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Veggie Protein Bowls
These veggie protein bowls are my go-to weeknight dinner that’s nutritious, filling, and quick! With roasted sweet potatoes and chickpeas,…
These veggie protein bowls are my go-to weeknight dinner that’s nutritious, filling, and quick! With roasted sweet potatoes and chickpeas, creamy cottage cheese, and a drizzle of honey mustard sauce, they’re simple and customizable—my answer to those viral beef protein bowls.
So I keep seeing these ground beef protein bowls bowls all over social media, and while they looked delicious, I wanted to create a vegetarian version that would be just as satisfying (since we eat the Mediterranean diet). I swapped in chickpeas for the meat and these veggie protein bowls were born – and they might be even better than the original!
The unexpected hero of these protein bowls? Cottage cheese! I know it might seem like an unusual addition, but it creates this creamy sauce-like element that brings everything together while adding a significant protein boost. Our kids actually gobbled these down—and I love how it’s so simple, you don’t have to think too much when you make it!
Why these protein bowls work
The secret to truly great protein bowls is balancing flavors, textures, and nutrition. Here’s why this combination works:
- Texture and flavor contrasts: The soft roasted sweet potatoes and crispy chickpeas play beautifully against the creamy cottage cheese and the fresh, crunchy cabbage.
- Essential nutrients: Each component serves a purpose – complex carbs from sweet potatoes, protein from chickpeas and cottage cheese, healthy fats from avocado and olive oil.
- Customizable heat level: The honey mustard sauce can be kept mild or kicked up with a few shakes of hot sauce, letting you control the spice level. The original beef protein bowls have hot honey, but I didn’t love how that tasted with cottage cheese. The mustard sauce is much more fun!
Tips for bowl assembly
This recipe comes together quickly, with most of the time being hands-off while the vegetables roast. It’s such a great meatless meal idea that I’ve made often and always enjoy. Here are some tips on the method:
1. Roast the sweet potatoes and chickpeas.
Toss diced sweet potatoes and drained, rinsed chickpeas with olive oil, garlic powder, chili powder, and kosher salt. Spread them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and roast at 450°F for about 25 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are tender and browned and the chickpeas are slightly crispy.
Pro tip: Don’t crowd your baking sheet! The vegetables need space to roast properly. Use two sheets if necessary.
2. Make the honey mustard sauce.
While the vegetables roast, whip up a quick honey mustard sauce. I like to add a few shakes of hot sauce for a spicy-sweet combination that really brings the protein bowls to life.
3. Assemble your protein bowls.
Start with a bed of coleslaw mix or thinly sliced cabbage, top with the roasted sweet potatoes and chickpeas, add a generous scoop of cottage cheese (about ½ cup per bowl), fan out some avocado slices, and drizzle with honey mustard sauce.
Assembly tip: I prefer drizzling the sauce over the vegetables and cabbage, not the cottage cheese, to maintain that nice contrast between the tangy sauce and the creamy cheese.
Variations and protein adders
One of the reasons I love these protein bowls is how easily they adapt to what you have on hand:
- Grain addition: Add ½ cup cooked quinoa or brown rice to make these bowls even more substantial. (For quick weeknight meals, try pre-packaged cooked rice.)
- Different protein: To really amp the protein, add baked tofu, pan seared chicken, shredded chicken, air fryer chicken, or canned tuna or salmon (seasoned with salt and olive oil).
- Other veggies: You can add any other veggies you’d like—raw or cooked! Try broccoli, cucumbers, crunchy bell peppers, roasted brussels sprouts, and more. You can also throw in other veggies while roasting—I just like keeping it simple with the sweet potatoes and chickpeas.
Storing leftovers
These protein bowls are ideal for meal prep with a few simple strategies:
Component storage: Store the roasted sweet potatoes and chickpeas, cabbage, cottage cheese, and sauce separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator. They’ll keep well for 3-4 days.
Avocado trick: Never slice the avocado in advance because it will brown. For make-ahead meals, add the avocado fresh just before eating.
Reheating tip: Only reheat the sweet potatoes and chickpeas (either in microwave for 1-2 minutes or in a skillet). Keep the cottage cheese and cabbage cold for the best texture contrast.
Dietary notes
These protein bowls are vegetarian and gluten-free. For vegan, plant-based and dairy-free, add a tray of baked tofu and increase the bake time a few minutes; use maple syrup or agave in the mustard sauce.
I hope you’ll give these vibrant, nutritious protein bowls a try! The combination of flavors, textures, and nutrition creates something much greater than the sum of its parts. They might just become your new favorite weeknight dinner too—let us know what you think in the comments below. Print
Veggie Protein Bowls
Pin Recipe
Print RecipeThese veggie protein bowls are my go-to weeknight dinner when I need something nutritious, filling, and quick! With roasted sweet potatoes and chickpeas, creamy cottage cheese, and a drizzle of honey mustard sauce, they’re simple and endlessly customizable.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4
- Category: Main dish
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Vegetarian
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 to 2 pounds sweet potatoes, diced into 3/4” cubes (skin on)
- 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ tablespoon each garlic powder, chili powder, and kosher salt
- 2 cups cottage cheese
- 1 recipe Honey Mustard Sauce (with a few shakes hot sauce, if desired)
- 1 ripe avocado
- 4 cups coleslaw mix or thinly sliced red cabbage
- 1 recipe seasoned quinoa (optional)
- Protein adders (optional): baked tofu, pan seared chicken, shredded chicken, air fryer chicken
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F.
- In a large bowl, mix the sweet potatoes and chickpeas with the olive oil, garlic powder, chili powder, and kosher salt. Add a few grinds of fresh ground pepper if desired.
- Place the sweet potatoes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper in a single layer.
- Bake for 25 minutes until the cubes are fork-tender and browned on the bottom and the chickpeas are slightly crispy.
- Meanwhile, make the Honey Mustard (add a few shakes of hot sauce for Hot Honey Mustard Sauce).
- To serve, make a bowl with coleslaw mix or red cabbage, then top with the roasted vegetables and ½ cup cottage cheese. Drizzle about 2 tablespoons of mustard sauce over the coleslaw mix and veggies (I prefer not drizzling it on the cottage cheese). Add avocado slices and serve.
