BBQ Cauliflower and Sweet Potato Bowls with Smokey Ranch Dressing (Vegan GF)

These BBQ Cauliflower and Sweet Potato Bowls are warming, cosy, smokey and deliciously packed with vegetables, protein and wholegrains. Great for meal prep or a quick midweek meal, they’re vegan, gluten-free and nut-free.

If you just love buddha bowls, nourish bowls and soulful bowl meals, these roasted cauliflower and chickpea bowls are for you. They are packed with goodness and are easy to make in just a few steps. Full of colour, texture, flavour and crunch, we love these for a warming dinner or enjoyed cold for lunch the next day. You can also play around with the vegetables, using up whatever you have in the fridge.

Why will I love these bowls?

These BBQ Cauliflower and Sweet Potato Bowls are fantastic for a few reasons:

• Smokey, warming, cosy and packed with herbs
• Wholesome and filling yet light and nourishing
• Naturally vegan, gluten-free and high in protein
• Easy to make in a few steps
• Versatile and easy to adapt
• Crunchy, smooth, creamy and tangy
• Vibrant with a rainbow of ingredients
• Good for gut health
• Delicious warm or cold (great for meal prep!)

If you already love the look of these nourishing bowls, skip ahead to the recipe card below. Or, first let’s discuss the recipe in more detail.

What ingredients do I need?

The recipe is split into a few components: the roasted vegetables, the salad bowls, the dressing and the extras.

Let’s start with the roasted vegetable mix:

• Sweet potatoes: cube these small into bite-size pieces so everything cooks evenly.
• Cauliflower: cut off the florets from ½ regular-sized cauliflower to roasted until tender but save the leaves as these are great for making cauliflower leaf crisps.
• Chickpeas: for protein and fibre and they turn deliciously crunchy after being baked. If you prefer, you can swap these for butter or cannellini beans or try pre-cooked green lentils.
• Kale or cauliflower leaves: if you have forgotten to keep the cauliflower leaves (or don’t have any) use kale for some vegetable crisps on the side.
• Herbs and spices: for this dish we use a mix of garlic granules, onion powder, dried oregano, smoked paprika, chilli/cayenne pepper, salt and pepper for the classic BBQ flavour.
• Olive oil: for roasting.

As for the bowls:

• Bulgur wheat or quinoa: I used a mix of half bulgur wheat and half quinoa, although to keep this gluten-free, use buckwheat instead of the bulgur wheat, use all quinoa or use some rice, too.
• Cherry tomatoes: any small tomatoes are great.
• Spring onion: also known as scallions, sliced thinly.
• Lime: for juiciness, freshness and zing.
• Vegan feta cheese: I love the salty tang on top of this salad. There are a few vegan feta cheeses which are really delicious, like the Violife one, and KindaCo have a new one, too.
• Fresh herbs: these really perk up any savoury dish. I like to use mint, parsley, coriander or chive for these bowls.

For sprinkling on top:

• Roasted nuts or seeds: any crunchy nut or seed on top is the best way to finish off these smokey bowls.
• Pink pickles: great for gut health as they are fermented and they add a pop of colour on top. I use my easy recipe for homemade pickles here.

Finally, the Smokey Ranch Dressing:

I will have a blog post coming with three amazing vegan dressings, and for now, here is what we need for this smokey creamy one:

• Cashews: soak the cashew nuts overnight in cool water or for 1 hour in boiling water to soften them. Check tips below for making this nut-free.
• Plant-based milk: use an unsweetened milk for this dressing like almond, coconut or soya.
• Vegan BBQ sauce: most BBQ sauces are vegan but just check the labels.
• Lemon juice: for tang.
• Chopped chive: use fresh herbs to add some lightness to this ranch dressing,
• Garlic and onion powders: for flavour.
• Chilli, cayenne or chipotle powder: for a little bit of heat.
• Salt and pepper: for flavour.

How do I make these nourish bowls?

These bowls have a few components to prepare:

• Chop the vegetables, toss with the BBQ seasoning and roast: if using an air fryer, this takes 10-15 minutes, or is using an oven, can take up to 30 minutes.
• Cook the grains and prepare all the salad parts: for the bowls.
• Toss the kale or cauliflower leaves with the herbs: and roast for 10 minutes till crispy.
• Make the dressing: blend together all the ingredients till smooth and creamy.
• Plate up all the components and serve: topped with your desired toppings.

Are these gluten-free and nut-free?

Yes, these are naturally gluten-free, although do not use bulgur wheat; choose buckwheat, rice or use all quinoa instead. To keep these bowls nut-free, only use roasted seeds on top of the bowl and swap the cashew nuts in the ranch dressing for 70g of tahini or sunflower seed butter instead (no need for soaking anything, just blend together).

How long will these last?

Once plated up, serve these bowls the same day. Or you can keep all the components separately in the fridge for 2-3 days in sealed containers ready for lunchboxes and quicker dinners.

I love buddha bowls, what else can I make?

I hope you are going to love these BBQ Cauliflower and Sweet Potato Bowls and for more ideas, how about my:

• BBQ Sweet Potato Taco Bowls
• Kale Orange and Feta Salad
• Taco Black Bean Salad
• Chilli Edamame Crunch Salad
• Jackfruit Satay Poke Bowls

I look forward to hearing what you think of these BBQ Cauliflower and Sweet Potato Bowls with Smokey Ranch Dressing so please leave a comment below and a star rating above. If you do make these, I’d love to see them so please tag me, I’m @nourishing.amy on Instagram and use the hashtag #nourishingamy. I’m also on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest  – please say hello!

With BBQ cauli ranch love x