A make it what you want vegan bruschetta bowl with dairy free cashew pesto. This bowl features the best of fresh summer produce and when paired with grilled vegetables makes a healthy plant based dinner!
Ingredients in Vegan Bruschetta Bowl with Cashew Pesto
Cashew Pesto
Did you know you can use any type of nut to make a pesto (or cheese for that matter)? While pine nuts really do produce the creamiest pesto, their price tag can be a bit pricey! So for this recipe we used cashews. Walnuts also make a great pesto choice, like in our Lemon Herbed Pesto recipe. If you need a nut free option, check out our friends over at Kitchen Ambition who has a great kid friendly nut free pesto.
One cautionary note though, when using cashews or other nuts, to really get the nut to blend well, you need to soak them. You can skip soaking them, but your pesto may be a bit more chunky! Which is okay, if you like that bit of crunch. For the cashew pesto you will need these ingredients:
- Cashews
- Nutritional Yeast
- Lemon Juice
- Fresh Parsley
- Fresh Basil
- Salt
This cashew pesto is so easy to make in your food processor. As I mentioned though, you will want to soak your cashews first! Soaking allows them to blend easily into a creamier pesto. This pesto is also an oil free pesto! That means it is beyond heart healthy and amazing you to add to your whole food plant based lifestyle.
Fresh Homemade Bruschetta
I wondered when I first made vegan bruschetta…would I miss the fresh mozzarella that normally adorns a bruschetta bite? Vegan bruschetta without the mozz is just as good. It’s fresh and light and still makes those taste buds dance with the savory ingredients that pair together so well! Here are the fresh ingredients you need for bruschetta:
- Fresh Tomatoes
- Fresh Basil
- Fresh Parsley
- Balsamic Vinegar
- Thyme and Rosemary
- Pepper
Using ingredients fresh in season makes this bruschetta taste best! For me in West Michigan, this means usually late summer.
Fresh Grilled Veggies
If you have been around here awhile, you know fresh grilled veggies are my favorite! For this recipe, you can use whatever fresh vegetables you love to grill. Just slice your veggies, toss with salt and pepper and grill. No oil is needed for grilling veggies, although I do recommend coating your grill pan with cooking spray.
How to Make and Serve Your Vegan Bruschetta Bowl
This vegan bruschetta bowl is perfect as plant based meal prep! I love to make the cashew pesto on the weekend and then either store it in the refrigerator or freeze it!
Fresh bruschetta is best ate fresh, but will still taste great a day or two after making it. You might have more than you need for this dinner bowl, save some for breakfast and have a savory bruschetta toast with some avocado slices.
Grilled vegetables are best ate fresh, but could be grilled ahead and reheated for a vegan lunch prep.
When I serve this vegan bowl, I love to add crispy chickpeas or vegan gluten free croutons.
This vegan cashew pesto bowl with fresh bruschetta is such a plant based treat in the summertime! I hope you make it, if you do please tag @badtothebowl – I would love to connect with you!
Vegan Bruschetta Bowl with Cashew Pesto
Ingredients
Grilled Vegetables
- Assorted Vegetables to Grill (I used Summer Squash, Zucchini, Red Onion, Red Pepper, Asparagus)
- Salt and Pepper
Bruschetta Recipe
- 2 large tomatoes, chopped
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 Tblsp balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 tsp crushed dried rosemary
- 1/4 tsp crushed dried thyme leaves
- 1/8 tsp of pepper
Dairy Free Cashew Petso
- 1 cup fresh parsley
- 1 cup fresh basil
- 1/2 cup (soaked – see notes below)
- 2 Tblsp lemon juice
- 2 Tblsp
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 tsp salt
Additional Salad Bowl Ingredients
- Fresh Salad Greens
- Gluten Free Croutons (optional)
- Crispy (optional)
- Fresh Avocado Slices
Instructions
Grilled Vegetables
- Chop vegetables in similar size. Toss with salt and peper. Place in oiled grilled pan and grill over high heat for 25 – 30 minutes, stirring often so they don’t burn!
Fresh Bruschetta
- Place all ingredients in bowl and stir. Best if made a few hours ahead of time to really let the ingredients ‘meld’ together.
Cashew Pesto
- Drain cashews from soaking water. Place all ingredients (except water) in small food processor and start to pulse. Gradually add water until mixture comes to together.
Assemble Your Bowl
- Add your fresh salad greens to a bowl. Add cashew pesto. Add in bruschetta. Add in grilled vegetables. Top with additional options!
