About the Recipe
I always think it helps to know why we are eating something, so here is the lowdown in plain English.
● Cooled rice, your resistant starch hero. When rice is cooked and then cooled, some of its digestible starch changes structure and becomes resistant starch, a type of fibre that slips past digestion in the small intestine and travels down to feed your beneficial gut bacteria instead. Research shows the specific way rice is cooked and cooled genuinely changes how well your gut bacteria can use it, and the beneficial short chain fatty acids they produce as a result.¹ A gentle reheat afterwards is fine, it does not undo the benefit.
● Kimchi and miso, your fermented friends. Fermented foods are alive with beneficial microbes and the interesting compounds they produce during fermentation. A landmark study out of Stanford found that a diet rich in fermented foods increased the diversity of the gut microbiome and lowered several markers of inflammation in the body, something a high fibre diet alone did not achieve over the same 10 week period.² A little tip, commercial miso paste is often pasteurised, so choose one from the fridge section if you can and always stir it into the dressing rather than cooking it, to make the most of it.
● Chickpeas, prebiotic fibre with a satisfying crunch. Chickpeas are rich in fibre and natural oligosaccharides such as raffinose, plant compounds that act as prebiotics, meaning they feed and encourage the growth of beneficial bacteria already living in your gut.³ Roasting them gives you a lovely crunchy texture too, so you get the health benefits and the fun of a good crunch.
● Purple cabbage, colour that works hard. That gorgeous purple colour comes from anthocyanins, plant polyphenols that research suggests help support a healthy gut lining and encourage a more favourable balance of gut bacteria.⁴ Little wonder they call eating the rainbow good advice.
● Avocado, a creamy anti-inflammatory fat. Avocado is rich in monounsaturated fat and fibre, and a randomised controlled trial found that eating avocado daily changed gut bacteria abundance and increased beneficial microbial metabolites compared with a diet without it.⁵ It also helps you absorb the fat soluble goodness from everything else in the bowl.
● Pickled red onion, prebiotic power in a pretty pink. Onions are naturally rich in inulin, a well studied prebiotic fibre shown to encourage a more diverse range of beneficial gut bacteria.⁶ Quick pickling keeps that fibre intact while adding a lovely tang to balance the creamy dressing.
● Mint, tahini and pumpkin seeds, the finishing touches. Fresh mint is traditionally used to support digestion and adds the freshest flavour, tahini brings creamy plant fat, calcium and magnesium to the dressing, and pumpkin seeds add a satisfying crunch along with magnesium, a mineral many of us could use a little more of during perimenopause and menopause.
This bowl is really a love letter to your gut, but it quietly looks after more than nutrition alone. A happy, diverse gut microbiome is increasingly linked with better sleep and a steadier mood, so building this bowl is a lovely little ritual for your mindset too. Pair it with a walk in the spring sunshine and you have got all four pillars of health covered in one gorgeous meal.
Ingredients
For the rice base
● 200g (1 cup) brown rice, uncooked
● A pinch of sea salt, for the cooking water
For the quick pickled red onion
● 1 small red onion, very thinly sliced
● 125ml (½ cup) apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
● 125ml (½ cup) water
● 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
● ½ teaspoon sea salt
For the roasted chickpeas
● 1 x 400g tin chickpeas, drained, rinsed and patted very dry
● 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
● 1 teaspoon ground cumin
● ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
● Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
For the miso tahini dressing
● 2 tablespoons tahini
● 1 tablespoon white or yellow miso paste
● 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
● 1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
● 3 to 4 tablespoons warm water, to thin
● 1 small clove garlic, finely grated (optional)
To build the bowl
● 2 cups finely shredded purple cabbage (about a quarter of a small cabbage)
● 1 ripe avocado, sliced
● A small handful of fresh mint leaves
● 2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
● 4 to 6 tablespoons kimchi, a generous spoonful per bowl
Preparation
1. The day before, or at least a few hours ahead, cook the brown rice according to the packet instructions in salted water until tender. Drain if needed, spread it out on a tray so it cools quickly, then transfer it to the fridge, loosely covered, for at least 2 hours and ideally overnight. This chilling step is what creates the resistant starch that makes this bowl so good for your gut, so it really is worth planning ahead for.
2. While the rice cooks, make the pickled onion. Pack the sliced onion into a clean jar. Gently warm the vinegar, water, honey and salt in a small saucepan just until the honey dissolves, then pour it over the onion. Leave to cool, then pop the lid on. It is ready to eat after about 30 minutes and will keep happily in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, so it is worth making a bigger batch.
3. Preheat the oven to 200°C fan bake and line a tray with baking paper. Toss the dried chickpeas with the olive oil, cumin, smoked paprika, salt and pepper. Spread them out in a single layer and roast for 20 to 25 minutes, giving the tray a shake halfway through, until golden and lightly crisp.
4. Make the dressing by whisking the tahini, miso, lemon juice and honey together in a small bowl. It will look thick and a little stiff at first, that is completely normal. Slowly whisk in the warm water, a tablespoon at a time, until you have a smooth, pourable dressing. Stir through the garlic if using.
5. Divide the chilled rice between two bowls. Arrange the roasted chickpeas, shredded cabbage, avocado, pickled onion, mint and pumpkin seeds on top, then add a generous spoonful of kimchi on the side of each bowl. Drizzle over plenty of the miso tahini dressing and serve straight away.