Roasted Veggie Bowl with Balsamic Date Reduction (WFPB SOS-Free)

Welcome to your new favorite meal prep star 🌟

This roasted veggie bowl is a weekly staple in my home — loaded with flavor, packed with nutrients, and free from all the stuff you don’t want (like oil, refined sugar, or added salt). Just whole plants. Just real food. Just how our bodies were designed to thrive. 💚

Ingredients

Veggies (Roasted & Air-Fried):

• 1 cup red potatoes, quartered

• 1 cup yellow potatoes, quartered

• 1 red onion, thick sliced

• 1 cup Brussels sprouts, halved

• 1 cup asparagus, chopped

• 1 cup mushrooms, I use small whole mushrooms — rinsed, stems removed, and roasted just as they are.

• 1 cup bell peppers, chopped

• 1 cup cherry tomatoes or the slightly larger ones. 

Seasoning Blend:

• 1 tbsp Bragg Liquid Aminos

• 1/2 tsp liquid smoke

• 1 tsp granulated garlic

• 1 tsp granulated onion

• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

• Cracked black pepper to taste

Grain + Protein Base:

• 1 cup dry quinoa

• 1 cup cooked chickpeas (I make mine from scratch)

Balsamic Date Reduction:

• 1/2 cup Kirkland Signature Organic Balsamic Vinegar of Módena

• 1–2 tbsp homemade date syrup

Homemade Date Syrup:

• 1 cup pitted Medjool dates (soaked in steaming hot water for 1 hour)

• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

• 1/4 tsp cardamom

• 1/2 tsp organic vanilla bean paste

• Filtered water (enough to cover dates when blending)

Instructions

1. Prep the Veggies:
   Rinse, chop, and toss your veggies with liquid aminos, liquid smoke, and seasoning. You’re not drowning them — just coating lightly to help the seasoning stick.
2. Roast the Root Veggies:
   Place red/yellow potatoes, brussels sprouts, and red onion on a parchment-lined baking tray. Roast at 425°F for ~40 minutes. Keep an eye on the red onion — pull early if it starts to char.
3. Air-Fry the Rest:
   Spread asparagus, mushrooms, bell peppers, and cherry tomatoes on air fryer racks. Set at 365°F for ~20 minutes. Check halfway for doneness.
4. Cook Quinoa & Warm Chickpeas:
   Rinse quinoa and cook according to package directions. In the final 2 minutes, stir in your cooked chickpeas to warm them up.
5. Blend Date Syrup:
   After dates have soaked in hot water for an hour, blend them with cinnamon, cardamom, and vanilla bean paste. Add just enough water to cover. Store in a jar.
6. Reduce the Balsamic:
   Pour balsamic vinegar into a saucepan and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce to a simmer for 12–15 minutes until it thickens slightly. Turn off heat, stir in 1–2 tbsp of your date syrup, and allow it to cool and thicken.
7. Assemble Your Bowl:
   Layer the quinoa/chickpeas first, pile on the roasted and air-fried veggies, and drizzle generously with the balsamic-date reduction. 🌈💥

Why I Love This Meal

This bowl hits every note:
✅ Sweet, savory, and spicy
✅ Perfectly roasted and caramelized veggies
✅ Protein-packed quinoa + chickpeas
✅ Completely SOS-free — no oil, salt, or added sugar
✅ Satisfying AND healing

And yeah, it tastes even better than it looks. 😉