Chili powder and cumin perfectly compliment the sweet, earthy flavors of roasted beets and carrots in this rice bowl. In addition to the roasted veggies, this bowl features brown rice, a collard green slaw, crispy chickpeas, crumbled feta cheese, green onion, cilantro, and a punchy and sweet honey-lime dressing.
While this bowl does have a lot of individual components, it is easy to throw together. If you start the brown rice first, you can get everything done by the time it is done cooking and resting. The beets and carrots are roasted along with some thick sliced jalapeño peppers (yum! and don’t worry, the heat tempers the spiciness) until everything is nice and caramelized. Tossing all the veg in chili powder and cumin, plus the browning in a hot oven, give this bowl serious fajita vibes. The key to all the veggies finishing on time is roasting the beets first for 10 minutes and then adding the carrots and peppers so the beets will be tender by the time the carrots are done. The chickpeas take 15-20 minutes using the air fryer. I got one for my birthday and crispy chickpeas were the first thing I made in it! They turn out even crispier and crunchier from the air fryer than the oven. And they stay that way longer! If you do not have an air fryer, you can make them in the oven as in this recipe.
Of course while everything is roasting, frying, and steaming, the collard greens and dressing can be prepared. Slicing the collard greens uber thin makes a fluffy slaw that is surprisingly fresh and tender – proof that you do not need to cook collards into submission for them to taste delicious! The dressing is embaressingly easy: it is literally a mix of EVOO, honey, fresh squeezed lime juice, a tiny bit of minced garlic, and salt. It is sweet, sour, and perfectly savory. The brightness of the dressing really elevates all the flavors in this bowl. Once the rice and veggies are done, it is just a matter of plating and adding the toppings to finish.
This bowl can be made up to a day ahead (leaving out the dressing and crispy chickpeas until serving). After a day, the roasted veggies become a bit soggy. If you do prep some ahead or have leftovers, they are good cold, like a salad, or by warming up the veggies and rice and adding everything else when ready to serve.
Roasted Beet and Carrot Rice Bowl with Honey-Lime Dressing
Servings: 1
Time: 1 hour
Ingredients:
- 1 small-medium beet, peeled and cubed (about 1 cup)
- 2 medium carrots, cut into 1/3″-1/2″ slices (about 1 cup)
- 1 large jalapeño, cut into 1/3″ slices (about 1/4-1/3 cup)
- 1/8-1/4 cup dry brown rice
- 1 cup of collard greens, thinly sliced (chiffonade)
- 1/3 cup crispy chickpeas (recipe follows)
- sliced green onions, cilantro, and feta for topping
- honey-lime dressing (recipe follows)
- chili powder
- ground cumin
- salt (I used smoked sea salt)
- cooking oil
How-to:
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Prepare brown rice according to package instructions.
- While the rice is cooking, toss the beets in some cooking oil and chili powder, cumin, and salt then roast on a sheet pan in the oven for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, toss the carrots and jalapeño in some cooking oil and chili powder, cumin, and salt. Add carrots and jalapeño to the sheet pan with the beets and return to the oven for about 20 minutes, flipping once half way through. Veggies are done when beets and carrots are tender and everything is nicely browned.
- When the veggies and rice are cooked, taste and adjust seasoning. Then, add them to a bowl along with the collard green slaw, crispy chickpeas, sliced green onions, cilantro, and feta. Top everything with the honey-lime dressing, toss, if desired, and serve.
Note: This recipe is purposefully open so you can add as much seasoning, toppings, and rice as you like. I tend to heir on the side of a lot of seasoning and toppings and 1/8 cup of dry brown rice (which ends up being about 1/3 cup cooked). The amount of dressing in the recipe below is generous so feel free to adjust the proportions of everything to your liking!
Simple Honey-Lime Dressing
Servings: makes a quarter cup, enough for 1-2 bowls depending on how much you like
Time: less than 5 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp. fresh squeezed lime juice
- 1 tbsp. honey
- 1 tbsp. EVOO
- 1 small garlic clove, minced or grated on a micro plane (1/4 tsp.)
- salt to taste
How-to:
- Combine all ingredients and whisk or shake in a jar until combined.
Crispy Air-Fried Chickpeas
Servings: makes about 1.5 cups
Time: about 20 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and dried well
- 2 tsp. EVOO
- 2/3 tbsp. chili powder
- 1/2 tbsp. ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp. salt (I used smoked, adjust to taste)
How-to:
- Preheat the air fryer to 350 degrees F.
- Toss chickpeas in EVOO, salt, and spices and place in the air fryer basket.
- Fry for 15-20 minutes, shaking half way through.
- Chickpeas are done when they are golden brown and super crisp.
Notes: This recipe makes more than you need for one bowl, but they keep fantastically. Store them at room temp in a sealed container. They will keep for a week or more.
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