What’s up DChamp Eats family? Today I want to share with you a recipe that has become a go-to in the Champagne household. One that is tied to sweet memories, so for us it’s not only a delicious meal, it’s good for the soul.
Last November, Jill and I had the opportunity to visit Portland to attend a Weekend to Remember marriage conference. I had been to Portland twice for mission trips, and I couldn’t wait to show Jill one of my favorite cities, complete with its sights and eats. One day, when we were trying to figure out lunch, we decided to travel to a different district from the conference so that we could get some Salt & Straw ice cream. We figured we would find something for lunch around there before indulging our sweet tooth. Enter Whole Bowl.
That summer, a couple people in our group had eaten at a food cart named, you guessed it, Whole Bowl. The concept was simple: they served one thing, a vegetarian bowl with brown rice as the base and lots of delicious toppings. The thing that tied it all together was their signature Tali Sauce. Jill and I were looking for something light after trying so many of the decadent eats that Portland had to offer, so we ordered a bowl to share. We were instantly hooked. It was perfectly balanced, fresh-tasting, and not heavy. And the Tali Sauce gave it a unique flavor that elevated the simple ingredients.
When we got home, I set out to find a copycat recipe so we could make our own Whole Bowl at home. I found a recipe that tasted so close to the real thing, it was almost like we were there. You can find the recipe for Tali Sauce HERE. The link also includes a recipe for a make-at-home Whole Bowl, but of course we do things a little differently here in our house. While the toppings stay pretty close to the original, we often omit the sour cream (as much as I love sour cream, it’s just not necessary) and we change up the base. We’ve done brown rice and cauliflower rice, then we tried Banza Rice, which is basically gluten free orzo. That has been our favorite. Today Whole Foods was out of Banza Rice, so we used the Banza elbows instead, which made it more of a Whole Bowl pasta salad. It was just as good!
The beautiful thing about this dish is that it is completely customizable. Prepared according to the recipe, it is vegetarian and gluten-free. BUT, you could easily added shredded chicken or pork for added protein, or you can remove the cheese and sour cream and have a vegan dish. And let me tell you, as a guy who likes to have meat on his plate for dinner, this is delicious and comforting enough that I don’t miss it. This is a dish that brings me back to Portland in an instant, but is also healthy comfort food for anyone to enjoy!
Champagne Family Whole Bowl
Per Bowl
1 cup base (Banza Pasta, Banza Rice, Orzo, Brown Rice, etc.)
2 Tbsp. Black Beans
2 Tbsp Salsa (we use Ms. Tonja’s Spicy Salsa)
2 Tbsp. Black Olives
1/2 Avocado
2 Tbsp Shredded Cheese (Sharp Cheddar or Monterey Jack)
Generous Pinch Chopped Cilantro
1/4 Cup Tali Sauce
1 Tbsp Sour Cream (optional)
Check out my story on Instagram to see it all come together!
DChamp Eats 