Roasted vegetables are one of my favorite things to batch cook each Sunday. I eat them all week long as a dinner side dish, tossed in tofu scrambles… and my favorite, piled into vegan bowls. This Italian Roasted Vegetable Bowl is a delicious way to eat up leftover veggies or roast a pan especially for this bowl like I do! I prefer plump, juicy tomatoes and cauliflower for the veg mix, but sub your favorites. The key is to roast them with whole garlic cloves and herbs. I use the Italian seasoning blend from Penzey’s Spices (my favorite local spice store).

A good bowl is full of layers, so in addition to the roasted vegetables, you’ll find a mound of lacinato kale, cannellini beans, and orzo. I sauted the canned beans with garlic, olive oil, and thyme for taste bud pleasing results. Sure, you could just rinse and drain a handful of beans directly into the bowl, but I find that it’s the bursts of flavor from each component in the bowl that take an average bowl to wow status. Lentils would also be a great sub for the beans. I used orzo instead of a grain in this recipe because of its Italian status and similarity in texture to rice, but risotto would be a nice swap if you want a grain.

Drizzled on top is a luscious, dairy-free Caesar dressing that adds just the right amount of tangy to each bite. Soaked cashews are the creamy base for this otherwise, quick and easy sauce that comes together in less than 5 minutes in your high-powered blender. Dijon mustard and capers add bright, vibrant flavors to this traditional recipe.

You can cook and prepare all of the ingredients, as well as the dressing ahead of time and store them for the week, making it quick and easy to throw this meal together all week long. Lunch is served! Give it a taste and let me know what you think.

Print

This Italian Roasted Vegetable Bowl is full of flavor. Topped with a creamy, dairy-free dressing, it's a complete meal to lunch on all week long.

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

For the Creamy Caesar Dressing:

• ¼ cup cashews soaked for 2 hours or overnight and drained
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1 tablespoon shoyu or tamari
• 1 tablespoon tahini
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• ¼ cup water
• 1 tablespoon capers
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

For the Bowl:

• 1 pint cherry tomatoes
• 1 head cauliflower broken into florets
• 10 garlic cloves peeled
• 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 can cannellini beans drained and rinsed
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
• 6 leaves lacinato kale chopped
• 1 cup orzo dried

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Toss the vegetables, garlic cloves, olive oil, and herbs on a sheet pan until coated. Roast for about 30 minutes until the cauliflower is fork tender.
3. While the vegetables are roasting, bring a pot of water to a boil. Cook the orzo and drain.
4. Heat a saucepan with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the minced garlic and saute for 1 minute until fragrant. Stir in the beans and thyme. Cook for 3-4 minutes until heated through. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. For the dressing, combine all the ingredients in a high-speed blender and mix until smooth.
6. To assemble the bowl, start with a layer of kale on the bottom. Top with the orzo, beans, and vegetables. Drizzle the dressing on top.