Since my last article on this topic entitled, Ultimate Healthy Breakfast, I’ve shifted my diet from being about 90% vegetarian to 100% vegan for health and ethical reasons. In this article, I’ll be giving you an even healthier, tastier, and smaller portion vegan breakfast bowl recipe.
My switch from being a vegetarian to a vegan happened almost overnight after watching several documentaries in this list I created on this site.
New Ingredients
Broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, mushrooms, frozen chopped spinach (instead of precooked), quinoa (instead of brown rice), legumes (beans, peas, & lentils), hemp heart seeds, chia seeds, and psyllium (natural fiber).
These new ingredients, most of which are superfoods including spices, are full of vitamins, proteins, omega fatty acids (3, 6, & 9), antioxidants, anti-inflammatory compounds, and more. The health benefits of these ingredients are too numerous to list here.
New equipment
Pressure cooker instead of a rice cooker for the quinoa and a slow cooker for the legumes. I purchased the hugely popular IP pressure cooker. The taste of the quinoa and legumes are much better using the pressure cooker. It also retains more nutrients, cooks faster, and uses less energy. I love it.
I’ve named this recipe the Vegan Superfood Breakfast Bowl.
Length – Please don’t let the length and details of this recipe overwhelm you. In a few days or weeks, making it will become second nature and you’ll get it done in about 15 minutes or less.
Updates – I update this recipe as I make new discoveries. Updates are indicated by a change in the date at the bottom of the “recipe download” pages like this “V 18-25-02” (= year, day, month). By checking back periodically, you’ll know you have the healthiest one. 🙂
Vegan Superfood Breakfast Bowl 2.0 – Recipe
Ingredients (1 serving.)
- 1 frozen broccoli crown.
- 1 frozen cauliflower crown.
- 3 frozen Brussels sprouts.
- 3 frozen mushroom slices.
- 1 tablespoon of frozen spinach.
- 1 & 1/2 tablespoons of precooked quinoa.
- 1 & 1/2 tablespoons of precooked legumes (beans, peas, & lentils).
- 1/4 teaspoon hemp heart seeds.
- 1/4 teaspoon chia seeds.
- 1/4 teaspoon psyllium (natural fiber).
- 1 dash of chili powder or salt-free seasoning of your choice.
- 1 dash of cayenne pepper powder.
- 1 teaspoon of diced sweet onion.
- 1/4 diced (Hass) avocado.
- 3-5 cherry or grape tomatoes.
Tofu
If you’re into tofu, you can add it along with the frozen vegetables. The tofu is added at this point due to its high water content and then need for draining. Suggest cutting it into ½ -1” cubes. Strongly recommend using organic non-GMO tofu.
Accompaniments
- 1/2 slice multi whole-grain sprouted flourless bread, toasted (unbuttered). Topped with unsalted almond butter and fruit spread.
- 1/2 cup fresh cantaloupe, honeydew, watermelon, and/or berries.
- 24 oz. glass filtered water with squeezed lemon juice.
- Update: Now drink homemade super water.
- Select high-potency vitamin supplements.
- No coffee. Gave it up!
Equipment
- Microwave.
- Pressure cooker or rice cooker and slow cooker.
- Medium size (4-5” diameter) microwave-safe bowl.
- Microwave-safe cover.
- Heat protection pads or gloves.
- Cutting board. (Article: Best Cutting Boards.)
- Multi-purpose kitchen knife.
Preparation
- Add 1 frozen broccoli crown.
- Add 1 frozen cauliflower crown.
- Add 3 frozen Brussels sprouts.
- Add 3 frozen mushroom slices.
- Add 1 tablespoon of frozen spinach.
- Cover the bowl with a microwave-safe cover and cook on high for 1 & 1/2 minutes.
- Using heat protection pads, remove the bowl from the microwave.
- Remove the cover and cut the vegetables into small pieces.
- Drain. Using heat protection pads, replace the cover, firmly grasp the bowl, and push the cover slightly to one side to create a tiny opening for draining.
- Add 1 & 1/2 tablespoons of pre-cooked quinoa. (See how to make under the “Details > Quinoa” subheading below.)
- Add 1 & 1/2 tablespoons of precooked legumes (beans, peas, & lentils). (See how to make under the “Details > Legumes” subheading below.)
- Add 1 teaspoon of diced sweet onion.
- Cover the bowl and microwave on high for 1-2 minutes.
- Drain in the same way described above. Little or no liquid should drain out.
- Mix.
- Add 1/4 teaspoon of hemp heart seeds.
- Add 1/4 teaspoon of chia seeds.
- Add 1/4 teaspoon psyllium (natural fiber).
- Add 1 dash of chili powder or salt-free seasoning of your choice.
- Add 1 dash cayenne pepper powder.
- Mix.
- Cover the bowl and microwave on high for 30 seconds.
- Add 1/4 diced avocado or 1 tablespoon of premade guacamole.
- Add 3-5 cherry or grape tomatoes.
Details
You don’t have to measure each ingredient exactly or include every item. If there are ingredients you like or don’t like, increase, reduce, or eliminate them. However, I encourage you “not” to remove ingredients simply because you’ve never eaten this particular combination of foods before. Be bold! Try it!
The key to enjoying a vegan diet over a “traditional” one is to “not” compare the taste but rather compare and appreciate the health benefits. Soon your taste buds will adjust and you’ll love the taste and hate the unhealthy stuff.
Draining is necessary due to the frozen vegetables. Although it’s a bit of a hassle, draining it well makes the recipe better by not being watery.
For expediency, I make a 5-7 day supply of quinoa and legumes mix in advance.
I buy bags of uncooked, pre-washed organic quinoa. To keep it fresh, I only cook about 3/4 of a cup at a time in a pressure cooker. I use organic low-sodium (salt) vegetable broth instead of water for taste and nutritional benefits. I also add a pinch of cumin and turmeric powder for the same reasons.
Follow your pressure cooker or rice cooker instructions on quinoa and broth amounts and cooking times.
I buy a legumes (beans, peas, lentils) soup mix in bulk. I use this soup mix instead of buying the items individually to save time and have a greater variety.
Be sure to thoroughly rinse the legumes with water before cooking.
I cook about 3/4 cup of the legumes in a pressure cooker. I use organic low-sodium (salt) vegetable broth instead of water for taste and nutritional benefits. I also add a pinch of cumin and turmeric powder for the same reasons.
Follow the pressure cooker or slow cooker instructions on the legumes and broth amounts and cooking times.
You can play with the seasonings so that the recipe matches your favorite flavors. One word of caution though. It’s easy to overlook the high sodium (salt) levels in many seasonings. For example, most hot sauces are high in sodium.
Recipe Download
Here’s a downloadable copy of this recipe. It is in PDF format. You’ll need Adobe Reader to view and make a copy of it. To download a “free” copy of this software, go to Adobe.com.
Download a copy of this recipe here: Vegan Superfood Breakfast Bowl
To your health and fitness.