Protein Buddha Bowl Recipe

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Here's how to make a Buddha bowl with chickpeas, sweet potatoes, leafy greens, hearty quinoa, fruit, nuts, and a delectable Buddha bowl sauce.

What is a Buddha bowl?

A Buddha bowl is a colorful, one-bowl meal featuring nutrient-dense, often plant-based, components. These may include quinoa or other grains, pickled or roasted vegetables, leafy greens, proteins like tofu and chickpeas, fresh fruits, nuts, seeds, and a delicious sauce to top it off. This recipe shows you how to make a Buddha bowl that's protein-packed, visually appealing, well-balanced, and accommodates many dietary preferences.

The goal is to create a balanced selection of ingredients with compatible flavors and textures that fill you up and make you feel awesome! Honestly, anything goes with this meal in a bowl!

Buddha bowl ingredients

These are the ingredients I used for this chickpea Buddha bowl recipe – but you can swap ingredients to your heart's content.

• kale - Use any kale variety or other leafy greens.
• beets - Use roasted beets or Instant Pot beets for added color, volume, and flavor.
• sweet potato - Roasted or pressure cooker steamed sweet potato adds fiber and a mildly sweet flavor to the bowl.
• quinoa - This seed adds protein to the bowl, but can be swapped or combined with any other grain of your choosing.
• chickpeas - These bring protein, fiber, and a nutty flavor to the bowl.
• citrus - I used blood oranges, but navel oranges are equally delicious.
• pomegranate - These add crunch and a pop of flavor.
• avocado - Add the good fat and the perfect creamy texture to your bowl.
• sprouts - Use any bean sprouts or microgreens.
• walnuts - Feel free to swap these with your preferred nuts or seeds.
• lemon tahini sauce - This delectable lemony sauce is the ultimate topper for any buddha bowl.

How to make a Buddha bowl

There's no wrong way to make a bowl – endless combinations make it versatile and fun! You can prep any ingredients in advance and build the bowls in minutes when you're ready to serve. This allows for a flexible and flavorful experience tailored to any given day.

Make-ahead steps

1. Cook grains, such as quinoa or brown rice, and allow to cool.
2. Roast, air fry, or pressure cook sweet potatoes and beets allow to cool. Pickled beets are great too!
3. Prepare protein sources like marinated tofu, sauteed chickpeas, or roasted chickpeas.
4. Wash and chop fresh, leafy greens, such as kale or spinach, and microgreens.
5. Slice or dice avocado for a creamy element.
6. Make the Buddha bowl sauce using the recipe I've included. Or make this scrumptious peanut sauce recipe.

Storage tips for Buddha bowl components

1. Refrigerate ingredients separately in airtight containers for easy assembly.
2. Keep nuts and seeds at room temperature until serving.
3. Label containers with ingredients and expiration dates.

Assembling the bowls

Place leafy greens, cooked quinoa, cooked sweet potatoes, and sauteed chickpeas in a wide bowl.

Add other ingredients such as sliced avocado, sliced blood oranges, diced beets, crunchy walnuts, and microgreens to the bowl. Whisk together the sauce ingredients and transfer to an airtight storage container.

Drizzle the delectable sauce over your ultimate chickpea bowl and devour!

More plant-based recipes

• Thai Peanut Zucchini Noodles [Zoodles]
• Vegetarian Banh Mi Bowl
• Zucchini Noodle Quinoa Bowl
• Vegetable Lo Mein
• Vegan Vegetable Soup Recipe
• Vegan Thai Coconut Soup
• Asian Cabbage Salad

If you like the Buddha meal, you'll love my collection of 50 Buddha Bowls to reboot your plant-based routine.

📖 Recipe