Egg Roll in a Bowl with Lentils and Roasted Vegetables

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Egg Roll in a Bowl with Lentils and Roasted Vegetables

This egg roll in a bowl with lentils skips the wrapper, skips the fryer, and skips the takeout wait — one skillet, 30 minutes, your protein of choice, and a Roasted Veggie Crema that you will absolutely put on other things going forward.

Takeout Flavor, One Skillet, No Regrets

• Lentils give you the hearty, protein-forward base that makes this bowl genuinely filling — not a side dish pretending to be dinner.
• The Roast Those Veggies spice blend does the seasoning work so you're not measuring out six separate spices on a Tuesday night.
• The Roasted Veggie Crema takes four ingredients and one bowl. It's the part that makes people ask what's on this.

The Java Momma Twist: Roast Those Veggies goes into this recipe twice — once on the protein before it ever hits the pan, and again with the garlic and lentils while everything comes together. That double layer is intentional: the first coat builds a slight crust and caramelization on the protein, and the second coat blooms in the hot oil with the garlic and coats the lentils before the vegetables go in. You're building flavor at two different moments rather than dumping seasoning in at the end and hoping for the best. The crema does the same thing in reverse — same blend, cool and creamy, drizzled on top to finish.

What You'll Need

For the Protein:

• 3 cups protein of choice — tofu, chicken, or shrimp
• 1 Tbsp Roast Those Veggies
• 2 Tbsp olive oil

For the Bowl Base:

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 sweet onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp Roast Those Veggies
• 3 cups cooked brown, green, or black lentils, rinsed and drained (about 1½ cups dried)
• 3 cups red and/or green cabbage, shredded
• 1 cup carrots, shredded

For the Sesame-Soy Sauce:

• ⅓ cup soy sauce
• 1½ Tbsp sesame oil
• 1 Tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tsp honey or maple syrup

For the Roasted Veggie Crema:

• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• ¼ cup sour cream
• 1 Tbsp Roast Those Veggies
• Juice of ½ lime

Optional Toppings:

• Sliced green onions, fried crispy onions, tortilla strips, or pepita seeds for crunch

How To Make It

1. Season and cook the protein. Toss your protein of choice with 1 Tbsp Roast Those Veggies until evenly coated. Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low. Add protein and cook until lightly caramelized and cooked through — 165°F for chicken, 145°F for shrimp, or golden and slightly crispy for tofu. Remove from skillet and set aside.
2. Make the crema. While the protein cooks, combine mayo, sour cream, 1 Tbsp Roast Those Veggies, and lime juice in a small bowl. Stir until smooth. Refrigerate until serving.
3. Sauté the aromatics. In the same skillet, add the remaining 1 Tbsp olive oil. Once heated, add the diced onion and cook over medium-low for 3–5 minutes until translucent.
4. Build the base. Add the minced garlic and 1 Tbsp Roast Those Veggies. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the cooked lentils and stir to combine. Add the cabbage and shredded carrots and stir everything together. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring often so nothing sticks.
5. Add the sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, and honey or maple syrup. Pour over the vegetables in the pan. Stir and cook until the sauce is mostly absorbed into the ingredients — about 2–3 minutes.
6. Assemble and serve. Remove from heat and top with the cooked protein. Drizzle Roasted Veggie Crema generously over the bowl. Finish with green onions and your crunch topping of choice.

Swaps & Permission Slips

• No lentils on hand? Canned chickpeas work well as a direct swap — drain, rinse, and use the same quantity. They're slightly less earthy than lentils but hold up well in the sauce and give you a similar hearty base.
• Want to use ground meat instead? Ground turkey or ground pork work great here — brown in the skillet first, then proceed with the onion and garlic in the same pan. Skip the separate protein step and build everything together.
• Gluten-free? Substitute the soy sauce with tamari or coconut aminos 1:1. The flavor profile stays the same — coconut aminos are slightly sweeter, so reduce the honey by half if using.
• Short on time? A bag of pre-shredded coleslaw mix is a perfectly acceptable substitute for shredding your own cabbage and carrots. It cuts prep time in half and works exactly the same way in the pan.
• Dairy-free crema? Use a plant-based mayo and coconut yogurt in place of the mayo and sour cream. It won't be quite as tangy but will still work as a creamy drizzle with the Roast Those Veggies seasoning doing the flavor work.
• Want more heat? Add a drizzle of sriracha to the crema or a splash of chili crisp over the finished bowl. The base recipe is mild enough to take heat well without throwing off the balance.

Also a fan of Roast Those Veggies in a weeknight bowl? The Pork Tenderloin Chili Verde uses the same blend in a completely different direction — bold green sauce, broiled peppers, 45 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is egg roll in a bowl?

Egg roll in a bowl is a deconstructed egg roll — all the seasoned filling (cabbage, carrots, aromatics, and protein in a sesame-soy sauce) served in a bowl instead of wrapped and fried. It captures the same flavor profile as a classic egg roll in significantly less time, with no wrappers, no hot oil, and no rolling. It's a one-skillet weeknight meal that's ready in about 30 minutes.

Can egg roll in a bowl be made vegetarian or vegan?

Yes — this version uses lentils as the primary protein base, which makes it naturally vegetarian with tofu as the protein option. For a vegan version, choose tofu as your protein, substitute maple syrup for honey in the sauce, and use plant-based mayo and coconut yogurt in the crema. The sesame-soy sauce and Roast Those Veggies seasoning are both plant-based as written.

What protein works best in egg roll in a bowl?

This recipe works with tofu, chicken, or shrimp as the main protein alongside the lentil base — or you can skip a separate protein entirely and let the lentils carry the bowl on their own. Ground turkey or ground pork also work well if you prefer a meat-forward version; brown either directly in the skillet before adding the onion and proceed from there. Each protein takes the Roast Those Veggies seasoning differently, so it's worth trying a few versions.

Is egg roll in a bowl good for meal prep?

It's one of the better meal prep options in the weeknight dinner category. The filling keeps well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, reheats easily in a skillet or microwave, and actually improves slightly overnight as the sauce soaks further into the lentils and vegetables. Make the crema separately and store it covered — it keeps for up to a week and works on other things too.

What does the Roasted Veggie Crema taste like and what else can I use it on?

The Roasted Veggie Crema is creamy, slightly tangy from the lime, and savory from the Roast Those Veggies seasoning — it's the flavor bridge between the sesame-soy filling and the fresh toppings. It also works as a dipping sauce for roasted vegetables, a spread on grain bowls, a drizzle over tacos, or a dip for tortilla chips. Make extra. You'll use it.