Macro bowl with black seed oil recipe

We write this having just polished off a macro bowl full of raw vegetables and topped with black seed oil - perfection in a recipe. A macro bowl is sustaining and strengthening for your body. It is what we crave whenever life feels even slightly off-kilter.

For us, the trick is to keep the element of surprise and novelty intact, no matter how many macro bowls or Buddha bowls we consume. The intensely peppery flavour of black seed oil is a wonderful thing to have in your store cupboard. It lingers with you long after you have finished eating, continuing to stimulate and energise.

Black seed oil uses

This is not even to mention the support to your immune system that black seed oil provides, thanks to the valuable thymoquinone that it contains. Thymoquinone is the reason that Nigella sativa, or black cumin, was used by ancient healers to treat all manner of diseases and  is being looked into by contemporary researchers. Among its many virtues are hepatoprotective and anti-inflammatory properties.(1) 

Chickpeas are the ultimate comfort food and make for the perfect base of healthy carbohydrates and proteins. It remains only to create nicely balanced layers of flavours and textures on top.

Ribbons of carrots and red cabbage bring colour and essential vitamin C, vitamin K, and alpha- and beta-carotene.  They also make for beautifully crisp contrasts to the other consistencies in this recipe. We love how the delicate layers of the miniature cabbages that are Brussels sprouts work alongside. Check out our article on black seed oil dosage for insights into the right amount of black seed oil to incorporate into your daily routine.

The bells and whistles

Kimchi are traditional Korean fermented vegetables. They are wonderfully cleansing for your digestive system and we always have a container in our refrigerator to add to everything from stews to salads. It's also nice for black cumin not to be the only flavour bomb in the dish. If kimchi is new to you, it will be fun experimenting and tasting. There is now a wide range of kimchi varieties on the market. Sauerkraut is not too far away from kimchi, so don't be afraid to take inspiration and use kimchi in a similar way you would sauerkraut - to accompany vegan sausages, for instance, or these amaranth and green lentil patties.

Finally, the dressing ties everything together with subtle sweetness. This is a dish to return to repeatedly, with small alterations - how about adding some seeds or fresh herbs as a garnish? You could also play around with different types of greens. We have used rocket here, thinking it made a nice flavour answer to the piquancy of the black cumin, but for a day when you felt like something slightly more mellow, spinach could work nicely.

If you are feeling run-down, some brown rice, quinoa, kasha, or barley wheat could add comfort and fibre as well as emotional and physical ballast. All in all, we reckon we'll keep this one in the arsenal...