Tahini Miso Grain Bowl

A deeply savoury grain bowl that makes you feel like you've got your life together. The dressing is the point — make extra and put it on everything for a week.

serves 2 40 mins lunch dinner vegetarian meal-prep
Tahini Miso Grain Bowl

why it works

Farro is a whole grain high in fibre, magnesium, and more protein than most grains. Broccoli brings sulforaphane and vitamin C. The tahini-miso dressing layers in healthy fats, essential amino acids, and fermented gut-friendly goodness. The egg closes the loop on complete protein. This is a genuinely complete meal that happens to taste great cold.

Ingredients

  • 180g farro (or freekeh, pearl barley, whatever's in the cupboard)
  • 1 large head of broccoli, cut into florets
  • 2 eggs
  • 3 tbsp tahini
  • 1 tbsp white miso
  • 1 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 tsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp maple syrup
  • 1 small garlic clove, grated
  • 2–4 tbsp water, to thin
  • olive oil, salt, pepper
  • sesame seeds and sliced spring onion to serve

Method

  1. Cook the farro in well-salted boiling water for 25–30 minutes until chewy and tender. Drain it, spread it out, let it steam off. Mushy farro is a tragedy and it's entirely avoidable.

  2. While the farro cooks, heat the oven to 220°C. Toss the broccoli with a good glug of olive oil and some salt, spread on a baking tray, and roast for 22–25 minutes. You want the florets properly charred at the edges — that's not burning, that's flavour.

  3. Soft-boil the eggs: lower into boiling water, 6.5 minutes exactly, then straight into ice water. Peel when cool enough to handle. Halve when you're ready to bowl up.

  4. Make the dressing: whisk tahini, miso, rice vinegar, soy sauce, maple syrup, and garlic together. Add water a tablespoon at a time until it pours in a slow ribbon. Taste it obsessively. It should be deeply savoury, a little nutty, a tiny bit sweet. Adjust accordingly.

  5. Assemble: farro base, roasted broccoli on top, halved egg, a generous pour of dressing, sesame seeds, spring onion. Eat immediately or pack it for lunch — it holds well for a couple of days, dressing on the side.

remix

  • Swap farro for roasted cauliflower rice if you're going lower carb — different vibe, still works
  • Salmon instead of egg: teriyaki-glazed, 12 minutes in the oven at 200°C
  • Add pickled red onion for brightness if the bowl feels too heavy
  • Roast chickpeas alongside the broccoli for crunch and extra protein — they need the same heat and time, it's basically free
  • The dressing is incredible on cold soba noodles the next day