The Buddha Bowl

Many of us are familiar with the “Buddha bowl” by now. It’s essentially a meal that comes in a large bowl filled with a variety of plant-based foods. The usual suspects include grains like brown rice and quinoa, a variety of veggies, some leafy greens, plant-based proteins like tofu, tempeh, beans, nuts and seeds, and a yummy sauce to top it all off.

Most health-oriented food places have caught on to the Buddha bowl trend by this time and commonly offer them in their restaurants and cafes. Even some grocery stores sell similar items now as healthy grab-and-go convenience options. Buddha bowls may also be found under similar but slightly different names like “nourish bowl”, “macro bowl”, and “bliss bowl”. These bowls may have some minor differences, but they’re generally the same idea.

Why?

You may be wondering, why would I want a Buddha bowl? What’s so great and magical about them? Isn’t it basically just a bowl of vegetables? Well, the answer is yes, but also no. These are so much more than just a bowl of vegetables! Here are a handful of reasons you may want a Buddha bowl:

1. You’re starving. You waited too long to eat and now you’re famished. Anything sounds good at this point. Well, I can’t think of a better reason to fill up on a wide variety of healthy foods all at once. The Buddha bowl is great for this because it will provide a ton of fiber plus plant-based protein and healthy fats depending on what toppings and sauces you choose.

2. You want a bit of everything. You’re hungry but can’t decide what to eat? This is the perfect excuse to have or make a Buddha bowl. Instead of choosing a few foods/flavors to eat, you get to put them all together in one big bowl! Buddha bowls offer such an amazing variety of flavors and textures that are sure to fill you up AND leave you happy and satisfied.

3. You want something healthy, but not a salad. Because Buddha bowls have a base of grains instead of greens, there is something so much more indulgent about them, while still being a healthy choice. Plus, the sauces/dressings are typically extra tasty compared to the simple olive oil and balsamic that you may pair with a salad.

About the Recipe

This recipe was inspired by my FAVORITE Buddha bowl I’ve had to date. I discovered it 3 or so years ago at a small health-food cafe in Seattle, which was then called Thrive but has since been renamed Heartbeet Cafe.

I don’t know what it is about this particular Buddha bowl, but something about it always keeps me coming back for more. It’s equal parts fresh and comforting, healthy and delicious, and creamy and crunchy, in every single bite.

Recipe Notes:

1. I used white quinoa but a blend of quinoa and brown rice or just fully replacing the quinoa with brown rice would be great too

2. I used Persian cucumber but regular cucumber is fine too

3. Start the marinated mushrooms first, as these will release liquid during the process, which you will use for the ginger-sesame dressing

4. To prep the kale - I made it once using the “shredder” feature on the food processor and a second time by simply slicing and dicing the kale very finely, then massaging it. I liked how the food processor version came out better but it was messy and a bit of a process so the second way is cleaner/faster. Just make sure to massage the kale if you make it the second way.

5. For the walnut crumble - I made it once in the food processor and added a few kalamata olives to the mix. It tasted good but changed the flavor more than I wanted. The second time I just used coconut aminos, which kept it simple and tasty. You could experiment with adding any leftover mushrooms you may have as well.

6. For the dressings - feel free to add more or less of each of the ingredients to create the flavor profile you prefer. For example, if you want more garlic in the garlic cashew dressing, try increasing to 1 tsp or 1 garlic clove instead of half.

The Best Buddha Bowl Recipe

Ingredients

Note: I recommend buying organic ingredients whenever possible.

Makes about 2 Buddha bowls:

• 8 oz baby bella or cremini mushrooms, crumbled

• 3-4 tbsp coconut aminos (strength of flavor and sodium content varies by brand)

• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

• 2.5 cups white quinoa, cooked (option to sub or blend with brown rice)

• 2.5 cups kale, shredded or finely sliced, chopped, and massaged

• 1 Persian cucumber, thinly sliced into rounds

• 1 avocado

• Kale chips, to taste (I used Rhythm brand “Zesty Nacho” flavor but feel free to use a different kind or make your own if you prefer!)

• 1/2 cup walnuts

• 2 tsp coconut aminos (taken from marinated mushrooms)

• Sea salt, to taste

Ginger-Sesame Dressing

• 3 tbsp sesame oil

• 3 tbsp coconut aminos (taken from marinated mushrooms)

• 2 tsp ginger paste, or use grated ginger

• Dash or two of chili flakes

Garlic Cashew Dressing

• 1/2 cup raw cashews

• 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp water

• 2 tsp nutritional yeast

• 1 tsp lemon juice

• 1/2 tsp granulated garlic (equals ~ 1/2 a clove of garlic)

• 1/4 tsp sea salt

Instructions

• In a small bowl, crumble the mushrooms into small pieces. I used my hands to do this but you may also finely chop the mushrooms instead. Add coconut aminos and balsamic vinegar. Stir to combine. Make sure mushrooms are submerged evenly and set aside.

• Divide quinoa, kale, cucumber, and avocado between two bowls. Crumble kale chips over top each bowl.

• In a small food processor, add walnuts and 2 tsp coconut aminos from the marinating mushrooms. Pulse until a crumble forms. Divide crumble between bowls.

• For the ginger-sesame dressing, add all ingredients to a high-power blender and blend until smooth.

• For the garlic cashew sauce, add all ingredients to a high-power blender and blend until smooth.

• Finally, divide the marinated mushrooms between both bowls. Top with desired amount of dressing and sauce (you may have leftovers), and serve. Top with additional sea salt if desired.

• Enjoy!

Thank you for trying this recipe! Be sure to leave a “like” and comment below to let me know how it turned out, share the link with friends and family, and find @wellismore on Instagram for more fun recipes and content.