Southwestern Potato Power Bowl

This bowl is pure magic. Magically guilt-free too! No oil, no added sugar, and totally vegan.

Southwestern Potato Power Bowls

Healthy, oil-free, vegan, flavorful, mashed potato bowls

Makes: 4 Servings

Prep time: 30 mins

Cook time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

• 1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 15 oz black eyed peas, drained and rinsed
• 1 4oz can diced green chilis
• 1/2 red bell pepper, de-seeded and diced
• 1/2 green pepper, de-seeded and diced
• 1 cup corn
• 1/2 large red onion, diced
• 5 oz cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1 large lime, juice of
• 6 yukon gold potatoes, washed
• 4 large poblano peppers, washed
• 1 cup raw cashews, soaked in boiling water for 15 minutes
• 1 garlic clove
• 11/2-2 cups unsweetened, plain soy milk
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 4 Tbsp nutritional yeast
• ½ cup water
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp chili powder
• salt, to taste

Instructions:

1. Steam the potatoes in an instant pot with 1 cup of water for 30 minutes.
2. While the potatoes steam, make the cowboy caviar. In a mixing bowl, combine the black beans, black eyed peas, corn, diced bell peppers, red onion, cherry tomatoes, cilantro, and lime juice. Add salt to taste. Cover and store in the fridge.
3. Now, make the queso. In a high speed blender, combine the soaked cashews, ½ cup water, can of diced green chilis, chili powder, lemon juice, 2 tbsp nutritional yeast, and 1 garlic clove. Blend until smooth. Add salt to taste. Set aside.
4. Cook the poblano peppers either over fire (on a grill or a right on the burners of a gas stove) OR under a broiler. Cook until the skin has charred and the peppers are fork tender. Then, place in a covered bowl and set aside.
5. By now, the potatoes should be done steaming. Place them in a large mixing bowl with the soy milk, 2 remaining Tbsp of nutritional yeast, and garlic powder. Mash into a creamy consistency, adding more soy milk if needed. Add salt to taste.
6. Remove the poblano peppers from their bowl. Use a butter knife to scrape off the charred skin (no need to remove the seeds and stems- they are easy to eat around).
7. Load up serving bowls with mashed potatoes, cowboy caviar, 1 poblano pepper, and a generous drizzle of queso.
8. Garnish with chili powder or hot sauce (I recommend a chipotle flavored hot sauce. So good!)

This bowl is pure magic.  The potatoes are creamy and filling, the pepper adds a “meatiness” and gives you an excuse to use your steak knives for something other than opening a container of tofu, and the cowboy caviar is chalk full of flavor and texture.  Plus, could anything be better than the unlikely combination of mashed potatoes and queso?? Maybe world peace, but it’s a close second.

This recipe is a great one for meal prep.  Make all the elements on Sunday, divide them up for lunch throughout the week, and you’re good to go.  Just make sure to keep the parts you will be reheating (the pepper and potatoes) in a separate container from the things you’ll keep cold (the queso and the cowboy caviar).

Find yourself with a bunch of leftover cowboy caviar?  That shiz makes an excellent addition to avocado toast, let me tell you.

If you are making this for someone who is very sensitive to spice, it would be best to remove the poblano pepper seeds after the peppers have cooked.  Poblanos don’t have much spice, but their seeds can pack a punch. Better be safe than sorry with spice wusses around. If, alternatively, you are cooking for someone who LOVES spice, swap out the green bell pepper in the cowboy caviar for two diced jalapenos.  

That’s all I have to say on this matter.  This potato power bowl is heckin’ delish and I know you’re gonna love it.

Happy Cooking,

Courtney