Mystic Bowls with Beet Almond Hummus and Cashew Carrot Harissa Sauce

One of the most delicious restaurant meals that I have ever eaten was the Mystic Bowl at Buddha-Full in North Vancouver. (I wrote about this in my previous post.) I knew that I would need to re-create the recipe as soon as I returned home to Ottawa so as not to suffer from withdrawal. It was that good.

So what, you ask, is so special about the Mystic Bowl? Is it the earthy beet almond hummus? The slightly spicy, slightly sweet cashew carrot harissa sauce? The crunchy cabbage slaw or the fragrant brown rice? Or is it the synergy of all those flavours and textures, arranged in a bowl, that is a feast for both the eyes and the palette? It’s hard to put a finger on it, but I will tell you that there is a special little somethin’ somethin’ about these bowls. 

They begin with roasting purple sweet potatoes. I usually find them at Whole Foods Market. Have you had the pleasure of tasting purple sweet potatoes yet? If not, I recommend that you get your hands on some, stat. They are even better than regular orange sweet potatoes, in my humble opinion.

Isn’t nature incredible?

Next is a beaming pink beet almond hummus. You whip it up in the food processor like so:

The third component of these bowls is the cashew carrot harissa sauce, which I can imagine would be incredibly versatile. (I’m going to put leftovers on burgers, nachos, tacos, and a spoon destined for my mouth. Several times a day. I’m quirky like that.)

Now that’s one vortex that I would happily dive right into.

How can you say no to colours like these?

Then, you assemble the vibrant cabbage apple slaw. If you don’t usually like raw cabbage, I encourage you to give this one a try. The dressing totally mellows and softens the cabbage and the apple and currants add a subtle sweetness that is hard to resist.

From there, the bowls come together very quickly! You can even prepare the hummus, the sauce, and the salad up to three days in advance to speed up the prep time even further. 🙂 This would be a great meal to prepare on a Sunday for weekday lunches.

I hope you all love these bowls. They’re:

Filling
Grounding
Nourishing
Packed with antioxidants
and SO FLAVOURFUL!

If you make this, I want to know about it! Tag me on Instagram @holisticallie and share this on Facebook!

MYSTIC BOWLS

VEGAN
Gluten-free
Soy-free Option

Servings: 4
Time: 1 hour

Beet Almond Hummus

1 can (14 fl. oz) organic chickpeas, drained and rinsed (or 1.5 cups cooked chickpeas)
2 tablespoon almond butter (raw or roasted)
¼ cup lemon juice (from 1 large organic lemon)
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 large clove garlic, minced
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt , plus more to taste
1 tablespoon tamari or coconut aminos
1 medium beet, finely chopped

Carrot Cashew Harissa Sauce

⅔ cup finely chopped carrots
¾ cup raw cashews, soaked for at least 3 hours*
1-2 tablespoon hot sauce of choice (I used this one)
¼ cup lemon juice (from 1 large organic lemon)
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
1 large clove garlic
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
⅔ cup filtered water

*Soak the cashews in very hot water for 1 hour for a quick soak option.

Roasted Purple Sweet Potatoes

2 large or 4 small purple sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into ½ cm rounds
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil or virgin coconut oil
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Vibrant Apple Cabbage Slaw

4 cups finely shredded purple cabbage
1 apple, finely diced (I used Granny Smith)
½ cup currants
Maple Mustard Dressing: 
2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon grainy mustard
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Additional Components:

4 cups cooked brown basmati rice (1 cup dry rice + 2 cups water + ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt)
1 large bunch kale, stemmed and chopped
Smoked or baked tofu or tempeh (optional: I didn’t use any in my bowl but you totally can, especially if you want to bump up the protein content by 15-20 grams per serving!)

Directions: 

1. Roast the sweet potatoes: Heat the oven to 400 F. Line a large baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper. Place the sweet potato on the baking sheet and drizzle with the olive oil. Sprinkle on the sea salt and pepper. Toss to coat and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until sweet potatoes are soft and slightly crispy around the edges.
2. Make the beet almond hummus: Place all ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth and creamy. This may take a couple of minutes, depending on how powerful your food processor is. You may also use a cooked beet if your food processor is not very powerful.
3. Make the cashew carrot harissa sauce: Place the diced carrots into a steamer basket and steam for 10 minutes, or until they can be pierced easily with a fork. Drain the cashews and place them in the jar of an upright blender. Add the cooked carrots and remaining ingredients. Blend on high until the sauce is completely smooth and creamy. Pour into a glass jar and store in the fridge until ready to use (this sauce keeps in the fridge for up to one week).
4. Make the Vibrant Cabbage Apple Slaw: Combine the cabbage, the apple, and the currants in a large salad bowl. Combine dressing ingredients together in a small glass jar and shake vigorously to emulsify. Pour dressing over the salad and toss/massage to combine).
5. Steam the kale for 3 minutes, or until it has wilted slightly and is a bright green colour.
6. Assemble the bowls: Place 1 cup cooked brown rice, 1 cup slaw, a quarter of the kale, and a hearty scoop of the beet almond hummus into a bowl. Drizzle generously with the cashew carrot harissa sauce.

If you make this recipe, tag #holisticallie on Instagram. I would love to see your creations!

With love and a belly full of beet hummus,

Allie xx