Spread, Veg, and Bread Bowl

Bread Bowl dairy-free dietary adaptations fiber Gluten-Free Healthy Fats higher protein hummus ingredients Instructions lunch idea nutrition protein Recipe Salad Spread Veg Vegetables

Posted October 16, 2023 by: Admin #Kitchen

If you’re in search of a straightforward lunch idea, look no further than this concept of a Spread, Veg, and Bread Bowl. This versatile combination of ingredients transcends the boundaries of a traditional recipe, offering a quick and nutritious lunch option that’s both delicious and satisfying.

Two bowls filled with hummus and salad, topped with a soft-boiled egg, feta cheese, chopped almonds, and a side of sourdough bread.

This inspired culinary concept is courtesy of my sister, a maestro at elevating basic ingredients into visually appealing and delectable meals. Whenever I pay her a visit, I can anticipate some version of this Spread, Veg, and Bread meal concept gracing her lunch table.

Whether she’s repurposing leftovers from the previous night’s dinner or incorporating fresh produce from the local farmers’ market, she consistently combines hummus, vegetables, and quality bread to craft a salad-style dish that hits the mark. The best part? It results in a balanced meal rich in fiber, healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates.

Ingredients for hummus bowls; hummus, feta cheese, leafy greens, radishes, and sourdough bread.

Ingredients

While this offering is more of a culinary framework than a rigid recipe, here are the components I utilized in crafting these bowls:

– Spread: The linchpin of these bowls, offering a canvas for various spread types. Although my preferred choice is hummus, any savory hummus variation works wonderfully. Additionally, you can experiment with bean dip, baba ganoush, lentil dip, ricotta, tzatziki, and labneh.

– Vegetables: Incorporating vegetables not only enhances the fiber content but also introduces essential micronutrients. You have the freedom to select any combination of leafy greens and fresh vegetables at your disposal. The versatility of these bowls enables you to adapt to the season, featuring radishes and peas in the spring, carrots, cucumber, and tomatoes in the summer, and roasted squash and beets in the fall and winter.

– Bread: The quality of the bread directly impacts the taste of these bowls. While I highly recommend sourdough bread due to its minimal processing and delightful flavor, any bread of your liking will suffice.

– Olive Oil, Salt, and Pepper: Essential for dressing the vegetables and seasoning the dish.

In addition to the core components, you can enhance these bowls with additional toppings and seasonings. Some personal favorites include:

– Cheese: A sprinkle of cheese contributes healthy fats and added protein. Feta cheese is my go-to, complementing the creamy hummus with its crumbly texture and salty contrast. Nevertheless, you’re free to choose from goat cheese, cheddar cheese, blue cheese, or halloumi.

– Nuts or Seeds: Elevate the texture and introduce healthy fats by topping the bowls with seeds like pumpkin or sunflower seeds, or chopped nuts such as almonds, walnuts, or pine nuts.

– Boiled Egg or Other Protein: While optional, the inclusion of a soft-boiled egg, cooked for 8 minutes, enriches the protein content and adds delightful flavor and texture. If eggs aren’t your preference, consider adding an alternative protein source, such as grilled chicken, steak, tuna, or tofu.

Overhead image of bowl with spread of hummus, topped with salad, a jammy 8-minute egg, feta cheese, and chopped almonds, salt, and pepper, with a side of sourdough bread.

Nutrition Tip

You might wonder, “Isn’t that a lot of hummus, more than a typical serving size?” It’s important to note that serving sizes and portion sizes differ. While the standard serving size for hummus is 2 tablespoons, it’s not necessarily a recommended portion size. This measurement merely serves as a basis for quantifying nutritional data on hummus packaging.

Close up of slice of bread in a bowl with some leafy greens, hummus, and a piece of boiled egg on the bread.

Dietary Adaptions

For a Gluten-Free Option: Substitute with gluten-free bread.

For a Dairy-Free Version: Exclude the cheese.

For a Higher-Protein Variation: Incorporate an additional egg or two, or top the bowls with an alternative protein source like chicken, steak, or tofu.

Spread, Veg, and Bread Bowl

This Spread, Veg, and Bread Bowl is a swift and easy lunch choice, ready in just 10 minutes. It’s a wholesome meal rich

in fiber, protein, and healthy fats.

Ingredients

1/3 cup hummus
2 cups leafy greens
1/4 cup thinly sliced radishes
1/4 cup sliced snap peas
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese
2 tablespoons roughly chopped almonds
1 slice of sourdough bread
1 egg (optional)
Salt
Pepper

Instructions

If you opt for an egg, bring a small pot of water to a boil. Carefully add your egg using a spoon and boil for 8 minutes. Once cooked, transfer the egg to a bowl with cold water until it’s cool enough to handle. Then, peel and slice the egg in half.
In a medium bowl, combine leafy greens, sliced radishes, and peas. Drizzle with olive oil, season with a pinch of salt and pepper, and gently toss to combine. Set aside.
In a shallow serving bowl, place a dollop of hummus and spread it across one-third of the bowl using the back of a spoon.
Add the leafy green mixture to the other side of the bowl, then position the sliced boiled egg on top of the hummus.
Sprinkle the bowl with crumbled feta cheese and almonds, and serve it with a slice of sourdough bread.