Thai Tempeh Nourish Bowl

What is a Nourish Bowl?

Essentially it’s an amazing dish loaded with nutrients coming from lots of vegetables and grains, paired with a delicious dressing or sauce.

You may be familiar with other names it goes by:

• power bowls
• macro bowls
• grain bowls
• superfood bowls
• buddha bowls

Whatever you want to call it, it’s a great way to pack a lot of punch into one delicious meal. Some of my go-to meals are nourish bowls because you can combine your favorite veggies with grains, greens and some raw veggies too. Oh and top it off with a flavorful sauce – truly the best thing.

Not to mention, nourish bowls are one of the easiest ways to meal prep for the week.

Customizable Ingredients

You can use a variety of ingredients to create your very own nourish bowl. I like a mix of fresh vegetables with roasted veggies, Here’s a general breakdown of what we’re using here for this recipe.

• greens – I used spring salad
• choice of grain – I used freekeh for this recipe but brown rice, farro, quinoa, or another grain works as well.
• red bell pepper – or choose another sweet bell pepper
• purple cabbage – to round out the colors in this bowl. Shredded brussels sprouts would be another option.
• roasted sweet potatoes – for sweet flavor
• tempeh – for plant based protein
• avocado – who doesn’t love avocado on a big macro bowl?
• cashew curry sauce – the Red Thai curry paste mixed with cashew butter and some other ingredients really adds so much flavor to this bowl

What is Freekeh?

Have you ever had freekeh before? Pronounced “freek-ah”. Freekeh is considered an ancient grain, low in fat and high in protein as well as fiber. In comparison to quinoa, freekeh has more protein and twice as much fiber (serving for serving). Freekeh is also lower on the GI index, meaning it’s great for keeping blood sugar levels stable. AND get this: Freekeh is high in iron, calcium and zinc, with prebiotic contents, which can help promote the growth of good bacteria in your gut.¹

So basically it’s a powerhouse grain that you need in your life! Personally, I love it. It reminds me of a cross between rice and farro. I love the chewy texture and slightly nutty taste it has.

How to prepare Freekeh

I’ve more recently been preparing freekeh in my Instant Pot, using Bob’s Red Mill cooking instructions.

But you can also boil it in a pot of water with a 1:2 ratio. So you need 1/2 cup freekeh with 1 cup water to make two servings for this recipe. Allow the pot to boil and simmer until the water has disappeared, typically about 15 minutes or so depending on how much you’re preparing.

This is something that can be meal prepped ahead of time making this power bowl recipe super easy to throw together.

How to Cook Tempeh

I always find I enjoy tempeh most when it has been marinated for at least 30 minutes, or a day ahead if you remember and have time.

For this bowl recipe using tempeh, you just need to chop the tempeh into cubes and place in a shallow bowl with coconut aminos (or soy sauce), sesame oil and rice vinegar. Flip over after about 15 minutes if not fully covered. Or marinate in a reusable bag placed in fridge overnight.

Simple Cashew Curry Sauce

Oh my, this delicious cashew curry sauce… where have you been all of my life?! This is probably my personal favorite dressing to throw on salads and power bowl recipes like this. Flavorful, filling and kind of addicting. It could probably even double as a fry dipping sauce…

And just made with 4 ingredients!

• cashew butter
• Red Thai curry paste
• coconut aminosThe main idea behind the nourish bowl is that you’re loading up a bowl with nutritious foods, and getting a good mix of carbohydrates, healthy fats, and protein. Experiment and play around with your favorites.
• rice vinegar

Not a fan of cashew or red curry paste? Try my tahini sauce or my peanut sauce.

Assembling the Bowls

Divide everything into two bowls, starting with a base of leafy greens. Then add on the cooked freekeh, tempeh, then the veggies in a single layer. Drizzle with the cashew curry dressing and you’ve got yourself a delicious nourish bowl!

If you want a little extra sprinkling of healthy omega-3’s and added texture, toss on some hemp hearts, sesame seeds, pepitas or even sunflower seeds would be great too.

This hearty meal is best eaten fresh, but leftovers will keep in fridge for a couple days.

More Nourish Bowl Recipes

• Roasted Acorn Squash Nourish Bowls
• Peanut Nourish Bowl with Tempeh
• Southwest Quinoa Power Bowl
• Mediterranean Quinoa Bowl

And if you’re looking for more homemade salad dressings to try for nourish bowls, check out my favorites here.