Full of vegetables, beans, leafy greens and spreads for dipping, brunch bowls can be made in so many ways but these three are my go-to combinations. A Mexican bowl with peppers, sweetcorn and black beans, it all comes together with the smokey, warm spices and a refreshing dollop of guacamole. The Asian bowl with tenderstem broccoli, sweet potato and edamame beans uses ginger and a honey-based dressing to bring out the sweetness, while the veggie bowl with hummus is more versatile — you can easily replace the kale and broccoli with other greens. Try these brunch bowls in the weekend or as an extra filling weekday breakfast.
Mexican brunch bowl
Ingredients
- 1 red pepper
- 1 yellow pepper
- Handful of bibb lettuce
- 1/2 tin sweetcorn (around 200g)
- 1/2 tin black beans (around 200g)
- 6 cherry tomatoes
- 1 avocado
- 1 lime
- 1tsp cumin
- 2tsp smoked paprika
- 1tsp cayenne pepper
- Salt and pepper
- Olive oil
Method
- Slice the peppers into thin strips, place a pan on medium heat with olive oil and add the peppers with 1tsp smoked paprika, a pinch of cumin and pepper. Squeeze half of the lime over the top, mix everything and fry for 8-10 minutes. Turn them regularly to stop them from burning, but you still want them charred slightly for a nice smokey flavour.
- Drain the black beans and place in a small saucepan on a low heat with 1tsp smoked paprika and the cumin. Cook for around 5-7 minutes.
- For the guacamole, scoop the avocado out of its skin, place into a bowl with salt, pepper and juice of half a lime. Mash together with a fork until creamy.
- Drain the sweetcorn, chop the cherry tomatoes in half and start assembling your bowl. Place a handful of bibb lettuce into the bowl with the black beans, cherry tomatoes, sweetcorn and peppers. Add a dollop guacamole in the middle and enjoy!
Asian brunch bowl
- 1 small sweet potato
- Handful of tenderstem broccoli
- 100g edamame beans
- 1/4 small red cabbage
- 1/2 cucumber
- 1tsp ground ginger
- 1tsp garlic powder
- 1tbsp tamari
- 1tsp honey
- 1tsp black sesame seeds
- Salt and pepper
Method
- Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees, fan setting.
- Peel the sweet potato, cut into small cubes and place on a baking tray. Add the ginger, salt and pepper, drizzle in olive oil and roast in the oven for 40 minutes, until soft.
- Place the tenderstem broccoli on a baking tray, add the garlic powder, black pepper, salt and a drizzle of olive oil. Place on the baking tray with the sweet potato and roast in the oven for the remaining 10 minutes.
- Cut the red cabbage into quarters, remove the outer layer and the root. Thinly slice the cabbage into strips.
- Cut the cucumber into small pieces.
- For the dressing, mix 1tbsp tamari with 1tsp honey and 1tsp black sesame seeds in a bowl.
- Place all the vegetables with the edamame beans in a bowl, mix with the dressing and sprinkle with more black sesame seeds to finish.
Veggie brunch bowl
Ingredients
- 1 small butternut
- 1 small red cabbage
- 1 lemon
- 1/2 small broccoli
- 4 cherry tomatoes
- Handful of kale
- 1tsp paprika
- 1tsp Herbes de Provence (or a mix of rosemary, thyme and oregano)
- Big spoonful of hummus (I like the hummus from M&S but you can also make your own using Nue Ground’s recipe here)
- 3tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1tsbp water
- 1tsp sugar
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Method
- Prepare the pickled cabbage a week in advance. Cut the cabbage into quarters, slice as thinly as possible and place into a bowl with the apple cider vinegar, water, sugar, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Mix everything well to make sure the cabbage is completely covered in vinegar. Place in an airtight jar and store in the fridge for a week.
- Preheat the oven to 200degrees, fan setting.
- Peel and cut the butternut squash into small chunks, place on a baking tray with the paprika, Herbes de Provence, salt, and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil and roast in the oven for 30-40 minutes, until soft inside and crisp on the edges.
- Cut the broccoli into florets, add them to the baking tray with lots of pepper, along with the cherry tomatoes. Drizzle with olive oil and roast in the oven for the remaining 20 minutes, until the broccoli is charred and the cherry tomatoes start to burst.
- Place the kale leaves into a bowl, drizzle with olive oil and massage it into the leaves until they soften. Season with salt and fill the rest of your bowl with the butternut squash, cherry tomatoes, broccoli, pickled cabbage and a big dollop of hummus for dipping.
