Sweet Potato and Red Bean Power Bowl

Written by in Clean Eating, Dinner, Lunch
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Did you know that protein is the building block of our body?

Protein also helps stabilize blood sugar levels, helps keep you feeling fuller, and can help improve your mood.

Some plant-based proteins include legumes, whole grain breads, artichokes, and nuts.

My favorite though to get in some of my protein for the day is by making a Power Bowl like this Sweet Potato and Red Bean Power Bowl.

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It includes foods like leafy greens, plant-based protein, legumes, and healthy fats.

This Sweet Potato and Red Bean Power bowl recipe is one of my favorites to make.

I love a good Power Bowl or some might call them High Protein Salads or Buddha Bowls, either way they are packed some protein-rich power foods such as this one that has red beans, peas, and sweet potatoes.  

How to build a Plant-based Power Bowl:

1-2 Cups of a leafy green (kale, spinach, arugula, romaine lettuce, butter, lettuce)

4-6 ounces of plant-protein (beans, quinoa, brown rice, wild rice, sweet potatoes, chickpeas, lentils)

2 Cups of veggies (cucumbers, carrots, bell peppers, onions, sweet potatoes, corn, celery, cabbage, broccoli sprouts)

¼ Cup of healthy fats (avocados, nuts, seeds)

2 TBSP plant-based dressing or sauce (Balsamic vinegar, cilantro lime crema, lemon-ginger dressing)

Spices and herbs to taste (salt, black pepper, cilantro, parsley, red pepper flakes

The list of ingredients above are just some suggestions to create a balanced Power Bowl.

The great thing about a Power Bowl is that you can add anyone of your favorite leafy greens, plant-based protein, and your favorite vegetables. 

I prefer to place all my ingredients in a shallow bowl, and layer the base with the leafy green and build the remining ingredients along the sides and top with my favorite plant-based dressing. 

This recipe is only for one serving, but if you are needing it to be for more than one person, just double or triple the recipe.

Equipment needed for this recipe:

• Knife, Instant Pot

• 2 Small sauce pans

• Colander

• Slotted Spoon

• Large Salad Bowl

The great thing about Power Bowls are they are the perfect dish for leftovers and meal pepping.  Cooked some wild rice and beans the night before or earlier in the week? Warm them up the next day and add them to your Power Bowl.  Roast some sweet potatoes ahead of time and add them to your Power Bowl for dinner. 

And even if you were not able to make some of the ingredients ahead of time, using canned beans is also a great alternative and is a simple way to get in your plant-based protein. 

And even if you are making some of the cooked ingredients at the time you are making this recipe, while you are creating the dish your rice could be cooking away in your rice cooker or your potatoes could be roasting in the oven, either way, this dish should not take more than 30-40 minutes to prepare.

This Sweet Potato and Red Bean Power Bowl is just one of my favorite Power Bowl combos to make.

You can check out my Instagram for other Power Bowl Combos that I have made in the past and will be getting up on the blog soon.

Sweet Potato and Red Bean Power Bowl

Sweet Potato and Red Bean Power Bowl

Yield: 1 Serving
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

This Power Bowl is dairy-free and full of plant-based proteins.

Ingredients

  • 2 Cups Baby Spinach
  • 1/2 Cup Sweet Potatoes, chopped, cooked, and cooled
  •   1/2 Cup Red Beans, rinsed, drained, and cooked
  • 1/2 cup Peas, cooked, cooled
  • 1/4 English Cucumber, sliced
  • 1/4 Celery Stalk, chopped
  • 1/2 Cup Red Cabbage, sliced
  • 1/4 Cup Red onions, diced
  • 1/4 Orange Bell Pepper, chopped
  • 3 Cauliflower Florets
  • 1/4 Cup Mushrooms, Sliced
  • 1/2 Cup Cilantro, leaves only, chopped
  • 1/2 Avocado, pealed and pitted.
  • 2 TBSP Pumpkin Seeds
  • 1 TBSP Nutritional Yeast
  • 1 TSP Oregano
  • 1 TSP Black Pepper

Instructions

If using canned beans then prepare them on medium-low in a
sauce pan until cooked, remove from heat, drain the water, and
set aside If cooking dry beans, cook them in the Instant Pot
with at least enough water to cover them and then some.

Cook on high for 25 minutes. Release the steam, let cool and
using a slotted spoon scoop out the desired amount of beans
and set aside.

In a separate small sauce pan, add water, and chopped sweet potatoes, cook on high for about 10 min, reduce heat to medium-low, cook until soft, then remove from heat, drain the
water, and set aside.

In a small sauce pan, add water, and peas,
cook on medium-heat until soft, remove from heat, drain the water, and set aside.

To begin assembling the Power Bowl. Place the baby spinach bottom of the bowl, then place each of the ingredients around
the top of layer of spinach. Then add the cilantro to the
middle, add the half of avocado to one side of the dish and
sprinkle with the black pepper, sprinkle oregano over the
sweet potatoes. And then sprinkle nutritional yeast over the entire dish, and serve.



© Clean Food Mama

I chose not to make a dressing for this Power Bowl as the ingredients in this bowl blended perfectly together I did not feel it needed one, but you can feel free to add your favorite plant-based dressing to the top.

You can store leftover beans and sweet potatoes in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Enjoy!

Stephanie Collazo, MS, CHC is the founder of Clean Food Mama, to help you get more plants into your diet. She shed 170 lbs by incorporating a whole foods plant-based diet and loves empowering other women to create healthy habits for themselves and their families.