I feel like buddha bowls have been my thing lately. Probably because it is painfully easy to just throw a bunch of ingredients together that I already have pre-cooked in my fridge. Quick and easy is how we do things these days in our house. That is the beauty of a buddha bowl, really. It’s also my favorite type of bowl to make when I have a bunch of leftover veggies that are on the cusp of going bad. Anything goes. It’s fast, filling, and nutritious because it consists of a couple different elements. It’s also a cool way to get creative in the kitchen. You can make a really instagram-worthy bowl – lol.
If you are wondering what the heck a buddha bowl even is, then keep reading. I’m breaking down how to make a vegan buddha bowl in this post with a variety of ideas, plus including the recipe to this one pictured above (a maple tahini buddha bowl!)
THE ELEMENTS OF A BUDDHA BOWL:
1. GRAIN
Choose your favorite grain to set the base of your bowl. A grain is super filling due to its fiber and energizing. I usually do anywhere between 1/2 – 1 cup.
Ideas: rice, quinoa, millet, barley, freekeh, farro
2. GREENS
Load up on your greens for all the nutrients and health benefits. Some of my personal favorites are listed below. Enjoy raw or cooked.
Ideas: spinach, kale, swiss chard, romaine lettuce, broccoli rabe
3. PROTEIN
For a boost of protein, choose one of the plant-based options below. This is another filling component to your bowl! I usually do about 1/3 cup of protein.
Ideas: beans, chickpeas, tofu, tempeh, lentils, tvp, edamame
4. COLOR
Add some vibrancy to your bowl with some produce. Vegetables or fruit, you pick. I usually go with both. As you can see above, I chose a purple sweet potato and lemon, but the options and pairings are endless. Eat the rainbow, because it’s full of vitamins and nutrients.
Ideas: any and all vegetables and fruit, but some of my personal favorites are sweet potatoes, broccoli, grape tomatoes, lemon, mangoes, lime, strawberries, corn, and carrots
5. HEALTHY FAT
In the above bowl, my healthy fat doubles as a dressing (tahini!) but usually I opt for 1/4 of an avocado.
Ideas: avocado, walnuts, sunflower seeds, cashews, nut or seed butters
6. DRESSING
Last but not least, something to pull it all together and give it a punch of flavor.
Ideas: tahini, hummus, peanut sauce, or your favorite recipe/brand
For this buddha bowl pictured above…
You will need:
- 1 cup cooked rice
- 1 handful baby spinach
- 1 sweet potato, baked
- Roasted tempeh/chickpea mix (recipe below)
- 1/2 lemon
- Maple tahini dressing (recipe below)
To make:
- In your bowl, fill with rice, spinach, and a baked sweet potato.
- To roast tempeh/chickpeas (you can do one or both – I happened to have both on hand): cut tempeh into bite-sized pieces and mix with a can of drained chickpeas. Toss with olive oil, smoked paprika, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Bake on 400 F for about 45 minutes. Add 1/3 cup to your bowl.
- Squeeze 1/2 lemon onto your bowl.
- To make maple tahini dressing: in a small bowl, mix 2 tbs tahini, 1 tbs maple syrup, 1 tsp soy sauce, 2 tbs warm water and whisk until smooth. Drizzle on bowl.
I hope some of these ideas above are inspirational. What are some of your favorite buddha bowl combinations? xx bianca
