Weekends are my days for loosening up on what I eat. So on Saturday and Sundays after lunch I enjoy dessert and a big soy latte and a little something sweet post-dinner. By Sunday evening I usually feel ready to get back into full-on healthy mode and a simple “bowl” filled with good grains and lots of vegetables makes me feel slightly virtuous and ready for the week ahead. Recipe and photo by Ann Oliverio of An Unrefined Vegan, from Crave, Eat, Heal: Plant-Based Whole Food Recipes to Satisfy Every Appetite* reprinted with permission © 2015 Front Table Books.
Serves: 4
Total time: 45 minutes
Sauce
- 3/4 cups raw almonds (either with skin off or on),
or raw cashew pieces, soaked for 2 to 4 hours, rinsed and drained - 3/4 cup + light coconut milk
- 2 to 4 tablespoons fresh lime juice (1 to 2 small limes)
- Zest of 1 lime
- 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup
- Pinch sea salt
- Pinch ground black pepper
- Pinch cayenne
Vegetables & Barley
- 4 cups cooked barley (about 1 1/4 cup uncooked), see Note
- 5 ounces baby kale, steamed until tender and drained
- 1 cup shredded, spiralized, or chopped zucchini (about 1/2 of 1 large)
- 1 cup shredded or spiralized carrot (about 2 small)
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- 1 cup chopped or shredded green or purple cabbage
Suggested toppings
- Baked tofu, cubed
- Fresh chopped cilantro
- Fresh chopped basil
- Fresh sprouts
- Strips of seaweed snacks
Make the sauce: Put the sauce ingredients in a high-speed or regular blender and process until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasonings, adding more lime juice if the dressing needs more zing. Add water or more coconut milk if the sauce is too thick. Set aside.
Assemble the bowls: Divide the barley between four big bowls and top with kale, zucchini, carrot, tomatoes, cabbage, and any or all of the suggested toppings. Spoon the curry sauce on top and serve.
Note: I use a quick-cooking barley from Trader Joe’s that takes about 10 minutes, but regular barley is fine, too — just plan on dinner taking a little longer to prepare. The sauce will thicken as it sits so you may need to loosen it up with water.
Variations
- Use farro, brown rice, or quinoa in place of the barley.
- If you use almonds, you may need additional coconut milk or water.
- Here are more raw and almost-raw entrées.
- See more of Ann Oliverio’s recipes here on VegKitchen.
* This post contains affiliate links. If the product is purchased by linking through this review, VegKitchen receives a modest commission, which helps maintain our site and helps it to continue growing!
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