Autumn Fennel & Kabocha “Spa Day” Buddha Bowls
Vegan
These autumn buddha bowls make me feel like I just went to the spa for a massage, a little yoga, and a good long soak. I’m a very emotional person when it comes to food and always tend to classify meals based on how they make me feel, so I guess that’s my way of saying that these buddha bowls–which are packed with autumn produce–somehow still feel very refreshing, well-balanced, and a little out of the ordinary.
Of course, I say they feel out of the ordinary, but the truth is these bowls themselves are pretty simple. I think it’s the flavor combination that makes it feel a bit “extra”.
Really, these little autumn buddha bowls are a combination of three simple salads. All together, you can have them on the table in 45 minutes. It’s not spaghetti, but it’s not bad for a complete dinner that includes roasted squash either (luckily, because we cut the squash and fennel pretty thin, it roasts up fairly quickly).
The first salad is a little mix of roasted kabocha squash (basically a super flavorful and dense Japanese pumpkin) and thinly sliced fennel bulb which–with the help of olive oil–caramelizes into delicious melt-in-your-mouth sweetness. Then we toss the roasted veggies with cumin, coriander seed, toasted walnuts, and kalamata olives for a salad that is savory, buttery, slightly brine-y, and still a bit fresh thanks to the lemon and fennel. I think I’ve made it every other day for the past week. It’s an inexplicably good combo.
The next salad is a warm, simple grain and legume salad made with brown lentils and faro (a nutty, chewy ancient grain in the wheat family). Once everything is cooked, we stir in some figs (fresh or dry both work beautifully), spices, thyme, olive oil and lemon for a simple, slightly sweet, satiating salad with plenty of whole grains and protein.
The final salad–a crisp and cooling green apple, cucumber, and fennel frond medley–rounds out the bowl with a super crunchy, tangy, refreshing element that works to balance out the caramelized flavors of the roasted veggies and the heartiness of the lentils and faro.
Together, these salads make a meal I can’t stop making. It’s super seasonal (fennel is sweetest this time of year and squash is a no-brainer) and packed with nutritious fats, grains, proteins, and vegetables that always leave us feeling so satisfied and nourished. I know it’s a bit of a unique combination, but we’ve enjoyed it so much lately, I had to share. Hopefully it delights you as much as it has us!
A note on fennel:
If you too are skeptical of fennel and it’s infamously anise-like flavor when eaten raw, I totally understand where you’re coming from. I avoided fennel for years because I bought some, tried it raw, tried cooking it without any oil, and thought it was terrible. But please please don’t let that turn you off! Cooked, caramelized, or roasted fennel bulb is a whole different ball game than its raw counterpart. When cooked with a little healthy fat (here we use extra virgin olive oil and toss in a few toasted walnuts), fennel becomes tender, sweet, and caramelized. But it retain’s a subtle freshness that balances heavier foods (like lentils, faro grains, and oils) beautifully.
What’s more, fennel is actually a winter vegetable so it is sweetest, best, and cheapest in the fall and winter months which means it’s the perfect time to give it another try 🙂 Just don’t be shy with the oil. You’re basically eating celery so embrace those healthy fats 🙂
The fennel fronds (which we use here in the cucumber and apple salad) do not share as much of the anise-like flavor of the bulbs and so are much more subtle. The lend a nice freshness to the salad, but if you are nervous, you can always start with just a little and see how you like it 🙂
Autumn Spa Day Buddha Bowls
with Fennel & Kabocha Squash
Begin by making the lentil & farro salad. Place dry lentils, farro, water, and salt in a medium pot and bring the water to a boil. Once it reaches a rolling boil, reduce the heat, place a lid slightly askew on the pot, and allow everything to simmer for 35-40 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 F.
Then wash and slice the fennel bulb. Cut off the bottom of the bulb and discard it. Cut off the fronds and set them aside for later. Then set the bulb on its base and slice it in half the short way. Now set each half of the bulb on the cutting board with the side you just cut down on the board. Slice the fennel very thinly with a sharp knife. It slices should resemble sliced celery.
Next, use a sharp knife to cut the squash. Cut off the top and bottom of the squash, and set the squash down on the cutting board on it's base. Proceed to slice it into 16 wedges. Then trim the skin off.
Congrats! That was the hardest part of the whole process 😉
Now toss the fennel and squash with 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (I know it seems like kind of a lot but don't skimp on this. The fennel cooks best in fat), and a quarter teaspoon each of salt, cumin, and coriander seed. Arrange the vegetables evenly over a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and place it in the oven to roast. Set a timer for 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes, remove the squash and fennel from the oven and give all the vegetables a stir. Add the walnuts to the tray and place everything back in the oven to roast for a final 20 minutes.
When the lentils and farro are done (after 35-40 minutes of simmering), and the texture is to your liking (we like them rather al-dente for a salad but give them a taste and see what you like), strain off any excess water and set them aside to slightly cool.
While lentils and farro are cooling and the squash and fennel are in their final 20 minutes of roasting, prepare the fresh salad. Halve and thinly slice one cucumber; thinly slice one green apple; and finely chop the fennel fronds and stems you set aside earlier. Add everything to a medium salad bowl. Then set the salad aside until it's nearly ready to be served.
When the lentils and farro have slightly cooled, finish making the salad. Gently mix in 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil, 1 Tablespoon lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon coriander seed, 5 figs (sliced into quarters), leaves from 2 stems of fresh thyme, and 1 cup of arugula. Set the salad aside (at room temperature) until you are ready to serve.
Remove the roasted squash and fennel from the oven. Toss the roasted veggies with 1 teaspoon lemon juice and olives. Set the salad aside (preferably somewhere warm) until ready to serve.
Just before serving (as you don't want your salt and acid to make the salad less crunchy as it sits), finish the fresh green apple and fennel frond salad off with a light dressing.
Add 1 teaspoon honey, 1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice (about 1/2 a lime), and a pinch of salt to the bowl, and mix everything well. (If your honey is cold, you can always microwave it for a few seconds to make it easier to stir in so you don't get clumps in the salad).
Serve the salads together with sliced and salted avocado or a dallop of hummus for a little extra creaminess. Enjoy!
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Serving Size 1/4 of recipe (not including avocado or hummus)
Servings 4
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories 364
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat 15g24%
- Saturated Fat 2g10%
- Potassium 668mg20%
- Total Carbohydrate 52g18%
- Dietary Fiber 9g36%
- Sugars 20g
- Protein 10g20%
- Vitamin A 154%
- Vitamin C 48%
- Calcium 9%
- Iron 17%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Ingredients
Directions
Begin by making the lentil & farro salad. Place dry lentils, farro, water, and salt in a medium pot and bring the water to a boil. Once it reaches a rolling boil, reduce the heat, place a lid slightly askew on the pot, and allow everything to simmer for 35-40 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 F.
Then wash and slice the fennel bulb. Cut off the bottom of the bulb and discard it. Cut off the fronds and set them aside for later. Then set the bulb on its base and slice it in half the short way. Now set each half of the bulb on the cutting board with the side you just cut down on the board. Slice the fennel very thinly with a sharp knife. It slices should resemble sliced celery.
Next, use a sharp knife to cut the squash. Cut off the top and bottom of the squash, and set the squash down on the cutting board on it's base. Proceed to slice it into 16 wedges. Then trim the skin off.
Congrats! That was the hardest part of the whole process 😉
Now toss the fennel and squash with 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (I know it seems like kind of a lot but don't skimp on this. The fennel cooks best in fat), and a quarter teaspoon each of salt, cumin, and coriander seed. Arrange the vegetables evenly over a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and place it in the oven to roast. Set a timer for 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes, remove the squash and fennel from the oven and give all the vegetables a stir. Add the walnuts to the tray and place everything back in the oven to roast for a final 20 minutes.
When the lentils and farro are done (after 35-40 minutes of simmering), and the texture is to your liking (we like them rather al-dente for a salad but give them a taste and see what you like), strain off any excess water and set them aside to slightly cool.
While lentils and farro are cooling and the squash and fennel are in their final 20 minutes of roasting, prepare the fresh salad. Halve and thinly slice one cucumber; thinly slice one green apple; and finely chop the fennel fronds and stems you set aside earlier. Add everything to a medium salad bowl. Then set the salad aside until it's nearly ready to be served.
When the lentils and farro have slightly cooled, finish making the salad. Gently mix in 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil, 1 Tablespoon lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon coriander seed, 5 figs (sliced into quarters), leaves from 2 stems of fresh thyme, and 1 cup of arugula. Set the salad aside (at room temperature) until you are ready to serve.
Remove the roasted squash and fennel from the oven. Toss the roasted veggies with 1 teaspoon lemon juice and olives. Set the salad aside (preferably somewhere warm) until ready to serve.
Just before serving (as you don't want your salt and acid to make the salad less crunchy as it sits), finish the fresh green apple and fennel frond salad off with a light dressing.
Add 1 teaspoon honey, 1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice (about 1/2 a lime), and a pinch of salt to the bowl, and mix everything well. (If your honey is cold, you can always microwave it for a few seconds to make it easier to stir in so you don't get clumps in the salad).
Serve the salads together with sliced and salted avocado or a dallop of hummus for a little extra creaminess. Enjoy!
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[…] based this recipe off the fennel recipes in my Autumn Spa Day Buddha Bowls. But it’s so good, it really deserves its own post. And by combining two fennel recipes into […]