Eating the rainbow feels very satisfying, and is so, so good for you! In more ways than one.
Summer is such a great time to bring in more salads and fresh raw vegetables and fruits..
Raw veg has a cooling nature and it’s perfect when it’s too hot to eat anything more substantial.
This rainbow bowl is great for lunch or dinner, super easy and it’s kind of fun assembling it, and kids might like to help make their own little rainbow bowl too.
This recipe is really versatile and you can mix and match whatever you have on hand. It has a few elements, but once they’re all prepped it’s easy to assemble.
A few things to consider when making up a rainbow bowl;
~Include a protein source of choice: tempeh, tofu, chickpeas or other legumes etc.
~Use a selection of rainbow veggies, I try and see how many different ones I can include as a little challenge.
~Add a grain like rice or soba noodles, if you desire or omit those if low carb..
~Add a sauce like satay or tahini dressing or miso dressing, which all go great.
~Add some toppings to sprinkle on, crushed peanuts, sesame seeds, chopped nori seaweed sheets, spring onions, fresh herbs like coriander or mint.
That’s about it, assemble in whatever way you like, get creative and enjoy!
Why eating the rainbow is so good for us;
Eating the rainbow is such a great way to remember to include plant diversity in your diet, as numerous studies show, the higher the diversity or different types of plant foods and plant fibers in one’s diet, the more abundant and healthy the microbiota, or microbes in a persons gut(1).
When we focus on increasing the range of different plant foods we eat in our diet we inadvertently improve our overall health, choosing food that nourishes and sustains us. Focusing on plant diversity and eating a rainbow, we maximise the different nutrients that our foods contains(1).
Some rainbow coloured foods and some of the benefits include;(1).
~Reds// tomato, watermelon, contain Lycopene, protects agains prostate cancer
~Orange//carrots, pumpkins, contain betacarotene, great for skin, eyes and immunity
~Yellow//lemons, peaches, contain flavonoids, protect against cancer
~Green//Broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, contain indoles, isothiocyanates, very strong cancer protection.
~Blue//Blueberries, blackberries, contain anthocyanins, antioxidant, improves memory.
~Purple//purple grapes, plums, contain resveratrol, lowers cholesterol, protects against blood clots
And there is even more good news, when we combine a number of plants together, they create a synergistic effect where the health benefits get enhanced(1). Hello rainbow bowl of goodness!
Disclaimer; The information in this blog post is for educational purposes only, it is not intended to diagnose, treat or influence medical decisions.
Reference;
- W. Bulsiewicz, ‘Fiber Fueled, The Plant-Based Gut Health Program for Losing Weight, Restoring Your Health, and Optimising Your Microbiome’. Avery pp 74-81. 2020.
Here is the recipe below. Enjoy!
Rainbow Bowl with Crispy Tofu, Satay and Soba noodles
Ingredients
Satay Sauce
- 1/3 cup Peanut butter, organic if possible Smooth is preferable
- 1 tbsp Tamari Gluten free Soy Sauce
- 1 tbsp Rice syrup or maple syrup
- 2 tbsp Lime or lemon juice
- 1 clove Garlic Crushed or chopped
- 1 tsp Fresh ginger Grated or thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp Apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp Water
Rainbow Veggies
- 1 medium Carrot Peeled into long strips
- 1/2 medium Capsicum thinly sliced
- 5 Snow peas sliced lengthwise
- 1/4 cup fresh coriander leaves stems removed
- 1 medium Cucumber, Lebanese Sliced into half moons
- 1 cup Red Cabbage Shredded or thinly sliced
- 2 Radishes Thinly sliced
- 2 Shallots/Spring onions Thinly sliced
Soba Noodles and Extras
- 1/2 Soba noodles Dried
- 2 tbsp crushed peanuts For serving, optional
Crispy Tofu
- 1 packet Firm Tofu Organic if possible
- 1 tbsp Tamari Gluten free soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Rice syrup
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 tbsp Black sesame seeds Optional
Instructions
To make the Satay Sauce
- In a small bowl whisk together the peanut butter, lime juice, tamari, apple cider vinegar, garlic, ginger and rice syrup until a thick and creamy consistency forms
- Then keep whisking as you add in the water, if it starts to separate, keep whisking until a smooth consistency forms
- Set aside until ready for serving
For the Rainbow Veggies
- Prep all the veggies and set aside for serving
- Peel the carrot into long strips, slice the cucumber into half moons, shred and thinly slice the cabbage, thinly slice the radishes, and capsicum.
- Wash coriander and pick leaves from stems, slice the snow peas lengthwise and thinly slice spring onions.
For the Soba noodles
- Bring a medium saucepan of water to the boil
- Add in soba noodles and stir
- Cook noodles until just tender, drain into a colander and rinse with cold water. You can also keep them in a bowl of cold water until ready to serve so they don't go gluggy
- Set aside until ready to serve, sprinkle with crushed peanuts.
Crispy Tofu
- Slice tofu into 2cm cubes
- On medium to high heat, add coconut oil to a skillet or frypan
- Add tofu and stir, add tamari and rice syrup
- Cook on each side of the cubes for a couple of minutes until crisp and caramelised.
- Continue to turn cubes with a egg flip or tongs until all sides are crispy
- Once cooked sprinkle in sesame seeds to coat the tofu
- Set aside for serving
To Assemble the bowl
- Serve in a wide bowl if possible
- Add 1/2 of the Soba noodles to the bowls, arrange half of each vegetable around the noodles.
- Add the crispy tofu
- Sprinkle with coriander and shallots and any other optional toppings you like
- Drizzle a good amount of satay sauce over the whole thing
Optional Extras
- You could use other herbs like mint or parsley, chilli sauce or chilli flakes would go well too, see notes below for a list of options.
