Save to Pinterest The first time I assembled this bowl, I wasn't thinking about nutrition or macros—I just knew I had roasted sweet potato leftovers, a beautiful avocado that needed eating, and wanted something more interesting than my usual lunch. That combination of creamy, warm, and bright somehow clicked, and I found myself making it twice a week. Now whenever I slice into a jammy egg yolk and watch it run across the warm beef and greens, I'm reminded why this bowl became my go-to answer when I need to feel genuinely nourished.
I remember bringing this to a potluck where everyone was skeptical about the combination, then watching three different people ask for the recipe in the first twenty minutes. What surprised me most wasn't that people loved it—it was how naturally it sparked conversations about roasting techniques and avocado ripeness, turning a simple lunch idea into an actual discussion. That's when I realized it wasn't just food; it was permission to make something thoughtful without overthinking it.
Ingredients
- Beef sirloin or flank steak (200 g): The lean cut matters here because it won't leave a pool of grease in your bowl, but it still develops that beautiful crust when seared properly. I learned to slice against the grain, which makes each bite tender instead of chewy.
- Sweet potato (1 medium): Roasting brings out a natural sweetness that balances the salty dressing and savory beef without feeling like you're eating dessert. Cut your pieces evenly so they finish at the same time.
- Ripe avocado (1): Choose one that yields slightly to pressure but isn't mushy; you want slices that hold their shape through assembly. The timing matters more than the size here.
- Mixed salad greens (60 g): This might seem sparse, but since everything else is substantial, the greens become the supporting player that keeps the bowl from feeling heavy. Heartier varieties like arugula stand up better to the warm components.
- Cherry tomatoes and radishes: Tomatoes add brightness and a gentle acidity that plays beautifully with the dressing, while radishes contribute a crisp bite that prevents the whole thing from becoming too soft and creamy.
- Large eggs (2): Seven minutes gives you that perfect jammy center where the yolk is still warm and runny but the white is completely set. This is the detail that makes people pause and actually taste what they're eating.
- Greek yogurt, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and honey: This dressing is deliberately tangy and bright because it needs to cut through the richness of the avocado and egg yolk without being heavy itself. The mustard adds depth that regular vinaigrettes miss.
Instructions
- Roast your sweet potato first:
- Toss your diced pieces with olive oil, salt, and pepper, then spread them in a single layer on the baking sheet. They should have breathing room and look slightly separated rather than crowded, which helps them get golden instead of steamed. Pop them into a 200°C oven for 20–25 minutes, stirring halfway through if you remember.
- Sear the beef while potatoes roast:
- Pat your steak dry, then rub it with oil, soy sauce, salt, and pepper—the dryness is crucial for getting that crust instead of a gray, steamed surface. Heat your pan over medium-high until it's hot enough that oil ripples immediately, then sear for 2–3 minutes per side for medium-rare. The sizzle is your signal that things are happening correctly.
- Let the beef rest:
- This five-minute pause while you cook the eggs isn't a luxury—it lets the juices redistribute so your slices stay tender instead of bleeding all over your greens. Cover it loosely with foil if your kitchen is cold.
- Soft-boil the eggs:
- Bring water to a gentle simmer, carefully lower in your eggs, and set a timer for exactly seven minutes. The water should barely move, not rolling boil, because aggressive heat can cause cracking. Cool them under cold running water, which stops the cooking immediately and makes peeling less heartbreaking.
- Make the dressing:
- Whisk everything together in a small bowl until smooth and creamy. Taste as you go because lemon juice varies in acidity, and you might need more or less than you expect. It should taste bold enough to notice when drizzled, not subtle.
- Assemble with intention:
- Start with your greens as the base, then arrange sweet potato, avocado, tomatoes, radishes, beef slices, and halved eggs around the bowl in a way that looks intentional rather than random. You want each spoonful to include most components, not just greens with occasional beef.
- Drizzle and serve immediately:
- The dressing should be distributed across everything while the sweet potato and beef are still warm. Cold bowls are fine too, but something shifts when warm and cool components share the same spoon.
Save to Pinterest There was an afternoon when I made this bowl for my partner who was worried about skipping lunch, and he ate it in about three minutes, then actually thanked me for something that took less time than his usual sandwich. That moment stuck with me because it proved that nourishing food doesn't require fussing or complexity—just thoughtful ingredients arranged intentionally.
Building Your Perfect Bowl
The beauty of this bowl is that it doesn't require exact precision, but it does reward attention to detail. Each component should be cooked to its own ideal state rather than everything timed to finish simultaneously; the sweet potato should be golden and slightly crispy at the edges, the beef should still be warm when you eat it, and the greens should still have that slight spring when you bite them. I've learned that bowls fail not because of ingredients but because someone tried to make everything at once and ended up with warm salad greens and cold beef. The simple solution is to start with what takes longest, work backward, and finish with the components that actually need to be warm or cold in that moment.
Customizing Without Losing the Balance
This bowl is forgiving enough to adapt to what's in your fridge, but some substitutions work better than others. Grilled chicken is the obvious swap for beef, and it actually cooks faster, but don't use ground beef because the texture dissolves into the dressing and loses what makes this bowl feel constructed. For vegetables, anything that can be roasted works—broccoli, brussels sprouts, carrots—though the sweet potato's natural sweetness is doing heavy lifting in the flavor department. The avocado is less flexible because it's really the creamy component, though I've occasionally used a dollop of Greek yogurt as a backup when avocados are impossible to find or priced like gold.
The Dressing That Changes Everything
What surprised me most about this dressing was how the honey transforms it from something tart and mustard-forward into something that actually enhances instead of dominates. I made the mistake once of skipping it because I thought the avocado would be creamy enough, and the bowl suddenly felt flat and one-note. That taught me that dressing isn't decoration on this bowl—it's essential structure that ties components together.
- Make the dressing no more than an hour ahead so the lemon juice doesn't oxidize and turn bitter.
- If you prefer something thicker, add another teaspoon of Greek yogurt rather than more liquid.
- A tiny pinch of garlic powder won't overpower anything if you want additional depth.
Save to Pinterest This bowl has become my answer to the question of what to cook when you want something that feels like real food but doesn't demand hours or complicated technique. It's one of those recipes that reminds you that the best meals aren't always the most elaborate ones.
Your Questions Answered
- → How do I cook the beef to keep it tender?
Use sirloin or flank steak, sear on a hot skillet for 2-3 minutes per side for medium-rare, then let it rest before slicing thinly.
- → What is the best way to prepare the sweet potato?
Peel and dice, toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper, then roast at 200°C (400°F) for 20-25 minutes until tender and golden.
- → How should the eggs be cooked for optimal texture?
Simmer eggs gently for 7 minutes for jammy yolks, then cool, peel, and halve before adding to the bowl.
- → Can the dressing be made ahead of time?
Yes, whisk Greek yogurt, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, honey, salt, and pepper together and keep refrigerated until ready to use.
- → Are there suitable substitutions for beef in this bowl?
Grilled chicken or tofu can be used instead of beef for different protein options without altering the preparation much.
- → What greens work best in this dish?
Mixed salad greens like spinach, arugula, and romaine add freshness and a crisp texture to complement the other ingredients.