Sweet Potato Black Bean Bowls with Basil Vinaigrette (Vegan Gluten-Free)
These Sweet Potato Black Bean Bowls with Basil Vinaigrette are vibrant, delicious, packed with wholesome ingredients and high protein. Make these buddha bowls for a quick and easy vegan, gluten-free and nut-free meal.
I am back with another buddha or nourish bowl (or salad, whatever you like to call these recipes) and I am really enjoying sharing savoury recipes more regularly, so please do let me know what you love and what you want to see. For today’s recipe, I am celebrating the cosy autumn months alongside some fresh, vibrant and gut healthy ingredients, meaning this bowl is great all year round.
Why will I love this buddha bowl?
This bowl is a winner for a few reasons, it is:
- Vibrant, colourful, crunchy and full of flavour
- Warming, smoked and fresh
- Packed with sticky roasted sweet potatoes
- Filled with fresh salad ingredients like tomatoes and spinach
- High in protein with black beans
- Finished with gut healthy ingredients like pickles, herbs and seeds
- Naturally vegan, gluten-free and nut-free
- Tossed with the best basil vinaigrette
- Easy to prep
- Great for midweek meals, speedy lunches and meal prep
If you already know you are going to love these nourish 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 divided into three components: the roasted sweet potatoes; the salad and the basil vinaigrette.
Let’s start with the sweet potatoes:
- Sweet potato: wash the potatoes and leave the skin on before chopping into cubes and roasting till soft.
- Hot smoked paprika: this recipe uses just the one seasoning and adds tons of flavour. Hot smoked paprika has a richer, smokier flavour than regular paprika but you can use whatever you have.
- Salt, pepper and olive oil: for roasting and seasoning.
As for the nourish bowls:
- Cooked grains: I like to use half quinoa and half buckwheat or bulgur wheat. You can use your favourite grain like rice, couscous or other, just make sure it’s gluten-free where needed.
- Black beans: these add a boost of protein to the meal and you can swap these for chickpeas, butterbeans or cannellini beans, if you prefer.
- Spinach leaves: or other salad leaves like lettuce, watercress, rocket (or arugula) or massaged kale.
- Cherry tomatoes: chop these small to add to the bowls.
- Vegan feta cheese: I love the salty tang and creaminess this adds to the nourish bowls and the warming sweet potatoes. There are a few vegan geta-style cheese to choose from like Violife, Sainsbury’s own-brand and KindaCo.
- Spring onions: for flavour and texture. you can wap this for raw red onion if you prefer.
- Sunflower seeds: keeping this bowl nut-free, I love to sprinkle over some sunflower seeds but other seeds would work like pumpkin or hemp seeds.
- Pink pickles: I always have a jar of homemade pink pickles to add to savoury dishes. They are much cheaper than buying pre-made pickles and they last a while, too. You can see my recipe here for the pickles.
- Microgreens: or extra herbs. These pack in so much nutrition for how small they are!
- Fresh mint: or other herbs like coriander, parsley or extra basil are great.
- Lime wedges: for freshness and zing. You can also use lemon here.
Finally, for the basil vinaigrette dressing:
- Olive oil: use extra virgin olive oil where you can for the best flavour.
- Lime: fresh lime or lemon juice adds acidity and zing.
- Garlic: fresh garlic adds heat and flavour although you can use ½ tsp dried garlic powder if you don’t have any fresh garlic.
- Basil: fresh is really best here. Chop it really small and add to the other ingredients for a really delicious and refreshing dressing. I prefer to keep it shaken, but you can blend the dressing, if you prefer.
How do I make this?
These Sweet Potato Black Bean Bowls with Basil Vinaigrette are ready in a few steps:
- Chop the sweet potato and toss with the seasoning: and then air fry or bake for 15-20 minutes (air fryer) or 30 minutes (oven).
- Cook the grains for the bowls: and leave to one side.
- Prepare all the other bowl ingredients: like chopping the tomatoes and slicing the spring onion.
- Shake together all the vinaigrette ingredients: till emulsified and delicious.
- Plate up starting with the salad then the grains: and continue to add all the other bowl ingredients.
- Drizzle over the vinaigrette and give everything a good toss: to mix it all up.
How long will this last, can I make it for lunchboxes and meal prep?
This buddha bowl is great for making ahead of time, prepare all the components and they will last for 2-3 days in a sealed container in the fridge. It is best to keep the dressing separate and toss it through 1-2 hours or just before eating. If using softer salad leaves like spinach, watercress or rocket, save these until just before serving. If using kale, you can mix this in 2-3 days before.
Is this gluten-free and nut-free?
Yes, this is fully gluten-free, just check that your grains are gluten-free (e.g. use quinoa, buckwheat or rice). This recipe is also nut-free, as it is topped with sunflower seeds.
I love this meal, what else can I make?
I hope you are going to love these Sweet Potato Black Bean Bowls with Basil Vinaigrette and for more ideas, how about my:
- Kale Orange and Feta Salad
- Crispy Chickpea Crouton Salad with Balsamic Dressing
- Gnocchi Chickpea and Feta Salad
- Garlic Cucumber and Avocado Sushi Rolls
- Vegan Pesto Feta Filo Pastry Swirls
Sweet Potato Black Bean Bowls with Basil Vinaigrette
These Sweet Potato Black Bean Bowls with Basil Vinaigrette are vibrant, delicious, packed with wholesome ingredients and high protein. Make these buddha bowls for a quick and easy vegan, gluten-free and nut-free meal.
Ingredients
For the Sweet Potatoes:
- 1 medium-large sweet potato (400g)
- ½ tsp hot smoked paprika
- Salt and pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
For the Bowls:
- 200g grains (e.g. half quinoa and half bulgur wheat)
- 1 tin black beans, drained (drained weight 240g)
- 4 handfuls spinach leaves
- 200g cherry tomatoes
- 80g vegan feta cheese
- 4 spring onions
- 4 tbsp sunflower seeds
- 4 tbsp pink pickles
- 4 tbsp microgreens (or watercress)
- Fresh mint leaves
- Lime wedges
For the Dressing:
- 60ml olive oil
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1 small garlic clove, crushed
- 1 tbsp freshly chopped basil
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- For the Sweet Potatoes: Preheat the air fryer or oven to 160Fan/180*C and line a tray with parchment paper. Scrub the sweet potato, chop off the little ends and chop into small cubes (about 1-cm). Toss with the hot smoked paprika, salt, pepper and olive oil and lay out flat on the tray. In the airy fryer, they will take 15-20 minutes to cook or 20-30 minutes in the oven. Cook till crispy on the outside and soft in the middle.
- For the Bowls: cook the grains according to packet instructions and allow to cool. Chop the cherry tomatoes in half or quarters, crumble the feta cheese and slice the spring onions.
- Prepare the Dressing: add all the ingredients to a small jar, secure the lid and give it a good shake. Add 1-2 tbsp water if needed.
- Into your lunchboxes, arrange the roasted sweet potatoes, cooked grains, black beans, spinach leaves, and tomatoes. Sprinkle over the feta cheese, spring onions, sunflower seeds, pink pickles, microgreens and fresh mint. Add a wedge of lime and keep the dressing separate until you are ready to eat.
Notes
Spinach leaves will wilt over time, so add these fresh to your lunchbox before taking it out of the fridge. Keep the components in the fridge for 2-3 days in sealed containers.
I look forward to hearing what you think of these Sweet Potato Black Bean Bowls with Basil Vinaigrette so please let me know in the comments below and leave a star review above. If you do make these bowls, I’d love to see 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 sweet potato bowls of love x
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