Home » Recipes » Lunch » Salad + Dressing » Buddha Bowl Recipe
(updated July 6, 2022)
By Dani Spies
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If you are looking for more ways to work veggies into your diet this buddha bowl recipe is for! Packed with broccoli, carrots, kale, and brussels sprouts, this family-friendly, vegan recipe will keep you coming back for more!
According to Dan Zigmond, a Zen priest and the author of Buddha’s Diet, the original Buddha Bowl was a big bowl of whatever food villagers had available and could afford to share.”
Some people call them grain bowls, macro bowls or power bowls. But no matter what you call them, you can count on a big old bowl, packed full of simple, nutritious ingredients. Yum!
How To Make a Buddha Bowl
Buddha bowls are great because they are so flexible. You can take any combination of vegetables and whole grains to create a delicious buddha bowl.
I like to start by cooking some quinoa and roasting up garbanzo beans. Quinoa is a great way to bulk up the bowl while adding a bit of plant based protein. The roasted garbanzo beans add a great crunch and texture and my kids love sprinkling them over the top.
Next, I roast up a big tray of vegetables. You really can’t go wrong with your veggies. Simply try to cut your veggies roughly the same size so they cook at a similar rate. I went with brussels sprouts, carrots and broccoli, but truly, any and all veggies work! So, be sure to pick your favorites.
To create the base of my buddha bowl, I love cutting some kale into thin ribbons (buying it pre-cut is also an option!) and then seasoning with lemon, olive oil, salt and pepper. It’s so simple, but so delicious. Kale is one of my favorites. I use it in salads all of the time (this is one of my favorites if you are interested! Oh, and this one too.).
Once you’ve got your ingredients prepped and ready to go, all you have to do is assemble. And yes!! ALL of these ingredients can be made when you do your meal prep, so you have assembly-only buddha bowls ready to go for the week.
Family Friendly Buddha Bowls
I found the secret to making buddha bowls family friendly is all in the toppings. Presenting a few options for the kids to choose from keeps them excited and feeling like they are in control.
I served hummus, guacamole, organic corn chips and the roasted chickpeas on the side.
You can of course make the dips yourself, but if you want to keep things extra easy, there is no shame in using some help from the grocery store (which is exactly what I did).
More Clean & Delicious Veggie Meals To Enjoy:
- Chopped BBQ Tofu Salad
- Thai Kale Salad
- Crockpot Veggie Chli
- Broccoli Stem Soup
Thanks so much for reading! You can watch the video down below and if you make this recipe I would love for you to give it a ★ rating below. And be sure to follow me onYouTube,Pinterest,InstagramandFaceBookfor more healthy food inspiration!
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4.34 from 21 votes
Buddha Bowl Recipe | Vegan + Family Friendly
Buddha bowls are super versatile. Use this recipe as a blueprint to create your own custom bowl by swapping in fresh seasonal ingredients that you love or have on hand
Course: dairy free, DINNER, salad + dressing, vegan, vegetarian
Cuisine: American
Author: Dani Spies
Prep Time20 minutes mins
Cook Time50 minutes mins
Total Time1 hour hr 10 minutes mins
Servings: 4
Calories: 360kcal
Ingredients
Chickpeas
- 1 15-ounce can chickpeas
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Quinoa
- 1 cup dried quinoa
- 2 cups water
- 1 pinch kosher salt
Roasted Vegetables
- 12 ounces broccoli florets
- 12 ounces brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
- 4 carrots, cut into 1/2 inch slices
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp curry powder
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Kale + Spinach Salad
- 3 ounces kale ribbons
- 3 ounces baby spinach chopped
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 pinch kosher salt
Optional Pre-Made Short Cut Ingredients
- guacamole
- hummus
- organic tortilla chips
US Customary - Metric
Instructions
Chickpeas
Pre-heat oven to 400 F.
Roll chickpeas on a clean dish towel to dry. Transfer to a timed baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Pop in the oven and roast for 20 minutes or until the chickpeas are golden brown and slightly crispy. They tend to become more crispy as they cool. Set aside.
Quinoa
Place rinsed quinoa in a small pot with water and a pinch of salt. Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, pop on a lid and simmer for about 15 minutes or until the quinoa has absorbed the water and is nice and light and fluffy.
Roasted Veggies
Place the broccoli, Brussel sprouts, and carrots on two rimed baking sheets. Drizzle each tray with olive oil and season with salt, pepper, curry powder and garlic powder.
Pop into a 400 F oven for 25 minutes or until golden brown and tender.
Kale + Spinach Salad
Combine kale and spinach in a large bowl. Drizzle on olive oil, lemon juice and salt. Using your hands, massage the ingredients into the greens until they all have a nice light coating of the dressing.
Build Your Buddha Bowl
Place 1/4 the greens, 1/2 cup quinoa and roasted veggies into the bowl. Sprinkle on roasted chickpeas and your favorite optional toppings.
Serve + enjoy!
Notes
Try serving these buddha bowls with all of the toppings on the side. This is a great family approach and helps to encourage little ones to create their own flavors and try new foods.
Nutrition
Serving: 1buddha bowl | Calories: 360kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 1017mg | Potassium: 1273mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 15480IU | Vitamin C: 184mg | Calcium: 177mg | Iron: 5mg
About Dani Spies
Dani Spies is the founder and host of Clean & Delicious; a weekly cooking show on YouTube and a healthy eating blog that celebrates real, whole foods! She takes a holistic approach to health and wellness and is loved for her approachable, down to earth style both in and out of the kitchen.
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Reader Interactions
Yum! I love this recipe.
Anne says
Loved by everyone at my house! This is such a great idea. I made it exactly as given in the recipe but also browned some seasoned grass fed beef to go along with it since husband thinks there is no such thing as a non-meat meal. haha I want to make this same recipe with the addition of Dani’s Baked Tofu with Teriyaki or gochujang sauce. Can’t wait. Thanks for another great idea Dani!Reply
Ash*t says
Hey Dani,
Your recipes are super, I am I fact quite impressed by you. But I have problem with your American system of weighing ingredients. I am from Netherlands Europe. I have tried all the conversions through internet etc but the amounts you have mentioned appear impossible for the given recipe. For example in your Buddha bowl recipe for 4 people you have said 115 ounce can chickpeas that is 115×28= 3.2 kg approx. and you would also agree that it cannot be. Therefore please expatiate on the quantities. Specially the ounce what you mean.
Thanks looking forward to your reaction.
Regards,
Ash*t Kapoor
Email I’d: [emailprotected]Reply
Dani says
The chickpeas are actually ONE 15ounce can. Sorry for the confusion.
Reply
Mee says
If you’re on the fence about making this, here’s your sign to DO IT! This was so delicious and filling. I felt so nourished after eating it. I replaced the brussels with sautéed mushrooms instead and added a scoop or hummus on top with some hemp seeds. The curry powder gives the roasted veggies such an amazing flavor. And the chickpeas?! So. Good. I would eat this every day honestly! Thank you, Dani! 11/10!Reply
Dani says
I’m so happy to hear how much you enjoyed this, Mee! Thanks for taking the time to let me know.
Reply
