Healthy, wholesome vegan macrobiotic-style bowls with marinated adzuki beans and turmeric tahini sauce require minimal prep and cooking time, making them a great choice for a weeknight dinner. They are also perfect for workday lunches!
I enjoyed a vegan macrobiotic bowl at Fresh restaurant during a half marathon weekend in Toronto in May. It was just what I wanted after a race: hearty, filling soba noodles, beans, steamed broccoli, sprouts, fermented vegetables, and tahini sauce. (Full disclosure: Of course I ordered a triple scoop ice cream sundae afterwards. Who are we kidding?)
I found myself craving it often once I returned home, so I created this inspired version. While it doesn’t quite fit into the confines of the macrobiotic diet specifications, it is delicious in its own right, and entirely satisfying to boot. I felt that the combination of soba noodles and adzuki beans gave me licence to call it a macrobiotic bowl, even if it is not totally authentic! If you wanted to make it even more true to its Japanese roots, you could add some shredded nori on top.
The turmeric tahini sauce is like liquid sunshine. I put it on everything: think outside the bowl and spread this on sandwiches, wraps, tacos, or use it as a dip for raw or roasted vegetables. Turmeric, as we all know, is an anti-inflammatory powerhouse. There is evidence that consuming it with some fat and black pepper enhances the absorption of curcumin, its primary anti-inflammatory compound. The combination of tahini, lemon juice, turmeric, and black pepper in this sauce is not only delicious: it’s also an inflammation-busting mix!
The other components of the bowls are marinated adzuki beans, soba noodles (or your preferred cooked grain- brown rice, quinoa, buckwheat, etc. would all be tasty), steamed broccoli, sauerkraut or kimchi, and cilantro. If you have only ever had plain cooked beans, I would highly recommend combining them with the sauteed onion and garlic, tamari, lime juice, and toasted sesame oil in this recipe. I would go so far as to say that this treatment makes beans crave-worthy!
I hope that you love this recipe. It’s the perfect healthy summer meal to enjoy before a weekend of fun, and it’s also a great meal to prep on a Sunday for weekday lunches. Scale the recipe up as needed to cook for larger crowds!
If you love these vegan macrobiotic bowls, you might also want to try these healthy vegan recipes:
BBQ Chickpea Bowls
Burrito Bowls
Mystic Bowls with Beet Almond Hummus and Carrot Harissa
Enjoy, friends!
Vegan Macrobiotic Bowls with Adzuki Beans and Turmeric Tahini Sauce
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 bowls 1x
Description
Ultra healthy and wholesome vegan macrobiotic bowls made with soba noodles, steamed broccoli, marinated adzuki beans, beet sauerkraut, cilantro, and turmeric tahini sauce.
Ingredients
Marinated Adzuki Beans
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium red onion, finely chopped
- 3 large cloves garlic, minced
- Large pinch of fine sea salt
- 1 ½ cups cooked adzuki beans (1 standard 14-oz can=1 ½ cups when drained)
- 1 ½ tbsp tamari or coconut aminos
- 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
- ½ tbsp toasted sesame oil
Turmeric Tahini Sauce
- ½ cup tahini
- ⅓ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 large cloves garlic, minced
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tbsp chickpea or mellow white miso
- 1 tbsp pure maple syrup
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Bowls
- 1 large bunch broccoli (about 1 lb/454 g), steamed until fork tender
- 1 cup beet sauerkraut or kimchi, drained of as much liquid as possible
- 12 oz soba noodles OR 4 cups cooked brown rice, buckwheat, or quinoa
- 1 cup cilantro, stemmed and chopped
Instructions
- Make the marinated adzuki beans: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, garlic, and a generous pinch of sea salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 7 minutes. Add the adzuki beans, tamari, lime juice, and toasted sesame oil and stir. Cover and set aside.
- Make the turmeric tahini sauce: Whisk together all ingredients in a bowl, adding up to ½ cup of water to achieve desired consistency. Alternatively, make the sauce in a blender.
- Prepare the bowls: Cook the soba noodles according to the directions on the package. Arrange the steamed broccoli, sauerkraut, and cilantro on your counter to make for easier serving.
- To serve, evenly divide the soba noodles, adzuki beans, steamed broccoli, cilantro, and sauerkraut between 4 bowls. Drizzle on desired amount of turmeric tahini sauce.
Notes
Leftover sauce? Sweet! It keeps well in the fridge and is delicious on sandwiches, wraps, tacos, or as a dip for roasted sweet potato wedges!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Vegan, Bowls, High Protein
- Cuisine: Vegan, Japanese
Keywords: Macro bowls, Macrobiotic Bowls, Turmeric Tahini Sauce, Soba Noodles, Adzuki Beans
Sharon
This is a terrific recipe. My boys devoured it for supper and asked me to make it again on the weekend. Very energizing and flavourful. Perfect for summer too.
Allison
Thanks for your comment, Sharon! I’m so glad that you and your family loved it.
jjm
Not sure if you are familar with macrobiotics…some of your ingredients for this recipe are not recommended.
Read more: https://www.kushiinstitute.org/what-is-macrobiotics/
Allison
Hi, thank you for your feedback and for sharing the article. With the exception of the turmeric and the minute amount of maple syrup in the sauce, which ingredients are not recommended? I am curious!
jjm
Any of the oils, the citrus juices and the cilantro. Macrobiotics focuses on local, in-season and no tropical foods.
Allison
Certainly! Note, however, that I wrote in my post that I have taken liberties with the macrobiotic theme and added some ingredients that do not fit within the confines of a strict macrobiotic diet. I do believe that some oils are permitted according to my reading of the diet. Either way, I appreciate you taking the time to comment and provide this information to readers! 🙂
Jeff
Love love love this bowl recipe! It was exactly what I needed after an indulgent couple of days.
★★★★★
Allison
Thanks, Jeff!