Quick and Easy Bowl Ideas

You wanna know the secret to turning a bunch of random ingredients a cohesive dish that’s extremely satisfying and sounds way fancier than it really is? Throw them all into a bowl and title it “*insert country of origin and names of main ingredients here* bowl.” For example, Korean spicy tofu bowl, or Mexican taco bowl.

This may or may not scientifically proven, but I would attest that just about everything tastes better out of a bowl and eaten with a spoon. Obviously the spoon isn’t always practical, unless you’re me and use it for everything from cereal to chicken, but there aren’t many things that can’t be put in a bowl. Doing this makes it way easier for flavors to mingle and for juices/sauces to say contained instead of dispersing across a plate.

So here I am to share some of my favorite bowl combinations. I won’t be writing any full recipes because they’re pretty self explanatory and there’s no standard way to prepare everything. You can cook the ingredients in whatever way is the most convenient for you, but feel free to message me if you have any questions about the way I do it.

I’ll update this as I continue to dump other random ingredients into bowls and call myself a chef for it :).

Asian-Style Salmon and Broccoli Bowl

Base: steamed broccoli tossed with soy sauce (can add any form of rice)

Main: salmon cooked in soy sauce (hack: I use Trader Joe’s salmon burgers)

Toppings: sriracha, toasted sesame seeds

Other ideas: garlic, cauliflower, fried egg, kimchi, mushrooms, carrots, purple cabbage, onion

Chicken and Goat Cheese Bowl

Base: spinach sautéed with garlic

Main: chicken breast seasoned with salt & pepper and cooked on skillet; goat cheese heated on skillet for less than 30 seconds

Toppings: none, this is freaking delicious

Other ideas: tomato, olives, zucchini, sweet potato

Miso Tofu Bowl

Base: cauliflower rice tossed with soy sauce

Main: spinach and tofu sautéed with miso paste (optional: garlic)

Toppings: sriracha, toasted sesame seeds

Other ideas: broccoli, fried egg, kimchi, mushrooms, carrots, purple cabbage, cucumber

Salsa Chicken Bowl

Base: corn sautéed with onions and adobo seasoning

Main: chicken cooked with salsa and spices

Toppings: avocado/guac, cheddar cheese/Mexican cheese blend, sour cream

Other ideas: brown rice, cauliflower, peppers, zucchini, cilantro

(You can find my official recipe for this bowl here.)

Shrimp in Pumpkin Butter Sauce Bowl

Base: broccoli (optional: rice)

Main: shrimp cooked in my pumpkin sauce (pumpkin puree, white wine, chicken broth, garlic, onion, butter, salt, pepper)

Toppings: honestly didn’t add anything else, but roasted zucchini, spaghetti squash, or Brussels sprouts would all go well here

Spaghetti Squash Breakfast Bowl

Base: roasted spaghetti squash

Main: over easy or fried egg

Toppings: avocado, red pepper flakes

Other ideas: diced tomato, goat cheese, sautéed spinach, Trader Joe’s everything seasoning