FALL HARVEST BOWLS WITH CREAMY POPPYSEED DRESSING

As autumn comes to a close and the holiday season approaches, I’m back today with my Fall Harvest Bowls with Creamy Poppyseed Dressing — an inventive vegan entrée that combines some of my favourite seasonal ingredients in a nutritious, protein packed bowl! Although it’s been awhile since I’ve published a SALAD or BOWL recipe here at JustineCelina, if you follow along with my Stories, you’ve undoubtedly seen me whip these up almost weekly over the past few months. This recipe was originally conceived back in August when I was yearning for my first taste of fall flavours — and after many rounds of testing to make sure it was just right, I’m eager to share the perfected recipe with you!

My Fall Harvest Bowls with Creamy Poppyseed Dressing are an ultra nourishing, 30 minute vegan meal that beautifully showcase seasonal produce and pantry staples, but can be enjoyed year-round. A bed of baby spinach and arugula houses a hearty melange of black glutinous rice, chick peas, fresh apples and shredded carrots — topped off with a tanini-based Creamy Poppyseed Dressing, dried cranberries and roasted pecans. If you’re into meal prepping, you can also whip up a large batch of rice and multiple batches of dressing on the weekend — and have healthy, effortless weekday dinners and hearty lunch options sorted for the week. Come join me in my kitchen for a fresh, vegan bowl brimming with nutrients that celebrates late autumn while fueling you up for the busy holiday season ahead! 

FALL HARVEST BOWLS WITH CREAMY POPPYSEED DRESSING

As a plant-based eater, simple meals like this comprise a large part of my diet. I love both the ease and nutrition factor of bowl-style meals — plus, the flavour combination possibilities are endless! All you need is a handful of seasonal produce and a few plant-based pantry staples to bring these easy, 30 minute vegan bowls to life.

In this recipe, I’ve chosen to use black glutinous rice (as we have a large bag in the pantry that I’m trying to get through!), but feel free to use whatever rice you desire. If you’re not familiar with black glutinous rice, it’s a super hearty, deep purple grain with a slightly firmer, nuttier texture than wild, brown or white rice. And despite it’s somewhat confusing name, it is gluten free! Wild rice is my second choice for this recipe, but a brown basmati or even a green jasmine rice would also be lovely! 

These Fall Harvest Bowls are extremely nutrient dense thanks to gorgeous, vitamin and antioxidant rich seasonal produce, plus the nutritional yeast in the Creamy Poppyseed Dressing. Not only does it provide a delicious tang, it also delivers a mega-dose of B12 and a host of other key vitamins essential for plant-based diets. Nutritional yeast is a staple in our pantry and I’ve used it in a couple of other recipes here at JustineCelina — but if you haven’t tried it yet, this recipe is a fantastic way to dip your toes in. My favourite variety is Bob’s Red Mill (which is available at most grocers), but you can also find it in the bulk section at your local health food store. 

My favourite thing about these delicious vegan fall harvest bowls is once you have your rice cooked and your dressing whizzed up, they’re a breeze to throw together. You can also pack them up for lunches or meal prepping — simply add dressing first, followed by main ingredients, with spinach and arugula on top.

Oh and by the way, my Fall Harvest Bowls with Creamy Poppyseed Dressing pair perfectly with a glass of earthy Pinot Noir. Let’s get started, shall we?

INGREDIENTS

Yield: 2 entrée sized bowls

FALL HARVEST BOWLS

• 2 cups of baby spinach
• 2 cups of arugula
• 1 cup warm black glutinous rice, cooked (or wild rice)
• 1 cup chick peas
• 2 apples
• 2 carrots 
• 2/3 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup pecans
• 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• Pinch of pink Himalayan salt 

CREAMY POPPYSEED DRESSING

• 1/4 cup tahini
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 4 tbsp water
• 1 tbsp tamari (or soy sauce if you don’t require a gluten free dressing)
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 3 tbsp pure Canadian maple syrup
• 1 tbsp poppyseeds

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Start by preparing rice as instructed on the package. Although this recipe only requires 2 cups, cooked (1 cup for each bowl), I like to cook a larger batch of 1 cup dry so I have leftovers for each bowl assembly for the rest of the week. Typically, rice takes about 20 – 30 minutes to cook and we have some work to do in the meantime!

2. While the rice cooks, pan roast the pecans by heating a small pan over medium / high heat. Add olive oil to your pan, along with chopped pecans. Toss with pin Himalayan salt. Stirring consistency, allow pecans to roast for approximately 1 minute, or until golden brown. Once pecans are roasted, turn the burner off. Set aside.

3. Start prepping the ingredients for the Fall Harvest Bowls. Drain and rinse chick peas, slice apples and shred carrots. Wash / rise spinach and arugula if necessary. Set aside. 

4. Prepare the Creamy Poppyseed Dressing by combining all the ingredients except poppyseeds in a Vitamix (or similar) and blending until smooth and creamy. Once blended stir poppyseeds in to combine. 

5. Once your rice is finished cooking, assemble your Fall Harvest Bowls by laying down a bed spinach and arugula, then building your bowls in a clockwise format, adding adding one ingredient at a time. 

6. Top with a healthy drizzle of Creamy Poppyseed Dressing and garnish with roasted pecans.

7. Enjoy immediately!

Print

FALL HARVEST BOWLS WITH CREAMY POPPYSEED DRESSING

My Fall Harvest Bowls with Creamy Poppyseed Dressing are an ultra nourishing, 30 minute vegan meal that beautifully showcase seasonal produce and pantry staples, but can be enjoyed year-round. A bed of baby spinach and arugula houses a hearty melange of black glutinous rice, chick peas, fresh apples and shredded carrots -- topped off with a tanini-based Creamy Poppyseed Dressing, dried cranberries and roasted pecans.

Author: Justine

Ingredients

FALL HARVEST BOWLS

• 2 cups of baby spinach
• 2 cups of arugula
• 1 cup warm black glutinous rice cooked (or wild rice)
• 1 cup chick peas
• 2 apples
• 2 carrots
• 2/3 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup pecans
• 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• Pinch of pink Himalayan salt

CREAMY POPPYSEED DRESSING

• 1/4 cup tahini
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 4 tbsp water
• 1 tbsp tamari (or soy sauce if you don't require a gluten free dressing)
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 3 tbsp pure Canadian maple syrup
• 1 tbsp poppyseeds

Instructions

1. Start by preparing rice as instructed on the package. Although this recipe only requires 2 cups, cooked (1 cup for each bowl), I like to cook a larger batch of 1 cup dry so I have leftovers for each bowl assembly for the rest of the week. Typically, rice takes about 20 - 30 minutes to cook and we have some work to do in the meantime!
2. While the rice cooks, pan roast the pecans by heating a small pan over medium / high heat. Add olive oil to your pan, along with chopped pecans. Toss with pin Himalayan salt. Stirring consistency, allow pecans to roast for approximately 1 minute, or until golden brown. Once pecans are roasted, turn the burner off. Set aside.

3. Start prepping the ingredients for the Fall Harvest Bowls. Drain and rinse chick peas, slice apples and shred carrots. Wash / rise spinach and arugula if necessary. Set aside.

4. Prepare the Creamy Poppyseed Dressing by combining all the ingredients except poppyseeds in a Vitamix (or similar) and blending until smooth and creamy. Once blended stir poppyseeds in to combine.
5. Once your rice is finished cooking, assemble your Fall Harvest Bowls by laying down a bed spinach and arugula, then building your bowls in a clockwise format, adding adding one ingredient at a time.
6. Top with a healthy drizzle of Creamy Poppyseed Dressing and garnish with roasted pecans.
7. Enjoy immediately!

Recipe Notes

NOTE: If you're into meal prepping, you can also whip up a large batch of rice and multiple batches of dressing on the weekend -- and have healthy, effortless weekday dinners and hearty lunch options sorted for the week.

MORE NOURISHING SEASONAL SALADS & BOWLS

Vegan Power Salad with Lemon Dill Dressing 

Festive Vegan Salad with Cranberry Dijon Vinaigrette

Pomegranate Hibiscus Salmon Salad

New Year Detox Salad with Pink Tahini Dressing

Tangled Thai Salad with Ginger Peanut Sauce

Thanks for stopping by for the last entrée recipe of the season, friends! I hope you enjoy it as much as we have over these past few months. Next up in the FOOD department, I’m sharing my Gluten Free Mapled Pumpkin Chai Loaf (the pretty one you’ve seen me making on Stories this fall!) and sending the year our in style with a sparkling NYE COCKTAIL. The remainder of 2019 is going to be absolutely delicious — and slightly tipsy! 

Did you try my Fall Harvest Bowls with Creamy Poppyseed Dressing? Please let me know how you liked them — I absolutely love your feedback! Feel free to leave me a comment, or tag me on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook. I’d love you to hashtag #justinecelinarecipes in your recreations so I can find them — browsing my feed and stumbling on your beautiful recreations is one of my favourite things! I also have a Pinterest board for my recipes if you’re looking for more healthy, plant based recipes. As always, thank you for stopping by for the latest from the JustineCelina kitchen!

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