January 23, 2018
(last updated October 17, 2022) 
These vegan harvest bowls feature sweet and salty cider baked tempeh, roasted root vegetables, and a cooked whole grain. They’re balanced, filling, and a beautiful celebration of the fall season. They’re also one of my favorite recipes from my cookbook, Power Plates!
Can’t believe I’m saying this, but Power Plates makes its way into the world today! It’s been a long time coming, but over two years, 100 recipes and photos, and many sinks full of dirty dishes later, it’s here.
You can read more about the book here or in this weekend reading post from the fall. It’s a collection of 100 vegan meals that provide plant-based protein, healthful fat, and energizing complex carbohydrates.
Nothing overly prescriptive, and it’s certainly not a diet, nutrition, or fitness book. The idea was simply to offer up vegan recipes that contain a solid balance of macronutrients (more of my thoughts on that topic in this post), along with flavor and staying power.
The book doesn’t have any appetizers, small plates, snacks, or desserts (though I wish I’d had some desserts to test!). All of the recipes are meant to be enjoyed as meals.
I give readers the invitation to enhance them or pair them with other things according to appetite, which means that they could be stand-alone dishes, but there’s lots of room to customize them and make them work for your body and life.
Today, in order to celebrate the book, I’m sharing one of my favorite recipes from its “bowls” section (it’s got six recipe chapters: breakfasts, salads, soups, bowls, stovetop meals, and bakes).
These harvest bowls are full of sweet and savory flavors, packed with tender roasted root veggies, chewy spelt berries, and a cider-baked tempeh that I think is pretty irresistable.
The maple mustard dressing was a favorite with my recipe testers, and it can be made as a vinaigrette or with tahini for an oil-free option.
I cooked it last fall, when the weather was just getting cool and root vegetables were piling into the farmers’ market, and it’s one of the recipes I’ve revisited most often since.
Vegan Harvest Bowls with Tempeh & Roasted Root Vegetables from Power Plates
Author –Yields: 4 bowls
Ingredients
For the bowls:
- 1 cup pearled farro, pearled barley, spelt berries, or wheat berries (180g)
- 8 cups salad greens of choice (8oz; such as baby arugula or kale, mixed greens, a 50/50 blend, or baby spinach)
- 1/2 cup maple mustard dressing (below)
For the tempeh:
- 7.5 ounces tempeh, sliced into 1/4-inch strips (225g)
- 1 cup apple cider (240ml)
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons tamari
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or finely grated
For the Roasted Root Vegetables:
- 2 pounds root vegetables, peeled if need be and cut into 1-inch (2.5-cm) pieces (900g; any combination of turnips, rutabaga, beets, carrots, sweet potatoes, fennel, red onion, etc.)
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 8 sprigs thyme
- 8 sprigs rosemary
- Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
Maple Mustard Dressing:
- 2 tablespoons tahini or olive oil
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon tamari or Bragg Liquid Aminos
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (powder or mini flakes)
- 1 to 2 tablespoons warm water (as needed)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C), oil a 9-inch (23-cm) square baking pan, and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Cook the spelt berries or other grain according to package instructions (the grain can be cooked a few days in advance).
- Meanwhile, prepare the tempeh. Put the strips in the oiled pan. In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the cider, mustard, tamari, and garlic. Pour the mixture over the tempeh and cover the pan with foil.
- To cook the root vegetables, put them in a large bowl, drizzle with the oil, and toss until evenly coated. Spread them evenly on the lined baking sheet (you may need two baking sheets) and nestle the herb sprigs among them. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.
- Bake both the tempeh and the root vegetables for 25 minutes. Remove the foil from the tempeh and stir the vegetables well, then bake for another 20 minutes or so, until the tempeh is browning and the vegetables are tender; there will be some marinade left in the tempeh pan, but it should have thickened up considerably. If it hasn’t, bake the tempeh for 5 to 10 more minutes.
- To make the dressing, combine the oil, maple syrup, mustard, tamari, apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, and nutritional yeast in a small bowl or measuring cup. Whisk to combine. If the dressing is thicker than you’d like, whisk in the warm water as needed. (Stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, the dressing will keep for 1 week; it makes 1/2 cup.)
- To serve, divide the greens among four bowls and top each with one-quarter of the grain, tempeh, and root vegetables. Drizzle with the dressing and serve right away.
Notes
*Substitute brown rice, millet, or quinoa for a gluten free option.
All of the bowl meals in the book benefit from a little advance prep, and this one is a good example. You can cook your grain in advance, make the dressing ahead of time, and/or roast the root vegetables or tempeh a few days before serving. The components shine when they’re together, but they’re useful sides on their own, too (I’ve made the tempeh a bunch of times without serving it in the bowls).
A heartfelt thank you to everyone who takes the time to check in and read this blog from week to week. Power Plates grew out of the love I have for creating and sharing food within this space, and the book is dedicated—from the bottom of my heart—to you.
xo
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Categories: Recipes,
Grains, Greens, and Beans,
Vegan Bowls
Method: Oven, Stovetop
Ingredients: Sweet Potato, Tahini, Tempeh
Dietary Preferences: Tree Nut Free, Vegan
Recipe Features: Meal Prep
Method: Oven, Stovetop
Ingredients: Sweet Potato, Tahini, Tempeh
Dietary Preferences: Tree Nut Free, Vegan
Recipe Features: Meal Prep
Leave a Comment
Fabulous recipe and best of good luck with the cookbook. Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving and keep up the excellent work.
Thank you so much! And a happy Thanksgiving to you, too.
My favorite one pot meal is Sweet Potato Hash.
Love the sounds of that dressing, and I’m sure I would love all the other recipes in the book too ๐
And my favourite one-dish meal would be a giant bowl of roasted veggies or salad with a homemade creamy dressing, nuts, seeds, and fruit – I love to combine lots of different ingredients from my pantry and fridge!
Chili’s and stews are my favorite (even in summer time lol). They are always super comforting but easily made to be super healthy at the same time. They can be thrown in the slow cooker or pressure cooker really easily. Add some rice or sourdough and what could be better?
Currently, my favorite 1 pot dish is the root veg dal in Laura’s cookbook, the first mess. I have made it 3 times, each time with a different veg!
I can’t wait to get a copy of your Cookbook. I love the Ashley’s photo. You are both so talented. My favorite one pot meal is any bean stew.
Hey Gina! I’m SO excited to see this project come into being! And I’m super excited to get my hands on it. Well done my dear! ๐
Congratulations on publishing the cookbook, Gena! I hope you find time to celebrate amidst your studies and blogging. I’m in graduate school right now and don’t have a dishwasher in my tiny apartment, so I make many one-dish meals to conserve time and energy. A recurring favorite is a recipe for lentils, greens, and rice that Melissa Clark published in the NY Times a few years ago. Depending on the season I have enjoyed making your Spring Lemon Orzo Pasta Salad and the Spicy Black Bean Soup with Kale. I happened to have tempeh on hand last night and, following your suggestion, served it with a different salad–it was delicious and elegantly simple! Thank you for sharing your candid, thoughtful writing about food with us.
Since I’m usually just cooking for myself, pretty much everything is a one-pot/one-dish meal. Separate dishes is just too much work! But a salad/soup would be my go-to to get veggies, protein, fats, and grains in the mix without needing a particular recipe. (I am 100% recipe-dependent most of the time.)
I make a stir fry with lots of veggies and some tofu that’s become my favorite one dish meal.
“Cheesy” pureed broccoli soup. I mix up the veggies each time too.
I made a red lentil curry that has quickly become a household favorite. I love the concept of this cookbook!
Congratulations ๐ Love your blog, as well as your Food 52 Vegan Cookbook. Can’t wait to check this new one out. My favorite one-pot meal is anything with a combo of a hearty grain, some legumes, and a green…add spices or a yummy sauce…can’t go wrong in my book!
Would love a guide to incorporate some vegan dishes in to my repertoire. I’m trying to branch out from a restrictive paleo-esque diet and try some new things.
These recipes look delicious! My favorite one pot meal is chili.
I love a hearty bowl of soup, nothing beats that on a cold michigan winter day. I also love hearty salad bowls, with grains, beans, and roasted root veggies.
This book looks fabulous! I love a good bowl filled with different colours and textures – grains, roasted veggies, legumes, a bit of crunch from nuts or seeds and an amazing dressing to tie it all together.
So excited for this book! Choosing Raw has a ton of my all time favorite recipes, and this one looks incredible too!
Lentil pasta with tomato sauce and vegan parm!
I love making alphabet soup. Easy to make, and I haven’t met anyone who didn’t like my alphabet soup.
So excited for your book! I love a good burrito bowl. Can’t wait to try some of the bowls from your book.
One pot pasta! This looks amazing Gena congrats on the new book!
Plain pinto beans!
So happy for you, Gena, congratulations! I know you worked so hard on this book and had so much other stuff going on during the process and I’m sure the end result is amazing. I love soups! Give me a cozy one-pot soup any day of the week and I’m happy. I know I’m getting a copy of the book anyway but if I win I have lots of friends back home who would be thrilled to receive a copy!
love the idea behind the book, i’m always looking for more inspiration on creating nutritionally balanced meals. One of my favourite one-pot meals is edamame, tofu and any type of grain. I add lots of veg to the pot and finish off with drizzle of oil or sprinkle of sesame seeds.
How exciting to see it finally released! I can’t wait to try out the cider variation in this tempeh!
So excited for you! Beautiful photography as always. I’m depending on stock pots full of cauliflower rice with fennel, dukkah, saffron, and olives to get me through the term -convenient ingredients all sourced from Trader Joe’s.
Sooooooo happy you’ve brought this book into the world – many congratulations!!
My fave one-bowl meal would have brown rice, lentils and probably broccoli!
love your blog. can’t wait to see the book. wishing you only the best this year.
Soups and salads are great one pot/one dish meals.
Congratulations! I’m so excited to try this–especially that tempeh!!
I love deconstructed sushi bowls! Just finished one in order to write this comment ๐
This is such a huge, amazing, brilliant, and beautiful accomplishment, Gena! Congratulations on this incredible cookbook; may it be the smash hit and complete success it’s destined for already. I can’t wait to get my hands on a copy. ๐
Hey,
Will definitely give this recipe a try and look forward to get your book soon! Thanks a lot for great recipes!!!
I can’t access the giveaway! A screen keeps coming up saying that it’s a rafflecopter giveaway but it doesn’t do anything after that. I made the tempeh and dressing, by the way, and it was fantastic, so I’d like to enter to win the book.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the tempeh and dressing but sorry about the Rafflecopter widget! You need to sign in with either FB or an emailโwere you able to get that far through the blog?
Congratulations Gena! This sounds like an excellent idea for a cookbook. I tend to make a lot of bowl meals when I’m short on time. Easy and nutrient-packed!
Like all your recipes, this one looks amazing! My favorite one-pot meal is savory oats!
Taco salad is my one dish easy go to meal!
This book looks amazing!
Congrats my dear!!! Honored to have been a tester for this one and loving everything we’re (re)making so far from it.
xo
I love my friend’s recipe for their vegan shawarma casserole!
Often I do roasted vegetable tray but I’ve also been enjoying your turmeric rice and greens recipe.
Congratulations! The book looks fabulous.
What a great book you’ve created!!! Congratulations! This recipe looks amazing and as I’m working on trying new things, this one is a keeper. Thank you for all you do. ๐
greens with some protein and loads of roasted veggies w/ a side of toasted whole grain bread w/ nut butter. It is still a one bowl meal w/ bread on the side – right?
I got my copy today! Super excited about it! A cookbook with just meals is something I have been looking for. Iโm also a busy graduate student and donโt have time to cook for fun very often. I want one meal that will hit all the spots nutritionally; I donโt want to have to prepare multiple dishes. This makes me I love your approach. Youโve probably already done this and I missed it; but a great blog post might be links to your previous blog posts featuring quick meals that arenโt in the cookbook. Anyway, thank you for your hard work! Both your recipes and your honest writing have kept me a long-time reader! Lots of love from some random person out in CA
My favorite one pot dish is any type of soup – lately I’ve been loving a great sweet potato/carrot combo with warm spices like ginger and cinnamon, finished with a swirl of coconut milk and lime juice.
I like to make bowls just like this recipe. Lots of greens topped with a starch, protein, and roasted vegetables. I am looking forward to trying this dressing, I’m glad you list an oil-free option!
I love making a huge simple pot of rice and beans. This recipe looks awesome and your new book looks so beautiful. Thank you for the chance to win!
Congratulations on your book! This tempeh sounds great – I’m always looking for new ways to prepare that particular protein. I’m excited to check out your book. Thank you for the chance to win a copy!
So excited for your book!! CongratulationsโI love all your recipes…you are the queen of hearty, delicious, well-balanced meals that just make you feel good, and it will be such a treat to have some of your best/favorites in one tangible location! So appreciate you and look forward to each and every one of your posts! As for my favorite one-pot meal, itโs currently lentil curry. ๐ Also, the recipe you shared from your book looks amazingโdefinitely on my to-make list!
Lovely,I love thick soups bowls. I.m sure I will find them in your book. Good luck.liliana
Looks amazing!
I love one-pot soups and sheet pan or skillet dinners! Congratulations! ๐
These look delicious! Canโt wait to try it ๐
This looks amazing, Gena. Thank you for giving us a preview of Power Plates. I can’t wait to get my copy :).
I was given a Instant Pot over the holidays and it has turned everything into a one-pot meal. But curries will always have a special place in my heart.
This tempeh looks awesome. Always looking for new ways to make one pot bowls.
This looks delicious! I like to keep one-bowl meals simple with roasted vegetables, tofu and brown rice with some kind of lemon, peanut or tamari-based sauce.
I love making kale and chickpeas in a creamy coconut sauce. If I have cooked rice on hand, I just add it to make the meal more substantial.
This book looks fantastic! I can’t wait to check it out.
I love your blog, and I love your recipes! I usually make nutrient dense salads as my one dish meals. Delish!
My favorite always ends up being a hug random bowl of greens, a grain, protein and veggies.
I love one dish meals and bowls that have a variety of tastes and textures. Can’t wait to get your book!
Congrats Jena! And the giveaway opportunity. I love making roasted veggie bowls in the winter and would love to win a copy of your book to expand my go-to recipes for nourishing meals!
Yay, Gena! Huge congrats on the publication all the way from Frankfurt, Germany! Seeing this post made me so happy just now, thinking back of all the fun I had testing the recipes for your book and all the great dishes I made. Plus: discovering one or the other “strange” and new-to-me ingredient such as cocoa nibs ๐
So excited for the release of Power Plates! I just read an awesome review of Genaโs latest masterpiece in an email/blog post from the Vegan MOS at https://veganmos.com/power-plates/. This will be the next vegan cookbook to assist me in my vegan cooking journey!
Hard to beat beans and greens!
I love a good one pot lentil soup ๐ This book looks amazing!
Congrats on the book! It looks fabulous. My favorite one-pot meal is definitely lentil soup – and I bet you have a good recipe for it in there somewhere ๐