment
- saute pan
Ingredients
- 2 cups cauliflower florets
- 1 zucchini chopped
- 15 oz chickpeas drained
- 1 yellow bell pepper seeded and chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 cups baby spinach
- ¼ cup cous cous dry
- ½ cup water
- 1 tsp olive oil extra virgin
- 6 cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 tbsp turmeric
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- 1 salt and pepper to taste
Tahini Drizzle
- 3 tbsp tahini
- 1 lemon juiced
- 1 pinch crushed red pepper
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ cup water
- 1 salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat pan on medium and add oil and garlic, cook for 3 minutes until garlic is fragrant.
- Add cauliflower, zucchini, turmeric, coriander, smoked paprika and cumin and cook for 5 minutes stirring often so that the spices do not burn.
- Add bell peppers and cook for 2-3 minutes
- add water, salt, chickpeas and and cous cous and cover the pan, let boil for 2 minutes and turn off the heat to finish steaming the cous cous. Add baby spinach to the top, cover again and let sit covered for 5 minutes.
- Lastly, add the cherry tomatoes without cooking more, fluffing and folding in geintly with a fork. Spinach will have wilted and all water will have been absorbed by cous cous. Top with crushed red and black pepper.
- To make the tahini drizzle, mix the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk.
Michele
When does the zucchini go in? With the peppers or the cous cous?
Sara Tercero
I altered the recipe, it was a typo sorry! Add with the cauliflower.
Angela Sims
You also left out when to add onion powder. 🙂
Sara Tercero
Sorry about that! Hope you went with your instincts and it all came out great anyway!