Our latest bowls, made with green cabbage, orange pepper, cucumber and grated yellow carrot.
By: Rachel
We’re back in school and the calendar says ‘September.’ But this week has been H-O-T. And on steamy, humid days, we’re always on the lookout for refreshing meals that require little time in the kitchen. Come to think of it, flavorful meals that come together in a snap are sort of always our thing. You caught us.
That’s why we’re obsessed with these new (Who Cares if it’s Not) Summer Roll Bowls. When we posted a picture of one a few weeks ago on the SmartGirlVeg Instagram feed, followers went crazy. It’s no wonder—this meal presents well, with vivid colors against a fresh white rice noodle background. And did we mention they’re delicious? They are also:
*Vegan
*Nondairy
*Gluten free (if you use GF soy and hoisin sauces)
*Flexible (you can use the produce you have on hand)
*Refreshing
*Peanutty
*Filling, without weighing you down
We highly recommend you toss some together today!
(Who Cares if it’s Not) Summer Roll Bowls
Makes 4-6 servings
8-12 ounces (dry) of rice noodles, prepared according to package instructions and set aside
1 small purple cabbage, shredded (you can also use napa cabbage, green cabbage, or lettuce)
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced (or any other color)*
1 avocado, cubed
½ package tofu, cubed
About ¼ cup torn Thai or Italian basil leaves
About ¼ cup torn mint leaves
*Feel free to add in any other veggies you have: Shredded carrot, chopped cucumber, sliced radishes, etc.
Sauce:
½ cup crunchy peanut butter
½ cup hoisin sauce (we used the brand Sun Luck, which is gluten free)
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce (use gluten free if you need a GF meal)
1 teaspoon lime juice
Up to 1 cup water
Whisk together the sauce ingredients, adding water slowly until desired consistency is reached (should be more like pourable salad dressing than a thick dipping sauce). Distribute equal amounts of shredded purple cabbage among bowls. Top each bowl with equal amounts of rice noodles, red bell pepper, avocado, and cubed tofu. Drizzle with sauce to taste, and then sprinkle with basil and mint leaves. Serve extra sauce on the side (try not to lick the bowl…but we won’t tell if you do).
Try it out and let us know what you think! What’s your favorite “no cook” meal?