Carrot Ginger Hummus Bowl with Sesame Garlic

I will not lie, naming this nourish bowl was a CHALLENGE. There’s a lot going on! But we settled on the title: Carrot Ginger Hummus Bowl with Sesame Garlic because it covers two of my favorite parts of this recipe (although there are many, many other things to love).

Now, this is an easy, wholesome, plant-based meal that is packed with protein. It’s designed for meal prep, but it’s also a great option for a four-serving dinner when you are craving a ton of vegetables, texture and flavor. The bowl begins with a quick and simple carrot ginger hummus, which is filled with immune-boosting ginger and lemony, bright flavor. Then I quickly blanch some broccoli to preserve its nutrients, then use that same water to boil some mixed grains. Finally, garlic, ginger and sesame seeds are fried in olive oil until toasty and crisp, and that reserved oil is used to make the dressing. Combine everything with edamame and you have a filling bowl that is overflowing with crisp, crunch, salty, and sweet. It’s one of my favorite vegan lunches or dinners on the site, and in the winter I find myself making it on repeat.

The main components of this Carrot Ginger Hummus Bowl

There are four components of this bowl that make it so good:

• FIRST, THE CARROT GINGER HUMMUS – It can’t be a Carrot Ginger Hummus BOWL with Sesame Garlic without this component! I use raw carrots to keep this hummus nutrient-packed, but the ginger does all the heavy lifting with flavor. Try it once and you’ll be hooked.
• THEN, THE BROCCOLI EDAMAME BASE – I love rice. I LOVE grains. This mixes in edamame and broccoli for greens and protein, and makes this a nourishing bowl with all the protein + carbs + fat you need.
• NEXT, A CRISPY SESAME GARLIC TOPPING – I love having multiple types of crunch, and slowly frying garlic chips, sesame seeds and ginger together makes the most addictive bowl finisher.
• LAST, A DRESSING MADE FROM THE OIL THE TOPPING WAS FRIED IN – we have infused oil, we can’t waste it! The ginger-infused oil makes an amazing honey ginger dressing, and while the bowl doesn’t *need* it, it sure loves it.

Ingredients you will need for the carrot ginger hummus

This is my favorite component of this recipe, and here is what you will need to make it:

• 9 ounces raw carrots
• 1 1 1/2-inch knob of ginger, peeled
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/4 cup tahini, 57 grams / 2 ounces
• 1 lemon for juicing
• 1 14-ounce can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
• 1/4 cup cool water

How to make the carrot ginger hummus

First, peel and slice 9 ounces of carrots (about 2 large carrots, or 3 medium carrots). Add them to a food processor with a peeled 1 1/2-inch long knob of ginger and 2 garlic cloves. Pulse until everything is finely chopped. You need to do this first or else it will take forever to get your hummus smooth!

Add 1/4 cup of tahini, the juice of 1 lemon, and 1 14-ounce can of chickpeas. If you have the time, remove the skins from the chickpeas to make the hummus extra smooth. You can also just use white beans to make the Carrot Ginger Hummus Bowl.

Season with 1 teaspoon of salt and process until smooth. Add 1/4 cup of water to help with the blending (better yet, add the water in the form of a few ice cubes and the hummus will come out super creamy). Set the hummus aside.

Ingredients you will need for the broccoli and rice base

The base of this is simple, but filling. Plus you need it to hold up to all the other components! This is what you will need:

• 9 ounces raw broccoli (about 1/2 of a large head)
• Diamond Crystal kosher salt
• 1 cup mixed grains of choice, such as brown rice, farro, white rice, buckwheat, etc.
• 2 cups shelled edamame

Ingredients you will need for the sesame garlic topping

I include the crispy topping and the dressing for the bowl in the same “topping” category, because you need one to make the other. Here is what you will need for both:

• 5 garlic cloves
• 1 1-inch knob of ginger, peeled
• 1 tablespoon white sesame seeds, untoasted
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Diamond Crystal kosher salt
• 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon raw honey

How to fry the sesame garlic topping (it’s easy!)

What I like about this frying method is we are letting the garlic and ginger “come to temperature.” This means we start all the ingredients in cold oil, and then gradually let everything heat up to a simmer.

I find this is a great way to fry garlic without burning it, and it also works well on ingredients like scallions and ginger. Together, the garlic and sesame will toast at similar rates, so it’s also the best way to fry everything for the crispy sesame garlic topping.

Simmer the garlic for 2 minutes or until it’s golden. Then strain out the oil into a bowl (make sure not to throw it away, we need it for the dressing), and put the crisp ingredients on a paper towel to drain.

How to make the honey ginger dressing

The best part of the reserved oil is that it is infused with ginger garlic flavor, so it’s very easy to make into a dressing.

Do this by adding 3 tablespoons of white wine vinegar and 1 tablespoon of honey to the oil. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and whisk until emulsified.

The best way to assemble this bowl

Once every component for the Carrot Ginger Hummus Bowl is ready, the assembly is pretty straight-forward.

Scoop a pile of the hummus into a bowl. Add a pile of the rice and broccoli base. Top with a sprinkle of the fried garlic, ginger and sesame. Drizzle with the honey ginger dressing.

It’s optional to top with sliced scallions or sweet white onion, but very delicious. I tend to chop those up while I’m waiting for the grains to finish boiling!

Ingredient substitutions

What’s nice about this recipe is substitutions are welcome, and easy to find! Here are the swaps I recommend when you’re making this bowl:

• CARROTS – swap for parsnips, or cubed butternut squash
• GINGER – it won’t be the same, but you can swap for thinly sliced shallots to still keep some flavor dimension! For the hummus, you can also use 1 teaspoon dried ground ginger instead.
• TAHINI – sunflower butter is a great substitute, or almond butter if you are in a pinch!
• LEMON – lime juice, white wine vinegar, or sherry vinegar will all give similar results.
• CHICKPEAS – swap for any white bean you like!
• BROCCOLI – swap for cauliflower, snap peas, green beans, spinach, kale, swiss chard, asparagus, or any green that can hold up to blanching!
• RICE/FARRO – swap for bulger wheat, black rice, buckwheat, sorghum, teff, couscous, or pearl couscous
• EDAMAME – swap for any bean of your choice, lima beans and fava beans are my favorite.
• OLIVE OIL – can be exchanged for avocado oil or grapeseed oil.
• WHITE WINE VINEGAR – apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, white vinegar or sherry vinegar are all good subs.
• HONEY – swap for maple syrup or agave nectar.
• SCALLIONS – these can be exchanged for any tender herb, like mint, cilantro, or parsley!

Let me know if you have any other swap questions, and I’ll do my best!

Looking for similar recipes?

Here are a few from the blog that have proven themselves as favorites for the plant-based crowd!

And that’s it for this Carrot Ginger Hummus Bowl with Sesame Garlic!

If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.

And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3