This bowl is packed with veggies, fiber, healthy fats, and plant protein. Warm quinoa, crispy roasted potatoes, charred broccoli, and beans act as the base for this hearty bowl. The star is the “magic sauce”, which was inspired by a vegan cafe I used to go to all the time in Cambridge, MA called Life Alive. There was a veggie rice bowl that had a sauce I was obsessed with and this is my recreation of it! What makes it magic? Nutritional yeast (AKA “nooch”)! It makes the dressing extra silky and adds a deeply savory, cheesy, nutty flavor. So if you don’t have it on hand, go buy it!
Ingredient highlight
Nutritional yeast! These golden flakes are popular among vegans due to it’s cheesy flavor and vitamin content. It’s made from the same yeast as baker’s yeast, but it is grown and processed differently to deactivate its leavening properties. This process produces glutamic acid, which is what gives it that cheesy umami-rich flavor.
They are naturally rich in B vitamins, but most brands fortify the flakes with more B vitamins to address potential deficiencies since it’s hard to get enough B vitamins (especially B12) on a vegan diet.
What else can you do with it? We love sprinkling nutritional yeast on buttered popcorn – it sticks pretty well and adds a cheesy flavor. You can sprinkle it onto anything really or blend it into dressings or sauces.
Servings 4
Prep Time 20 minutes 
Cook Time 25 minutes Ingredients
- 1 lb potatoes, halved, very thinly sliced*
- 4 cups broccoli florets (from about 1 lb)*
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ cup quinoa (1 ½ cups cooked)
- 1 (15 oz) can of beans, drained and rinsed, warmed up in the microwave**
- 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
- Chopped fresh herbs, for topping
- Chopped toasted nuts, for topping
For the sauce:
- ½ cup nutritional yeast
- ¼ cup sesame seeds
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
- 2 tbsp water
- 2 tsp honey or maple
- 1 clove garlic
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- *Easily sub another starch veg for some or all of the potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, etc…. Broccoli can be replaced with cauliflower or another veggie that can take a long cook time. You can also use asparagus, but add it to the baking sheet during the last 10 minutes of bake time.
- **Always warm your beans before adding them to anything – it will make them taste better and absorb the flavor of the dressing.
- Add more greens! ~ Fluff 2 cups finely chopped kale, spinach, or other leafy green into the hot cooked quinoa.
- Double the sauce! ~ This is one of those sauces that you’ll want MORE of. It freezes really well and is delicious on meats, veggies, and any bowl variation.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425F convection. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- To the baking sheet, add the potatoes, broccoli, oil, salt, and pepper. Use your hands to toss to coat thoroughly. Spread into an even layer and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the broccoli is nicely charred (don’t be afraid to burn it!) and potatoes are golden.
- In a small-medium pot, add the quinoa and ¾ cup water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 12 minutes or until cooked through and water has evaporated.
- In a high-speed blender, add all of the dressing ingredients and blend on high until totally smooth.
- To your bowl, add a scoop of quinoa (a heaping ¼ cup), plenty of potatoes/broccoli, and warm beans. Drizzle the sauce all over. Top with feta, herbs, and nuts.
Items you can prep ahead (optional)
- Halve and thinly slice 1 lb potatoes (store in cold water)
- Chop 4 cups broccoli florets
- Roast the veggies
- Cook ½ cup quinoa
- Toast nuts for topping
- Prep herbs for topping
- Make the sauce
Substitutions:
- To make vegan, skip the feta. Top with a vegan alt cheese or more nutritional yeast.
- IF you really don’t want to buy the nutritional yeast, you could leave it out and add another ¼ cup sesame seeds or 2-3 tbsp tahini. I haven’t tried this, so make sure to taste and adjust the salt, acid, etc…if needed.
- Replace quinoa with rice or farro (any cooked grain).
- Replace broccoli with cauliflower or a quick cooking veg, like asparagus. If using asparagus, add it to the baking sheet when there is 10 minutes of cook time left.
- Not into beans? Add some cooked chicken, steak, or any cooked ground meat instead!
- Replace sesame seeds with walnuts OR you can use 2 heaping tbsp tahini.
Storage:
- Store leftovers in an airtight container:
- Quinoa: up to 6 days in the fridge or 2 months to the freezer
- Veggies: up to 5 days in the fridge or 2 months in the freezer
- Sauce: up to 5 days in the fridge or 2 months in the freezer
Leftovers + Repurposing:
- Turn the bowl into a salad – just toss everything together in a bowl with the sauce. Top with all the toppings.
- Thin out leftover sauce with some water.
- Put a fried egg on it or add any cooked chicken, sausage, etc…
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