Roasted Sweet Potato Garden Bowl

This week’s bowl brings together a mix of roasted and crisp elements — a simple combination that comes together into an easy, nourishing meal.

This week’s Salad of the Week is the Roasted Sweet Potato Garden Bowl — a colorful combination of roasted sweet potatoes, green peas, corn, shaved Brussels sprouts, celery, red onion, and fresh greens finished with a Creamy Mustard Dressing.

I build one salad each week using the same flexible structure: leafy greens, a handful of supporting ingredients, and a simple oil-free dressing. The ingredients shift from week to week to keep each bowl interesting and a little different, while the framework stays the same, making daily salads feel much easier to keep up with.

This bowl is easy to adjust based on what you have available. You can swap vegetables, change toppings, or add extra ingredients while keeping the same basic structure.

What Makes This Bowl Special

This bowl brings together crisp, hearty, and lightly roasted elements in a way that feels satisfying without being heavy.

• Roasted sweet potatoes add a naturally sweet, soft texture that anchors the bowl.

• Green peas and corn bring small bursts of brightness and contrast.

• Shaved Brussels sprouts add structure and a slightly bitter edge that balances the sweeter ingredients.

• Celery and leafy greens keep the bowl fresh and crisp.

• Red onion adds a subtle sharpness that cuts through the creamy dressing.

• The Creamy Mustard Dressing ties everything together with a smooth, tangy finish.

The result is a colorful bowl with a mix of textures and flavors that’s easy to come back to throughout the week.

This Week’s Bowl

Leafy Lettuce

• Use a mix of tender leafy greens you enjoy — tower-grown or store-bought — such as romaine, leaf lettuce, butter lettuce, or spring mix

Cruciferous Greens & Veggies

• Brussels sprouts, shaved (fresh or bagged)

Alliums (Onion Family)

• Red onion, thinly sliced

Plant-Based Protein & Staying Power

• Green peas, thawed

Signature Ingredient

• Sweet potatoes, cubed and roasted

Amp Up the Volume

• Celery, thinly sliced

• Corn, thawed (fresh or frozen works perfectly)

Healthy Fats

• Pumpkin seeds or walnuts

Finishers

• Fresh parsley, chopped

• Squeeze of lemon

Fresh parsley and lemon add brightness and bring everything together.

Creamy Mustard Dressing (Oil-Free)

This is a make-once, use-all-week batch (6–8 servings).

Ingredients

• ½ cup tahini

• ¼ cup Dijon mustard

• ¼ cup date syrup (or maple syrup)

• ¼ cup apple cider vinegar

• ¾–1 cup water (add more as needed)

• 1–2 small cloves garlic

• ½ tsp black pepper

Directions

Add all ingredients to a blender.

Blend until smooth.

Add additional water gradually until the dressing reaches a pourable consistency.

Taste and adjust if needed.

Storage

Store in a sealed jar in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Stir or shake before using.

How I Build the Bowl

1. Start with a generous base of leafy greens in a large bowl.
2. Add shaved Brussels sprouts.
3. Spoon green peas and corn over the greens.
4. Add roasted sweet potatoes and celery.
5. Sprinkle red onion and pumpkin seeds or walnuts over the top.
6. Drizzle with Creamy Mustard Dressing.
7. Add a squeeze of lemon and fresh parsley, then gently toss to combine.

Prep-Ahead Tip

Prepping a few components ahead of time makes it easier to pull together fresh salads throughout the week without starting from scratch each day.

• Roast sweet potatoes

• Thaw peas and corn

• Shave Brussels sprouts

• Slice red onion

• Slice celery

• Chop parsley

• Lightly toast pumpkin seeds or walnuts (optional)

• Prepare the dressing

Store each ingredient in its own jar or container in the refrigerator. Keeping everything separate helps maintain texture and makes it easy to build a bowl whenever you're ready to eat.

Sweet potatoes can be used cold or gently reheated before building the bowl.

Notes & Variations

Easy swaps

• Brussels sprouts → shredded cabbage or kale

• Peas → edamame

• Red onion → scallions

Easy add-ins

• Cooked quinoa

• Avocado slices

Prep note

Roast sweet potatoes at 400°F until tender and lightly caramelized, about 25–30 minutes.

Serve With (Optional)

This week I paired the Roasted Sweet Potato Garden Bowl with Simple Savory White Bean & Herb Soup.

The savory, lightly creamy soup balances the natural sweetness of the sweet potatoes and vegetables, creating a well-rounded and comforting meal.

Bonus Recipe: Simple Savory White Bean & Herb Soup

Light, comforting, and gently creamy with balanced, savory flavor.

Serves 4–6

Ingredients

• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small carrot, finely diced
• 1–2 ribs celery, finely diced
• 1–2 Tbsp tomato paste
• 2 cans (15 oz each) white beans, drained and rinsed
• 4–5 cups vegetable broth (low-sodium recommended)
• 1½ tsp dried thyme
• ½ tsp dried rosemary (optional)
• ½ tsp onion powder
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ¼–½ tsp salt (optional, to taste)
• freshly ground black pepper

Optional (for added depth)

• 1–2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
• ½–1 tsp miso (stir in at the end for deeper savory flavor)

Finish

• squeeze of lemon

• chopped parsley

Directions

Build the base:

Add onion, carrot, celery, and garlic to a large pot with a small splash of broth over medium heat. Cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and fragrant.

Develop flavor:

Add the tomato paste and cook for 1–2 minutes, stirring to coat the vegetables and allowing it to darken slightly.

Simmer:

Add white beans, vegetable broth, thyme, rosemary (if using), onion powder, garlic powder, and salt (if using).

Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10–15 minutes.

Create a light creamy texture:

Blend 1–2 cups of the soup and return it to the pot, or use an immersion blender briefly.

Finish:

Stir in nutritional yeast (if using). If using miso, stir it in after removing from heat.

Add black pepper and finish with a squeeze of lemon and fresh parsley.

Easy Adjustments

• Add a small splash of vinegar if the flavor needs brightness
• Use the full 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast for a richer, more savory finish
• Add an extra teaspoon or two of tomato paste for deeper flavor



Texture Note

• Blend closer to 2 cups for a thicker soup
• Blend closer to 1 cup to keep it more brothy and light

Final Thoughts

This bowl is a great example of how adding one warm, roasted element can shift the feel of a salad while still keeping it fresh and easy to build.

When a few components are prepped ahead of time, it becomes easier to bring everything together into a nourishing meal throughout the week.

If you'd like help building salads like this at home, you can download my Tower-to-Table Recipe Guide, which includes the Daily Salad Formula I use to build nourishing bowls like this one.

👉 Download the free Tower-to-Table Recipe Guide

Here’s to simple, nourishing meals — one bowl at a time 🌱

Karen

Vertical Hydroponic Garden