A nourishing plant-based Harvest Bowl packed with roasted winter squash, carrots, golden beets, sweet potatoes, and chickpeas. Served over nutritious whole grains and drizzled with a tangy, sweet maple tahini sauce.
Even though this wholesome recipe can be made for lunch or dinner, I first made this Harvest Bowl for breakfast. I love having brown rice for breakfast, and I wanted a way to enjoy the best of autumn produce. I gathered an array of colorful vegetables and protein-rich chickpeas and created a slightly sweet sauce that makes this dish perfect for any meal of the day, and especially great for the holiday table.
What is a Harvest Bowl?
Alright, let's cut to the chase. This is not a Sweetgreen Harvest Bowl copycat recipe. To me, the word harvest makes me think of fall's bounty. It feels like it should be a bowl full of winter squashes and other seasonal veggies. That's why I created my own Harvest Bowl. 😉
This Harvest Bowl is more like a buddha bowl than a salad, but you could add dark, leafy greens to this bowl and it would be a crunchy, tasty addition!
This bowl features your favorite type of winter squash, golden beets, carrots, sweet potatoes, and chickpeas. You can serve these roasted veggies over any type of whole grain, like brown rice or farro.
Every colorful buddha bowl needs a creamy sauce to go with it! This Maple Tahini Sauce is tangy, sweet, velvety, and rich.
Why You'll Love this Recipe!
- So nutritious and satisfying! This bowl is high in protein from the chickpeas and even more so when paired with a whole grain. The colorful veggies pack in so many vitamins and antioxidants.
- An array of textures. The vegetables are chewy, the chickpeas are crispy, and the sauce is smooth and creamy. The different textures in this dish will melt in your mouth!
- Perfect for any meal or occasion. I love that this recipe can be enjoyed for any meal of the day, and it makes a warm and nourishing side dish for Thanksgiving or other holiday dinners.
Ingredients
Roasted winter squash is the star of this recipe. You'll need two types of squash here, and I used an acorn squash and a pumpkin. But you can pick anything that you love!
Carrots, beets, and sweet potatoes add a subtly sweet and warming flavor, while the chickpeas provide a savory, crunchy texture and flavor.
The veggies and chickpeas are roasted in olive oil and spices: cinnamon, ginger, turmeric, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. These spices add a fall flavor, a bit of savory spice, some fragrance, and a bit of kick!
The roasted Harvest Bowl is then topped with a Maple Tahini Sauce, made with nutty tahini, sweet maple syrup, bright lemon juice, tangy white wine vinegar, and salt and pepper for additional seasoning and to bring the flavors together into a deliciously creamy sauce.
How to Make a Harvest Bowl
Preheat oven to 425F. Peel and chop the squash, peel and chop the beet, and chop the carrots. Place the chopped veggies on a large baking sheet. Drain and rinse the chickpeas and place them on a separate baking sheet. Dice the sweet potato and add it to the pan with the chickpeas.
Add 3 tablespoons of oil to the pan with the squash, beets, and carrots. Add 2 tablespoons of oil to the pan with the chickpeas and sweet potato.
Divide each of the spices between the two pans, adding more if needed to season everything well. Use a spoon to gently toss the veggies and chickpeas.
Add the pans to the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Use a spoon to mix up the veggies halfway through cooking. If it's easier, you can pull the pans from the oven to stir them before returning them back to the oven.
While the veggies and chickpeas are roasting, make the maple tahini sauce. Add all of the ingredients to a medium bowl and whisk together until you achieve a smooth sauce. The sauce yields about ⅔ cup, resulting in about 5 servings if you use 2 tablespoons per bowl.
When the veggies and chickpeas are done roasting, serve them over cooked whole grains, like brown rice or farro. Drizzle the maple tahini sauce over top. If you desire a little heat, sriracha works great!
Maple Tahini Sauce
This tangy, sweet sauce is so creamy and rich. It is the perfect accompaniment to this bowl, but it can be enjoyed on just about any buddha bowl! It would make a flavorful salad dressing in any fall-themed salad, and it would taste great on any side dish of roasted vegetables. You could even use this as a dipping sauce for spring rolls or rosemary fries. Spread it on a grilled portobello sandwich. The options are truly endless, but you'll definitely want to keep this Maple Tahini Sauce recipe in your back pocket. 🙂
Harvest Bowl Health Benefits
- Winter squash: great source of vitamins, antioxidants, fiber, and anti-inflammatory compounds
- Golden beets: heart healthy, kidney and blood cleansers, high in antioxidants
- Carrots: excellent source of potassium, antioxidants, vitamins, and beta-carotene
- Chickpeas: high in fiber and protein, a healthy fat, support heart and gut health
- Tahini: rich in antioxidants, contain antibacterial properties and anti-inflammatory compounds, help protect liver and kidney function, may strengthen central nervous system
Recipe Variations
- Add or swap your favorite vegetables and winter squash. Use any type of winter squash you like in this recipe, and feel free to swap out any of the veggies for your favorites. Or use what you already have at home!
- Ad dark, leafy greens. Sautéed or massaged kale would taste great in this bowl.
- Add other festive flavors. Pomegranate seeds or fresh rosemary would make lovely additions!
- Serve over pasta or pizza. Make the roasted vegetables, but toss them with pasta and olive oil or on top of a pizza with dollops of my Tofu Ricotta.
- Add more protein. Fried or baked tofu would add even more texture and protein to this bowl.
How to Meal Prep
If you are serving this bowl over whole grains, you can prepare the grains a couple days in advance. You can also chop the veggies a day in advance so they're ready to easily toss on the pan to roast. The chickpeas can be roasted a few days ahead of time. And you can make the sauce a day or two ahead as well.
Storage & Reheating
Store the sauce separately in an airtight jar. It will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days. Store the Harvest Bowl in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
To reheat, I like to combine the grains with the veggies and warm everything up on the stovetop in a large pan with some olive oil. Let the sauce come to room temperature so it drizzles on top of the bowls easily.
More Fall Recipes You'll Love!
- Thai Butternut Squash Soup
- Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
- Pumpkin Cauliflower Curry
- Lentil and Bean Chili
- French Lentil Soup with Mushrooms
I hope you enjoy this cozy fall recipe! If you love it, be sure to like this recipe and let me know what you think in the comments. 🙂
📖 Recipe
Harvest Bowl with Maple Tahini Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 types of winter squash I used one acorn squash and one pumpkin
- 2 carrots
- 1 gold beet
- 15 ounces chickpeas canned
- 2 sweet potatoes
- 5 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ginger
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground (or enough to cover both pans)
Maple Tahini Sauce
- 5 tablespoons tahini
- 3 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Pinch black pepper (a few turns on the shaker)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425F. Peel and chop the squash, peel and chop the beet, and chop the carrots. Place the chopped veggies on a large baking sheet. Drain and rinse the chickpeas and place them on a separate baking sheet. Dice the sweet potato and add it to the pan with the chickpeas.
- Add 3 tablespoons of oil to the pan with the squash, beets, and carrots. Add 2 tablespoons of oil to the pan with the chickpeas and sweet potato.
- Divide each of the spices between the two pans, adding more if needed to season everything well. Use a spoon to gently toss the veggies and chickpeas.
- Add the pans to the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Use a spoon to mix up the veggies halfway through cooking. If it's easier, you can pull the pans from the oven to stir them before returning them back to the oven.
- While the veggies and chickpeas are roasting, make the maple tahini sauce. Add all of the ingredients to a medium bowl and whisk together until you achieve a smooth sauce. The sauce yields about ⅔ cup, resulting in about 5 servings if you use 2 tablespoons per bowl.
- When the veggies and chickpeas are done roasting, serve them over cooked whole grains, like brown rice or farro. Drizzle the maple tahini sauce over top. If you desire a little heat, sriracha works great!
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