Buddha Bowls
Buddha bowls have been popular for a while now, but what are they exactly?
A Buddha bowl is a vegetarian meal, served on a single bowl or high-rimmed plate, which consists of small portions of several foods, served cold. These may include whole grains such as quinoa or brown rice, plant proteins such as chickpeas or tofu, and vegetables.
- Wikipedia
So basically, a Buddha bowl is a great way to get a variety of healthy, colorful, plant-based foods all in one meal. Plus, they taste amazing!
Choose Your Own Adventure
One of the best things about Buddha bowls is that they’re fully customizable, so you can choose your own adventure, so to speak.
Whether you’re picking out your favorite veggies specifically with a Buddha bowl in mind or just using up all the random veggies you have left in the fridge, you’re more than likely to end up with a delicious nutritious meal.
The recipe I’m sharing with you below is somewhat of a classic Buddha bowl recipe and it’s one of my favorites, but I love all sorts of Buddha bowls! Be sure to try this one next: The Buddha Bowl to Top All Buddha Bowls.
Recipe notes
Base - I used brown rice for the base. You could also try it with quinoa, black forbidden rice, red rice, or similar. For a lower-carb option, try half grains and half shredded kale or omit the grains entirely and use all veggies and greens.
Sweet Potato - I used purple sweet potatoes in this buddha bowl but any kind of sweet potato or yam will do. You could also sub in regular potatoes if sweet potatoes aren’t your thing, but I personally love the flavor and sweetness the sweet potatoes bring to the dish.
Veggies - Use whatever veggies you like! I used broccoli and cauliflower this time but other favorites include brussel sprouts, bell peppers, mushrooms, onion, kale, zucchini, butternut squash, snap peas, and more.
Vegan Protein - I used garbanzo beans for some extra protein in this Buddha bowl. Other options include tofu, tempeh, kidney beans, or another type of bean.
Dressing - I made a tahini dressing for this Buddha bowl. Other ideas include green goddess dressing, cashew-based sauce or dressing, balsamic coconut aminos dressing, and/or miso-ginger dressing.
Toppings - I personally love sesame seeds and fresh herbs on my Buddha bowls. Other ideas include hemp seeds, microgreens, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, slivered almonds, lemon, lime, sea salt, pepper, sriracha, hot sauce, and so on.
I hope you love this recipe! Be sure to leave a comment below if you give it a try, and tag me in your photos on Instagram @wellismore so I can see all of your delicious creations!
Classic Sweet Potato Brown Rice Buddha Bowl - Vegan, Gluten-Free
Ingredients
Makes roughly 4-6 servings
1 tbsp olive or avocado oil
3 purple sweet potatoes, similar in size
1 cup brown rice, uncooked
1 can low sodium or no salt added garbanzo beans, strained & rinsed
10 oz (283 g) broccoli florets
10 oz (283 g) cauliflower florets
Water, coconut aminos, veggie broth, or oil as needed (see recipe instructions)
1 cup red cabbage, shredded
1 cup microgreens
1/4 cup cilantro
1 tbsp black sesame seeds
Sea salt and pepper to taste
Dressing:
1/4 cup tahini
3 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp maple syrup
1 clove garlic
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp turmeric
water as needed
Instructions
Preheat oven to 450 °F
Line a baking sheet with foil and drizzle with oil. Thoroughly clean your potatoes and cut them in half lengthwise.
Place the potatoes cut side down onto the baking sheet and smear them around in the oil until all the potatoes have some oil on them. Spread them out evenly and bake for 35-50 minutes. Bake time will vary based on your oven and the size of the potatoes.
Meanwhile, prepare brown rice according to package instructions.
Line a second baking sheet with foil and spritz/coat with your choice of oil, coconut aminos, veggie broth, or water. Add your broccoli, cauliflower, and garbanzo beans. Spritz/coat again in liquid of choice. I used a spray bottle filled with half water and half coconut aminos.
Optional: Add some spices to your veggies and garbanzo beans in this step as well for more flavor.
Bake veggies and beans for 10 - 20 minutes until the florets are cooked and slightly charred.
Prepare the dressing - add tahini, lemon, maple syrup, garlic, and spices to a blender. Blend until smooth. Add water 1 tbsp at a time and continue to blend until desired consistency is reached.
Divvy up the following equally between serving or meal prep dishes: brown rice for the base, sweet potato, broccoli and cauliflower florets, garbanzo beans, shredded red cabbage, microgreens, cilantro, and sesame seeds. Top with desired amount of dressing.
Enjoy!