I developed this recipe for a Whole Foods Market back-to-school night event with one of my favorite healthy food brands, Navitas Organics. We passed out samples of the creamy hemp seed “ranch” with veggie crudités – and even the most skeptical tasters were sold (kids included!).
The dressing achieves next-level status when paired with the sweet and tangy barbecue tempeh and satisfying roasted veggies. Enjoy!
When it comes to soy products, tempeh is my favorite. Made of fermented soybeans, tempeh has a chewy, crunchy-when-baked texture and easily absorbs the flavor of whatever sauce you marinate it in.
If you’re gluten-free look for tempeh made without gluten-containing grains like wheat or barley. Also, try to opt for organic, non-GMO tempeh since soybeans are one of the most pesticide sprayed crops.
Believe it or not, you can find healthy-ish, lower-sugar barbecue sauces in well-stocked grocery stores. My favorite store-bought brand is Annie’s, but look for ones with recognizable ingredients and without high fructose corn syrup.
The hemp seed ranch dressing uses two of my favorite ingredients: hulled hemp seeds and nutritional yeast. Nutritional yeast is a 100% all-natural inactive yeast, which is a dietary supplement that’s rich in B vitamins. It has a pleasant, cheesy flavor that gives the ranch dressing a nutty flavor, but it’s completely optional for this recipe. Find it in bulk bins or packaged by well-known brands like Bob’s Red Mill.
Hulled hemp seeds are small but mighty. They’re perfect for creamy dressings because they’re soft and easily blended. And they’re good for you too – packed with magnesium, iron, fiber, and plant-based omega-3s.
Roasted Veggie Bowls with Barbecue Tempeh and Hemp Seed Ranch Dressing
- Prep Time: 15 Minutes
- Cook Time: 45 Minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 5 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Southern
Description
These roasted veggie bowls with barbecue tempeh and vegan hemp seed ranch dressing are a healthy, satisfying (vegan and gluten-free!) entrée.
Ingredients
Roasted Veggies
- 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 1 lb brussels sprouts, halved
- 1 large red onion, peeled and cut into 10 wedges
Barbecue Tempeh
- 16 oz tempeh, cut into 15 triangles
- 1/3 cup clean barbecue sauce, like Annie’s
Hemp Seed Ranch
- 1 cup hulled hemp seeds
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1/3 cup water, plus more to thin
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes, optional
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 garlic clove
- salt and pepper to taste
Bowls
- 1 bunch Lacinato kale, destemmed and thinly sliced
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- extra hulled hemp seeds for garnish
Instructions
- Roast the veggies and the tempeh. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Add the tempeh triangles and barbecue sauce to a bowl, gently toss to coat and allow to marinate for a couple minutes. Arrange the sweet potatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- On another rimmed baking sheet, arrange the Brussels sprouts, red onion, and marinated tempeh triangles in a single layer. Drizzle a bit of olive oil over the Brussels sprouts and onion and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast the sweet potatoes for 40-45 minutes and the tempeh, Brussels, and red onion for 30-35 minutes, flipping everything halfway through.
- Meanwhile, make the hemp seed ranch dressing. Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Add salt and pepper to taste and more water to thin, one tablespoon at a time, if necessary. The dressing will thicken in the fridge.
- Prep the kale. Add the kale to a large bowl, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and massage until slightly wilted. Set aside.
- Pack the bowls. Divide the roasted sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, and red onion between five meal prep containers. Top each container with three tempeh triangles and a handful of massaged kale. Keep the hemp seed ranch and extra hemp seeds separate. When ready to eat, drizzle each serving with 1/5th of the hemp seed ranch and sprinkle with hemp seeds.
Keywords: barbecue tempeh, hemp seed ranch dressing, vegetables bowls
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