Vegan Dragon Bowls with Miso Gravy
These healthy vegan dragon bowls will soon be one of your favourite meals! They’re full of healthy ingredients and topped with the most delicious miso gravy that really brings it all together.
These dragon bowls are inspired by a vegetarian restaurant in Vancouver called The Naam. They feature crispy, oil-free baked fries, steamed broccoli and cauliflower, fresh veggies like beets and carrot and the best homemade miso gravy.
The veggies are placed in a bowl and topped with the addictive miso gravy made for a flavorful and nutrient-packed meal you’ll keep definitely keep on rotation. It’s one of my favourites!
Features
- Dietary features: vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free.
- Packed with nutrient-dense vegetables!
- The homemade miso gravy is simple and easy to make and can be used to top many other dishes.
- Easy to customize with different veggies, grains and proteins.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Potato: Use russet potato or Yukon gold. You can also try sweet potato to switch it up!
- Broccoli and Cauliflower: These two cruciferous veggies add tons of nutrition, flavor and texture to the bowls. If you’re missing one or the other though, no big deal! These bowls are easily customizable.
- Beet and Carrot: These two are used raw and grated. They add texture, nutrition and a bit of sweetness to the bowls. Again, if you only have one or other, that’s ok, though both are best!
- Tomato and Cucumber: These are both added fresh and raw as well. Again, if you only have one on hand or don’t like tomatoes like me, go ahead and mix and match.
- Broth: Any kind of vegetable broth or stock can be used. Carton, homemade or powder/cubes all work fine.
- Flour: Use brown rice flour, spelt flour, all-purpose flour or whole wheat flour. If you need the recipe to be gluten-free, make sure you choose the brown rice flour option.
- Miso Paste: Use white or yellow mild miso paste. If you’re not familiar, miso paste is a fermented soy bean paste used to add amazing umami flavour to all kinds of dishes. It’s easy to find in well-stocked grocery stores or any Asian food market.
- Nutritional Yeast: This adds more depth of flavour to the gravy. If you’re not familiar, read all about nutritional yeast here.
- Arrowroot or Cornstarch: Used for thickening the gravy, either works fine!
- Soy Sauce: Swap for gluten-free tamari for a gluten-free recipe.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1. Roast the Potatoes. Preheat the oven to 425 F. Slice the potatoes and toss with salt and pepper. Prepare a pan with parchment paper, a silicone baking mat or give it a light coating of non-stick cooking spray. Line the potatoes on it so they each have some space around them.
Bake for 25 minutes then flip and bake for another 15-20 minutes until golden brown and crispy. While the potatoes are baking, first prep the vegetables, then make the miso gravy.
Step 2. Steam the Broccoli & Cauliflower. Cut the broccoli and cauliflower in florets. Place them all in a steamer basket. Add about 1″ of water to a pot and bring it to a boil over medium heat.
Once the water is boiling, place the steamer basket with the broccoli and cauliflower inside, cover with a lid and cook for 4-5 minutes or until the broccoli and cauliflower are brightly coloured and cooked al dente. Remove the steamer basket from the pot and set aside. If you don’t have a steamer basket, you can steam them in a shallow pan with just a bit water.
Try not to overcook them. They should be brightly coloured and still have some crunch to them when ready.
Step 3. Prepare The Raw Veggies. Peel and finely grate the beets and carrots. Slice the tomatoes and cucumbers into bite sized pieces.
Optional: For an added layer of deliciousness and a boost in protein, you can add grated cheese and tofu to the bowls. Prepare those now as well, if using.
Step 4. Make The Miso Gravy. To make the gravy, add all of the ingredients to a small saucepan and whisk over medium heat until it thickens, about 6-7 minutes.
Step 5. Assemble the dragon bowls. Divide the roasted fries amongst serving bowls. If you’re adding tofu and grated cheese, sprinkle them over the fries and then add some of the miso gravy, reserving some for drizzling on top of the finished bowls.
Divide the steamed cauliflower and broccoli and the rest of the veggies amongst the bowls and drizzle each with the remaining gravy.
Tips for Oil-Free Fries
- Use parchment paper or a silicone baking mat to prevent sticking.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan, each fry should have a little space around it. This is key for crispy fries!
- Sprinkle with salt and pepper and any spices you like before roasting. Garlic powder, onion powder, paprika and chili powder all work well.
- Preheat the oven before baking.
Notes
- The potato can be substituted with your choice of grain such as brown rice or quinoa. Use about 1/2 cup per bowl. Sweet potato works too!
- The veggies are easy to mix and match so don’t worry if you don’t have exact amounts of everything.
- Chickpeas make a good addition if you’re not adding the tofu.
- I like to top the bowls with fresh sprouts for even more nutriton and texture.
- The veggie amounts can be adjusted for however many bowls you’re making. I use 1 small-medium sized potato per bowl and about 1/2 cup each of the other veggies but the amounts don’t need to be exact.
- The gravy makes enough for 4 bowls but leftovers can be stored in the fridge and used for other things. Try it over rice, tofu scramble, mashed potatoes, mashed cauliflower, roasted vegetables or other bowls like this nourish bowl or farro bowl. It’s also the perfect dip for fries!
Storing Instructions
- Extra miso gravy will last up to 5 days in a sealed jar or container in the fridge.
- Storing: Dragon bowls can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days though are definitely best enjoyed fresh. I recommend storing the miso gravy separately until serving, if possible.
- Freezing: This recipe is not freezer friendly.
Did you try this recipe?
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I’d love to hear about it! Click here to leave a review and be sure to tag me @runningonrealfood if you post it on social media.
Vegan Dragon Bowls with Miso Gravy
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 45 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 4
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These amazing, veggie-loaded dragon bowls are topped with the most addictive and delicious miso gravy. Enjoy this gravy poured over the oil-free baked fries and veggies, or use it as a dip for a big plate of fries, over mashed potatoes or for any other use you can think of. These bowls are great for meal prep, healthy, filling and packed with nutrition.
Ingredients
For Each Dragon Bowl:
- 1 medium sized potato
- 1/2 cup steamed broccoli
- 1/2 cup steamed cauliflower
- 1/2 cup peeled and grated beet
- 1/2 cup peeled and grated carrot
- 1/2 chopped tomato
- 3–4 slices of cucumber
- salt and pepper, to season the potato
- 2–3 tbsp grated vegan cheese, optional
- 1/2 cup firm tofu, cubed, optional
For the Miso Gravy
- 1 1/4 cup vegetable stock
- 2 tbsp brown rice flour
- 2 tbsp white miso paste
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tbsp arrowroot powder or cornstarch
- 2 tbsp soy sauce (use gluten-free tamari if needed)
Instructions
- Roast the Potatoes. Pre-heat the oven to 425 F. Slice the potatoes into evenly sized fry shapes. Line a pan with parchment paper or a baking mat or give it a light coating of non-stick cooking spray. Line the potatoes on the pan so they each have some space around them. Sprinkle with salt and pepper then bake for 25 minutes, flip and bake for another 15-20 minutes until golden brown and crispy.
- Steam the cauliflower and broccoli. Chop the cauliflower and broccoli into florets. Bring 1 inch of water to a boil in a saucepan, add the cauliflower and broccoli to a steamer basked and steam over the boiling water for 4-5 minutes until cooked al dente.
- Prepare the raw vegetables (and cheese and tofu). Peel and grate the carrot and beet. Chop the cucumber and tomato. If you’re using the cheese and tofu, prepare those by grating the cheese and cutting the tofu into small cubes.
- Make the miso gravy. To make the miso gravy, add all of the ingredients to a small saucepan and whisk over medium heat until it thickens, about 6-7 minutes.
- Assemble the bowls. Divide the roasted fries between your serving bowls. If you’re adding tofu and cheese, sprinkle them over the fries then top with some of the gravy, reserving some for drizzling on top of the bowls. Divide the steamed cauliflower, broccoli and the rest of the veggies between the bowls. Drizzle with a little more miso gravy. Enjoy!
Notes
The ingredients listed for the dragon bowls are for 1 serving. Adjust as needed for however many servings you’d like to make. Amounts don’t need to be exact! The gravy makes enough for 4 bowls but can be used for 1-2 and stored for other uses.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 322
- Fat: 2 g
- Carbohydrates: 69 g
- Protein: 14 g
Keywords: miso gravy, vegan dragon bowl, dragon bowl
Originally published January 26, 2013.
This is such a fun, exciting, and delicious meal! We love it!! Thanks so much!
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed it.
THAT GRAVY!!!! Omg delish. I used sweet potato cos that’s what I had, and omitted the beet. Definitely one to repeat.
★★★★★
I made this for dinner tonight and the bowl itself was a great combination of textures and flavors. Instead of steaming the broccoli I roasted it with the potatoes. I did not make the “gravy” and just mixed the miso paste, soy sauce, and notch together with a little water as the paste would make it thick enough. Huge mistake. The combination of miso paste and soy sauce alone were so salty that it burned my mouth. I had to add the juice from a lime and some ginger syrup to balance it out. I’ll make this again, but use a different dressing.
★★★
I made this yesterday since it was a blustery, rainy day, and it did not disappoint! I love all the components of the bowl, but I did make a few changes, such as using a sweet potato rather than Idaho; left out the tomato as I had none on hand; and did add tofu–I just happened to have Chipotle-Miso Baked Tofu on hand!
The only issue I had, and I think I probably brought it on myself–was that the gravy never really thickened to gravy ‘status’. I admit I used almond and coconut flour since I don’t usually have rice flour on hand. And I use potato starch with great effect in Chinese stir fry dishes for added thickening of sauces, but even with the potato starch and extra nutritional yeast, nothing made it thicken up. So it became a Dragon Broth Bowl! Perfect, since I’d been debating if I wanted to make soup that day, anyway! It was really good–when the broth hit the beets and carrots, it really became comfort food. Yum yum yum!
I use this Miso gravy for everything these days, wow it is good!! My go-to sauce every time.
★★★★★
Amazing! So glad to hear that.
Do you soak brown rice before cooking with it? I don’t use it because it supposedly has the highest level of arsenic of all types of rice.
This recipe doesn’t call for brown rice. It uses brown rice flour to thicken the gravy. You can substitute it with another flour such as whole wheat or all-purpose. Thanks!
Would you eat the miso gravy on any other food? Such as biscuits? I’m looking for an alternative gravy for breakfast biscuits since I can’t have black pepper.
Ya, I also have a mushroom gravy that would be good for that. But you can try this one as well!
This is the best bowl ever! The miso gravy is insanely good. We can’t get enough. The potato and everything else…so good. Can’t wait to make this again.
★★★★★
I eat at the Naam every weekend and always order the Dragon Bowl. It’s consistant.y delicious. Made your version and have to say it’s pretty damn great. I do tweak it a bit and use wild rice and a little coconut milk. Now I need to find the Naam fettuccini recipe.
That’s awesome! So glad you liked my attempt at the Naam Dragon Bowl. I love this recipe and make it often.
Deryn – I am living in Brazil and am immensely missing Vancouver cuisine. Thank you so much for sharing this. A little taste of home… And it was delicious!! Can’t believe how easy it was!
Are you from Vancouver?? So glad I was of help to bring some Canada down to Brazil for you 🙂 It’s one of my favourite dishes ever and it is surprisingly easy, isn’t it?!
I made this for dinner tonight and it is another winner! I wasn’t sure where to find Naam miso gravy here in Winnipeg, so made my own. I usually use lemon tahini dressing on my dragon bowls, so this was a welcomed change. I made brown rice for hubs and son, and a mix of sweet and russet potatoes for my girl and I. My 10 year old devoured his within minutes so yeah, definite success 😉 I love this blog, I’m so excited to keep trying your recipes!!
That is so great to hear Cindy! It’s one of my favourite meals for sure 🙂
I love lemon tahini dressing – I might have to try that! Thank you so much for letting me know!
I was looking for an easy dragon bowl recipe and I’m glad you posted this. It looks delicious, can’t wait to try! Great blog!!
I love these and it’s so easy to make! Let me know how you like it! You could also make your own miso gravy but I love The Naam gravy!