Smoky Butter Bean & Roast Kūmara Winter Bowl with Miso-Tahini Dressing

A cosy, high-protein winter bowl built almost entirely from the low waste Refill Nation pantry. Butter beans, wholegrains, nuts and seeds, and spices, topped with a tangy quick-pickled cabbage and a gut-loving miso-tahini dressing. It ticks every winter comfort food box, high protein, cabbage, gut health, and sweet-and-spicy flavour.

Ingredients

Smoky maple butter beans & kūmara

• 2 x tins Butter Beans, drained
• 2 medium kūmara, peeled and cut into 2cm cubes
• 2 tbsp olive oil 
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika 
• 1 tsp ground cumin 
• ½ tsp chilli flakes 
• 1½ tbsp maple syrup 
• Sea salt and cracked pepper

Base

• 1 cup brown rice or quinoa

Quick-pickled cabbage

• ¼ red cabbage, very finely shredded
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar 
• 1 tsp raw sugar or honey
• Pinch of sea salt

Miso-tahini drizzle

• 2 tbsp tahini 
• 1 tbsp white miso paste
• 1 tbsp lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
• 2–3 tbsp warm water, to thin

To finish

• ¼ cup crunchy tamari seed mix
• A handful of fresh sage leaves, fried until crisp in a little olive oil
• Optional: crumbled feta or a scatter of nutritional yeast for a vegan version

Method

1. Pickle the cabbage first. Toss the shredded cabbage with vinegar, sugar and salt in a small bowl. Scrunch it with your hands and set aside.
2. Roast the kūmara and beans. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Toss the kūmara cubes and drained butter beans with olive oil, smoked paprika, cumin, chilli flakes, maple syrup, salt and pepper. Spread on a lined tray and roast for 30–35 minutes, turning halfway, until the kūmara is caramelised and the beans are crisping at the edges.
3. Cook the grain. Meanwhile, cook the rice or quinoa. For rice, add 1 cup of rice and 1.5cups of water with a pinch of salt to a boil in a covered pot. When boiling reduce heat to low for 12 minutes without removing lid. Take off heat and leave for another 5 minutes without removing the lid. For quinoa add 1 cup of quinoa with 1.5cups of stock to a pot and bring to boil. Add lid and reduce heat to low for about 10 minutes or until water has been absorbed.
4. Make the drizzle. Whisk the tahini, miso, lemon juice and warm water together until smooth and pourable. Adjust water for consistency.
5. Crisp the sage. Heat a splash of olive oil in a small pan and fry the sage leaves for 20–30 seconds until crisp. Drain on paper towel.
6. Assemble. Divide the grain between bowls, top with the smoky maple beans and kūmara, a generous pile of pickled cabbage, toasted seeds and crispy sage. Finish with a good drizzle of the miso-tahini sauce.