The Plant-Based Power Bowl an Elite Chef Uses to Fuel Endurance

TO CALL DANIEL Humm “driven” still feels like an understatement.

Humm has been the executive chef at the three-Michelin-starred Eleven Madison Park since 2006. Before working in professional kitchens, he dropped out of school at 14 to become a competitive cyclist. After an injury cut his career short, he started cooking, but he also never lost his love of fitness.

“I used to be solely focused on performance, but now it’s very much also about longevity and health,” says Humm, 47. The dedicated marathoner, yoga practitioner, and now noncompetitive cyclist also follows a diet that’s plant-based (as the menu at Eleven Madison Park has been since 2021). “Having energy and a clear mind is all related to what you eat,” Humm says.

The goal of his plant-forward, high-carb diet is to fuel endurance, and when he’s looking to increase his protein, he’ll bake a few slices of firm tofu and season them simply with soy sauce and black pepper. “Where I am now in my life and fitness journey has left me feeling energized, enabling me to work on multiple projects and continually push my boundaries.”

Be that with food or fitness.

Mixed-Mushroom Baked Rice

Chef Daniel Humm batch-cooks this carb-rich meal to help him power his marathon training and long-distance cycling. It’s simple, hearty, and so much more delicious than an energy bar.

What You’ll Need:
2 cups mixed mushrooms (sliced shiitake, oyster, maitake, etc.)
1 Tbsp olive oil
½ cup red adzuki beans, cooked, or shelled edamame
2 cups brown sushi rice, well rinsed, drained
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
⅛ cup shio kombu, rinsed (optional)
¼ cup ginger, peeled and slice

How to Make It:

1. In a medium bowl, toss the mushrooms with the olive oil and a pinch of salt.

2. In a deep cast-iron pan, combine the beans or edamame, rice, soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, shio kombu (if using), and ginger, and layer the mushrooms on top. Add 2 cups water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook
till tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Uncover and allow to rest.

3. Place one quarter of the rice mixture in a serving dish and serve. (Humm eats his with a side salad of thinly sliced red onion, parsley, cilantro, chopped Calabrian chili, fresh lime juice, and salt, to taste.) Feeds 4

A version of this article originally appeared in the Jan/Feb 2024 issue of Men’s Health.

Paul is the Food & Nutrition Editor of Men’s Health. He’s also the author of two cookbooks: Guy Gourmet and A Man, A Pan, A Plan.