Need a bit of midweek dinner inspiration? This vegan dish is easy-to-make and full of flavour. Think cauliflower rice, roasted mushrooms and a handful of veggies all piled into a bowl and finished with a zingy herb vinaigrette. Recipe compliments of the South African Mushroom Farmers’ Association.

Ingredients

Quick pickled red onions:

• ½ cup red wine vinegar
• ½ cup water
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 large red onion, thinly sliced

Herb vinaigrette:

• ⅓ cup olive oil
• ⅓ cup red wine vinegar
• 4 Tbsp chopped fresh herbs, such as basil, chives, coriander etc
• 2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1 small clove garlic, finely grated

Cauli rice:

• 1 large head cauliflower
• 1 white onion, diced
• Zest and juice of ½ a lemon

Mushrooms:

• 250g white button mushrooms, whole or halved
• 250g portabello mushrooms, quartered

To serve:

• 110g shelled edamame beans, cooked
• 125g tenderstem broccoli, cooked
• 100g asparagus spears, cooked
• 1 whole avocado, quartered
• 2 Tbsp black and white sesame seeds, lightly toasted
• Lime wedges, for serving
• Olive oil, for cooking
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Method

For the pickled onions:

1. Whisk the vinegar, water, sugar and salt together in a small bowl until sugar and salt dissolve.
2. Place sliced onion in a glass jar.
3. Pour vinegar mixture over and seal.
4. Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour.

For the herb vinaigrette:

1. Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl.
2. Season well with salt and pepper.

For the cauli rice:

1. Cut the head of cauliflower into chunks, stem included.
2. Place cauliflower in a food processor and pulse until it forms a chunky rice-like texture. You can also achieve this by grating the cauliflower on a large box grater.
3. In a large frying pan over medium heat, add a drizzle of olive oil.
4. Add the diced onion and cook until soft.
5. Add the cauliflower rice and cook, stirring often, until the cauliflower softens but retains a nice bit of texture.
6. Stir in the lemon juice and zest and season well with salt and pepper.

For the mushrooms:

1. Preheat the oven to 200˚C, fan on.
2. Arrange the mushrooms on a large baking tray in a single layer.
3. Drizzle the mushrooms with some of the herb vinaigrette.
4. Roast for about 7 minutes until tender.

To assemble:

1. Divide the cauli rice amongst four bowls.
2. Add a few spears of asparagus and a few stems of broccoli to each bowl.
3. Dip each avocado quarter in sesame seeds and add to each bowl.
4. Scatter with a little edamame and add a few generous spoonfuls of herby roasted mushrooms to each bowl.
5. Finish with a little pile of pickled onions and fresh lime wedges.
6. Serve with the remaining herb vinaigrette on the side and enjoy!