As I type this on a rainy and cold early February Saturday, huddled in thick leggings and a blanket and dreaming of warmer and brighter days, the last thing on my mind is preparing and eating a cold salad. Oh no. My wintertime dreams are made of warm nourish bowls, because eating a cold salad is just no fun this time of year.

Salads have never earned the reputation of ‘comfort food’ – and I understand that. Salads, in fact, may be the anti-comfort food of the Standard American Diet…but we can change this, in the most delicious way. This Warm Nourish Bowl is technically a salad, but it’s also definitely comfort food into my book. A bunch of nourishing, warming elements in one bowl drizzled with warming Turmeric & Tahini Dressing is absolutely the most comforting salad you’ll ever have. You may also need to throw away all your other ideas of comfort food, because unlike heavy macaroni and cheese, this Nourish Bowl will leave you feeling simply amazing after devouring it.

It’s also quite a complete and balanced meal and fulfills all the textures, tastes, and macronutrients needed to treat your beautiful body right. Macronutrients, by the way, are also known as protein, carbohydrates, and fats – the three nutrients that provide your body with energy (calories). They are all incredibly essential in their own way, so creating a delicious meal with all the macronutrients is a wonderful way to replenish your energy stock and keep you zinging! Here’s a bit about the three. Carbohydrates are used as our body’s main source of fuel and are essential for every cellular function in our bod. Protein is needed for tissue repair, immune function, growth, and extra energy when carbs are depleted. Fats are the most concentrated source of energy and provide your body cushioning for its organs, growth and development, absorbing certain vitamins, and helping out in the maintenance of your cell’s membranes. All of those nutrients have incredibly important jobs, hence their name macronutrients: macro, meaning we need a large amount of them to put our best body forward.

Of course, a blah cold iceberg salad isn’t going to deliver the best source of macronutrients your body needs – but this warming (comfort food worthy) Nourish Bowl will. Carbohydrates come from the delicious sweet potatoes, spinach, and brown rice. Protein is found in the garbanzo beans as well as the rice, avocado, and spinach, and our healthy fats are found in the buttery rich avocados that give this nourish bowl the most comforting taste.

It’s time to redefine comfort food – let’s do it with this giant bowl full of goodness!

P.S. Making a Nourish Bowl? Upload a photo to Instagram and tag it #vegukate ! I can’t wait to see the goodness you all make ☺

Warm Nourish Bowl with Turmeric Tahini Dressing

Serves 2

1 cup brown rice
2 cups water
1 big tablespoon tahini
2 teaspoons tamari

2 medium sized sweet potatoes, cubed
1 tablespoon coconut oil
Sea salt & pepper

1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas, rinsed thoroughly if from a can
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon curry powder
Sea salt & pepper

2-3 big handfuls baby spinach
1 tablespoon olive oil
Juice of ½ a lemon
Sea salt & pepper

Turmeric Tahini Dressing:
¼ cup tahini
3 tablespoons lemon juice
¼ cup filtered water (more or less depending on consistency)
½ teaspoon raw honey
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
Sea salt and ground black pepper

1 avocado, diced

Begin by cooking your rice. Bring brown rice and water to a boil in a small pot on the stove, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 45-50 minutes or until water is completely absorbed. Once rice is fully cooked, stir in tahini and tamari and remove from heat to let sit before adding into nourish bowls.

Preheat oven to 425° F. While rice is cooking, prep your sweet potatoes and chickpeas. Grab ahold of two baking trays and toss one with coconut oil, and the other with olive oil. Add cubed sweet potatoes to the coconut oil tray and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add rinsed chickpeas to the olive oil tray and sprinkle with curry powder and salt and pepper. Toss both trays to coat evenly. Place both trays into oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, shaking the trays every 15 minutes or so to redistribute. Potatoes are done once fork tender, and chickpeas are done once they are toasted and crisp.

While rice, potatoes, and chickpeas are cooking, prepare the dressing. Place all dressing ingredients, except water, in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Slowly add in water until you’ve reached the desired dressing consistency.

When everything is just about finished up, give your spinach a quick sauté. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, and sauté spinach 2-3 minutes, until wilted. Squeeze the juice of half a lemon over top and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Divide up all the goodness between two big bowls. Add in sautéed spinach, roasted chickpeas, rice, sweet potatoes, and avocado and drizzle with turmeric tahini dressing. Enjoy warm and devour!