I love the sound of the green bowls that my favourite cafe serves for lunch. And while their version is delicious, it’s way too complicated.
So here is my simple take on the green bowl. With just 2 green veg.
And the most delicious, creamy sauce. All finished with the crunch of roasted macadamias. I could eat this all day, every day.
You won’t even notice that it’s vegan. My Irishman didn’t 🙂
If you don’t have broccolini (also called baby broccoli or sprouting broccoli) just substitute regular broc.
Oh and I know it might seem like your stick blender won’t be able to turn the macadamias into a creamy sauce. I was skeptical the first time I made this too. But it will get there. I promise!
Green Bowls with Macadamia Cream
Ingredients
- 150 g roast macadamias (5oz)
- 1 bunch broccolini (150g / 5oz)
- 1 large bunch kale
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar or white wine vinegar
Instructions
- Place ONLY 100g (3.5oz) of the macadamias in a tall heat-proof jug. Save the remaining macadamias for serving. Pour over 100g (3.5oz) boiling water and allow to stand while you cook the greens.
- Bring 1cm (1/2in) salted water to the boil in a large saucepan. Meanwhile, slice broccolini into 1/3s. Add broccolini to the pot and reduce heat to medium high. Cover and set your timer for 3 minutes.
- Tear kale into bite sized pieces. When the timer goes, add the kale leaves and return the lid. Simmer rapidly for 2 minutes or until the kale and broccolini are tender. Drain and allow to cool for a minute or so.
- Return greens to the pan. Season with soy sauce and 2 tablespoons of the vinegar. Save the remaining vinegar for the sauce.
- To finish the macadamia cream, add a little salt and the remaining 1 tablespoon vinegar. Puree with a stick blender or food processor until you have a creamy sauce. Stir in 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil. Taste sauce and season with more vinegar or salt if needed.
- Pile the cooked greens into two bowls. Top with macadamia cream and serve with the extra macadamias scattered over.
Nutrition
Variations & Substitutions
pantry-friendly – frozen broccoli + kale.
keto / ultra low carb – replace broccoli with extra kale. Replace macadamia cream with mayonnaise.
nut-free – replace macadamia cream with mayonnaise or hummus or greek yoghurt. And add some raw veg for crunch.
more substantial (carb lovers) – toss in cooked pasta or cooked grains like brown rice or quinoa.
more substantial (low carb) – extra macadamias. Or toss in cooked chicken or salmon or serve with poached or fried eggs.
Low FODMAP – use broccoli florettes instead of broccolini stems.
different vegetables – add anything green! Green beans or asparagus can be added at the beginning. And any leafy greens will work as well as or instead of the kale. If using chard (silverbeet), slice the stems and simmer at the beginning. And add the leaves towards the end. Sliced brussels sprouts are surprisingly good. At my cafe they serve the greens with grated cauliflower rice tossed through. And you can toss in any roast or grilled veg you have lying around at the end.
higher protein/carnivore – cooked chicken, cooked salmon, poached or fried eggs, chickpeas or lentils.
garlicky – sometimes I add a clove of garlic to the sauce before pureeing.
different nuts – great with almonds, hazelnuts or even walnuts.
Waste Avoidance Strategy
macadamias / soy sauce / rice or white wine vinegar – keep them in the pantry.
broccolini – will keep wrapped in a plastic bag in the fridge for 1-2 weeks. Can be frozen (if you have time chop before freezing so it will defrost quickly in the pan).
kale – will keep in the fridge in a plastic bag uncooked for 1-2 weeks. Once cooked it will keep for a month or so in the fridge. Can be frozen both cooked or raw.
Problem Solving Guide
bland – more salt and/or soy sauce or vinegar. Roasted macadamias will help.
too dry – drizzle with some peppery extra virgin olive oil.
macadamia sauce not creamy – sounds like your blender / food processor isn’t powerful enough! You’ll have to go with a more chunky salsa vibe. Next time use hummus or this lemon tahini sauce instead of the macadamia cream.
no stick blender or food processor – a regular blender will work if you scrape down the sides a lot! Otherwise use hummus or this lemon tahini sauce instead of the macadamia cream.
Prepare Ahead
Yes! Just cook as per the recipe but keep the sauce and macadamias separately. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or can be frozen. To serve, warm greens in a pan with a little oil.
Add to my Old Favourite Recipes
I chose this following the ‘tiny project’ you gave us with yesterdays weekly meal plan. It was so easy I couldn’t ignore! And even better, I bought the ingredients at the store this morning and have just made it for lunch instead of waiting for dinner.
I couldn’t get macadamia nuts so used cashews and can’t quite believe how good this cashew cream is. I should have made double or triple the quantity so I could keep some for my daily abundance bowls but no matter, it was quick and easy and will be added to my fave sauces. I suspect it may be even more delicious when served cold.
I did add two poached eggs for extra protein but I won’t bother next time, this would have been a dream just as it is. What is also nice is that I can easily see myself adapting this with a whole manner of different greens and nuts. Definitely one of my Go To meals from now on.
Thanks for the tiny project Jules, I look forward to more tiny projects in the future x
Excellent Nicola!
So glad you enjoyed! And good call on the poached eggs – I think it’s more satisfying with some protein.
This one wasn’t great for me but the problem may have been on my end. I don’t think the macadammias were very fresh and also they were a cheap supermarket brand. Also, I didn’t pay attention to the amount of veg and I think I ended up with too much vinegar. I’ll try again with higher-quality nuts.
Do the nuts need to be roasted ahead of time?
I’m also going to try Mark’s addition of chickpeas and sun-dried tomatoes (or maybe fresh). You were right about it turning into a nice cream with the stick blender. I think this recipe is worth fussing with.
You don’t have to roast the nuts Lisa – the flavour will just be milder and creamier without that step. You can roast ahead or just before making this.
And roasting nuts is a good way to freshen up ones that are getting a little tired.
If you’re willing to try again – maybe add 1/2 the vinegar and taste and then add more
And you can use any nuts here cashews are excellent. And I made a pine nut version to have with BBQ chicken last night that was really good.
I used walnuts because I never see macadamias at my local shop, and I don’t think that I salted them enough in the sauce. I added a tin of chickpeas for extra protein and some sun-dried tomatoes for extra colour, and cashews instead of walnuts for garnish. Fine.
I get my macadamias from Aldi Mark – they’re the best for quality and price 🙂
Delicious!! Surprisingly so! This will definitely be on high rotation.
Oh so glad you enjoyed Judit!