These Roasted Vegetable Grain Bowls check all the boxes. Tender roasted veggies, lemony sorghum, sliced almonds, and tangy feta cheese. Your new favorite weeknight dinner!
The road that led to these Roasted Vegetable Sorghum Bowls was a windy one. It started when I ordered the sorghum online but was delivered omega-3 pills instead (not complaining, but not convenient). And it continued when I completely ruined almost all of said sorghum in an effort to make sorghum “popcorn” (which resulted in our new apartment semi-permanently smelling like burnt popcorn).
So with the little sorghum I had left in the pantry, I created an ancient grain recipe that I knew would work. Because it actually came from a reader!
When Jule shared a version of this recipe with me I knew I wanted to create my own version. It was originally a farro bowl recipe from Marley Spoon. I’ve simplified it while keeping it flavor-packed, and subbed in sorghum for some fun textural variation. Let’s cook!
Here’s what you’ll need
To make this concoction of sorghum-infused veggie goodness, our ingredients will consist of 3 parts: sorghum, roasted vegetables, and assembly goodies.
Sorghum
- Sorghum: First up, we’ll use 1 cup of sorghum. Sorghum can be found in the rice/quinoa area of some grocery stores, or online!
- Water: For each cup of sorghum you need 3 cups of water.
Roasted Vegetables
- Carrots: First up for the veggies, we’ll use 2 whole carrots.
- Brussels Sprouts: Next, ½ lb of Brussels sprouts will add flavor and density. Larger sprouts can be halved or quartered.
- Red Onion: Throw in 1 medium red onion for some intense tastiness. Simply chop the onion into chunks and throw it on the pan!
- Lemon: We’re using every part of the lemon here, the zest and the juice!
- Thyme: For seasoning, include ⅓ oz of thyme. That will be about 20 sprigs.
- Oil, Salt & Pepper: Roast everything with olive oil, salt, and pepper for maximum tastiness.
Assembly
- Olive Oil: We’ll use another 3 tablespoons as part of the dressing, along with the juice from the lemon halves.
- Feta Cheese: Next up, ½ cup of feta cheese will taste fantastic in this bowl. It’s always good to add a little cheese, right?
- Salt & Pepper: Another pinch of salt and pepper will taste great.
- Dried Cherries: To add a dash of sweetness, include ¼ cup of dried cherries. This is arguably one of the best parts, and combined with the feta, it tastes incredible!
- Almonds: Finally, ¼ cup of sliced almonds rounds out this dish while adding a bit of crunch.
How to make roasted vegetable grain bowls
These roasted veggie grain bowls begin with cooking the sorghum (a very easy process, even if you’re new to it). From there, we roast the veggies, prepare the dressing, and assemble everything together! This dish will take about 15 minutes of prep time, and 45 minutes of cook time.
Step 1: Prepare the sorghum
Combine the sorghum and water in a large pot. Bring to a boil, and then reduce the simmer. Cover and cook for 45 to 60 minutes – until the water is absorbed – and then fluff the sorghum with a fork.
Step 2: Roast the vegetables
Preheat the oven to 450ºF (232ºC). Peel and cut the carrots into ¼ inch (½ cm) coins, trim and halve the Brussels sprouts, and peel and cut the the onion into large chunks. Zest the lemon (reserve the zest for later), and then cut it in half. Place the veggies, lemon, and thyme sprigs onto a baking sheet and drizzle with oil, salt, and pepper. Toss to coat the veggies and then bake for 25 minutes, or until they’re soft and golden at the edges. Once cooked, discard the thyme sprigs.
Step 3: Make the dressing
Next, squeeze the lemon juice from the roasted lemons into a bowl. Stir in 3 tablespoons of olive oil and half of the feta, then season with salt and pepper. Stir about a third of the dressing into the cooked sorghum.
Step 4: Assemble
Finally, toss the roasted vegetables, reserved lemon zest, remaining dressing, cherries, and almonds in a large bowl.
Spoon the cooked sorghum into serving bowls, and then top with the roasted vegetable mixture!
Additional ingredient ideas
These grain bowls are so hearty and filling, and the leftovers always taste just as good! One of my favorite things about them is their versatility – you can add any sort of veggie depending on your mood. Here are some additional ingredients ideas that you can use in your roasted veggie grain bowls if you wish.
- Peppers: Green, red, or even yellow will all taste great. Slice them up and roast them with the rest of the veggies!
- Sweet Potato: Potatoes are always a good idea, which is why slices of sweet potatoes work really well in this recipe!
- Cherry Tomatoes: Similarly, cherry (or grape) tomatoes add lots of juiciness when roasted.
- Broccoli or Cauliflower: Made great substitutes for the folks who don’t like Brussels sprouts.
- Spinach: Finally, it’s super easy to sneak in extra greens by using spinach. Simply saute thte spinach before mixing in to wilt it down.
Love sorghum?
If so, you’ll want to try recipes with these grains too! Between bulgur, freekeh, and farro, there are so many ways to add oomph to your recipes with ancient grains. Try them out in your next grain bowls, salads, tacos, or whatever else is for dinner!
Ingredients
Sorghum
- 1 cup uncooked sorghum 180 g
- 3 cups water 708 mL
Roasted Vegetables
- 2 carrots
- ½ lb Brussels sprouts about 2 cups halved, 226 g
- 1 medium red onion
- 1 lemon
- ⅓ oz thyme about 20 sprigs
- 2 Tbsp olive oil 30 mL
- Pinch of salt and pepper
Assembly
- 3 Tbsp olive oil 45 mL
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese divided, 75 g
- Pinch of salt and pepper
- ¼ cup dried cherries 30 g
- ¼ cup sliced almonds 30 g
Instructions
- Sorghum: Combine sorghum and water in a large pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook for 45 to 60 minutes, until water is absorbed, then fluff sorghum with a fork.
- Roasted Vegetables: Preheat oven to 450°F (232°C). Peel and cut carrots into ¼ inch (½ cm) coins. Trim and halve the Brussels sprouts. Peel and cut onion into large chunks. Zest the lemon (reserve zest for later), then cut the lemon in half. Place veggies, lemon, and thyme sprigs onto a baking sheet and drizzle with oil, salt, and pepper. Toss to coat everything. Bake for 25 minutes, or until veggies are soft and golden at the edges. Discard thyme sprigs.
- Dressing: Squeeze the lemon juice from the roasted lemons into a bowl. Stir in 3 Tbsp olive oil, half of the feta, and season with salt and pepper. Stir about a third of the dressing into the cooked sorghum.
- Assemble: In a large bowl, toss together roasted vegetables, reserved lemon zest, remaining dressing, cherries, and almonds. Spoon cooked sorghum into serving bowls, topping with roasted vegetable mixture.
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