I like to call these vegetarian power bowls. Vegan even, if you skip the goat cheese. Me, however, I’ll never skip the goat cheese.
We set out to create a unique pesto recipe using KitchenAid’s new mini food processor, and these veggie-friendly bowls were the perfect vehicle on which to smother it. With a base of hearty protein-rich barley, sweet roasted beets and savory roasted mushrooms, all tossed with a waste-nothing batch of beet green pesto, these bowls are both filling and flavorful, and downright awesome.
The beet green pesto uses the otherwise-wasted beet greens as the base, resulting in a super-flavorful twist on an classic Italian pesto sauce. Blanching the greens first removes any undesired bitterness, and adding a handful of basil and parsley gives the pesto a nice herbal brightness and counteracts the overt earthiness that often turns people off of beets and beet greens entirely. With a touch of orange zest, vinegar, and honey, trust me, it does not taste like dirt in the least.
If you can’t find beets with greens still attached (which you need for the pesto), know that swiss chard is the closest flavor-wise, but you could also use kale or spinach or even straight up basil for a more classic pesto. My philosophy is you can pretty much make pesto with anything green.
We like to roast our beets in foil packets, rubbed with olive oil and sprinkled with salt and pepper. After about an hour (more or less depending on the size of your beets) the skins will practically slide off with little effort on your part. So much easier (and less messy) than trying to peel and chop beets beforehand.
While we used a mix of red and golden beets (because they’re just so darn pretty!) you can certainly use a single color as well.
This Mini Food Processor from KitchenAid is seriously one of my new favorite things. Not only is it basically the cutest thing ever (and that color!) but it is the ideal tool for small batches of pesto (something I have long lamented has never been possible in a full size food processor). I also love how light and easy to transport it is, since I always hate lugging my big ol’ food processor out of the pantry when I need to use it. This one I can lift with one hand (literally).
It amazes me sometimes just how much flavor you can coax out of seemingly boring vegetables. The mushrooms are key, I think, to adding a richness and umami that would otherwise only be found in meat. Roasting them to the point where they are almost crispy is not only easier than sauteeing them on the stovetop (simply stick the sheet pan in your oven and work on other things) but it also adds some truly unique flavor and texture to this recipe.
These vegetarian power bowls are full of plant-based awesomeness, including hearty barley, sweet roasted beets and savory roasted mushrooms, all tossed with a flavorful and economical beet green pesto.
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This recipe was created in partnership with KitchenAid®. All opinions are my own. Be sure to share your take on these recipes on Instagram using #MadeWithKitchenAid for a chance to be featured on the @KitchenAidUSA account!