These brown rice bowls are packed with all that’s good for you! With a rainbow of delicious roasted vegetables, crispy roasted chickpeas, hearty brown rice, creamy avocado and fresh cilantro all topped off with a drizzle of barbecue sauce, this dish is everything you need in a meal all served up in a single bowl!
Fact: everyone loves meals in a bowl. Several years ago I wrote this compilation of some of the best vegan bowl recipes I could find on the internet and that post has remained one of my most popular to date.
Bowls are simple (but not boring), customizable, great for meal prepping and for using up leftovers. So when I got my grubby little hands on a copy of the new cookbook The Meatless Monday Family Cookbook, I was excited to see a whole chapter dedicated to bowls!
If you regularly search for vegan recipes on the web or Pinterest, chances are that you’ve come across a recipe from Jenn Sebestyen at Veggie Inspired. She’s been blogging for quite a while and has amassed a significant collection of delicious, simple-to-prepare meat-free recipes.
She’s just released her first cookbook and I’m excited to share this recipe from the book with you!
The Meatless Monday Family Cookbook is a great choice for anyone who wants to incorporate more veggies into their diet and particularly those who are looking for kid-approved plant-based recipes. Most of the recipes in the book take just 30 minutes so they’re perfect for busy weeknights.
In addition to bowls, you’ll find chapters dedicated to soups, casseroles, one pot wonders, pasta, breakfast for dinner, and more. There are also helpful tips for getting started with meatless Monday if you’re new and looking for a little guidance.
What I like most about this cookbook are all the tips she gives for getting kids into the kitchen. If you’re trying to make healthier choices for your family it can sometimes be a bit challenging to get everyone on board.
Jenn wrote the book with this in mind and has filled it with specific ways in which kids can help prepare a meal and what you can do to make vegetables more appealing for them!
These BBQ chickpea and roasted veggie brown rice bowls, for example, are a great choice for picky kids as you can keep each component separate and let them choose which ones to top their bowls with.
Furthermore, it’s easy to swap out one ingredient for another. Don’t like broccoli? Use cauliflower instead.
This recipe is uber simple to make but loaded with flavour. Just slice up a few veggies and spread them on a couple of pans along with a can’s worth of chickpeas. Pop the pans in the oven for about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, boil up some brown rice. You have the option to make your own BBQ sauce or you can use a store-bought BBQ sauce.
That’s literally it. Once the veggies are roasted and the rice is cooked, it’s ready to serve! Divide the rice into four bowls and top with the chickpeas and veggies. Add some sliced or diced avocado and a sprinkling of cilantro. Drizzle over the BBQ sauce or serve it on the side.
These BBQ rice bowls budget-friendly, quick, easy and tasty!
BBQ Chickpea and Roasted Veggie Brown Rice Bowls
Ingredients
For the BBQ chickpea veggie bowls
- 1 can (15 ounces, or 425 g) chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 1 head broccoli chopped into bite-size florets
- 2 red bell peppers seeded and sliced (or color of your choice)
- 1 red onion halved and sliced
- 2 tablespoons (28 ml) olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper or to taste
- 2 cups (390 g) cooked brown rice
- 1 avocado peel and pit removed, diced
- ¼ cup (4 g) cilantro chopped
- 1 cup (235 ml) Sweet-and-Spicy BBQ Sauce (below) or store-bought BBQ sauce
For the sweet-and-spicy BBQ sauce (optional)
- 6 ounces (170 g) tomato paste
- ¼ cup (60 ml) apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup (60 ml) balsamic vinegar
- 3 tablespoons (60 g) pure maple syrup
- 1 - 2 chipotle peppers in adobo
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground mustard
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ½ cup (120 ml) water to thin, or more as needed
Instructions
For the BBQ chickpea veggie bowls
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C, or gas mark 5). Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Spread out the chickpeas, broccoli, bell peppers, and onion on the baking sheets. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Spread them out in one even layer. Roast for 20 minutes, mix the veggies, and swap the pans in the oven so the one on top is now on the bottom. Roast for another 10 to 15 minutes until the veggies are starting to char and the chickpeas are crispy (they will continue to crisp up as they sit).
- Add ½ cup (98 g) of cooked rice to each of 4 bowls. Divvy up the roasted vegetables, diced avocado, and cilantro equally among the bowls. Drizzle with the BBQ sauce.
For the sweet-and-spicy BBQ sauce (optional)
- Place all the ingredients into a blender; use 2 chipotle peppers if you like it spicier. Purée until smooth.
- Transfer sauce to a pot over medium-high heat and bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until thick, or until the desired consistency is reached.
Notes
T says
I was sceptical of this recipe being flavourful enough but I really loved it! It’s currently in the oven for the second time in the last week.