Turmeric Chickpea Buddha Bowl is the ultimate grain bowl with vegetables, leafy greens, quinoa, chickpeas, fruit, and nuts. The sauce is a simple, creamy, zesty lemon tahini dressing.
Buddha bowls, also called grain bowls, are typically made of nutrient-dense ingredients created as components in a bowl and eaten as a meal. A Buddha bowl can also be called a hippie bowl, nourish bowl, or vegan bowl. Want more Buddha bowls? Check out this collection of 50 Buddha Bowls to reboot your plant based routine.
What you'll need
Ingredient amounts are listed in the full printable recipe below.
- kale - or any leafy greens
- beets - use roasted beets or Instant Pot beets
- sweet potato - roasted or steamed sweet potato
- quinoa - Use stove method or Instant Pot quinoa
- chickpeas - make Turmeric Chickpeas ahead or simply use plain, canned chickpeas (drained) or roasted chickpeas
- citrus - use blood oranges or regular oranges
- pomegranate - or fresh berries
- avocado - adds the perfect creamy texture
- sprouts - use bean sprouts or or microgreens
- walnuts - use preferred nuts or seeds
- lemon tahini dressing - substitute with preferred dressing or sauce
How to make a Buddha bowl
There's no wrong way to make a Buddha bowl. In fact, the combinations are endless! My favorite way to approach it is to meal prep ingredients on Sunday and assemble the bowls throughout the week. To do this:
- Prep the produce by rinsing, chopping, and portioning.
- Steam, roast, or saute roast the vegetables.
- Steam, roast, or saute chickpeas, legumes, or grains.
- Make the sauce (or use your favorite dressing).
- Assemble your bowl and devour!
Are Buddha bowls vegan?
I personally think of these as vegan or at vegetarian. You can add whatever you like, but for the sake of this Buddha bowl recipe, I'm keeping it vegan.
What's in a Buddha Bowl?
- leafy greens such as kale or spinach
- microgreens or sprouts
- beans and legumes like chickpeas, black beans, or lentils
- plant-based proteins like tofu, tempeh, or seitan
- cooked grains such as quinoa or rice
- root vegetables like roasted beets or sweet potatoes
- fruits like citrus and avocado
- nuts and seeds
- dressing or buddha bowl sauce
The goal is to create a balanced selection of nutrient-dense ingredients with compatible flavors and textures that fill you up, and make you feel awesome!
Can you freeze Buddha Bowls?
Certain components of the bowl can be frozen for meal prep purposes, like cooked beans or grains. I would NOT freeze the bowl as a whole because it can make raw produce unsightly and unpleasant to eat. If you add non-plant proteins to your bowl, you could freeze those as well.
More bowl recipes
- 50 Buddha Bowls To Reboot Your Plant-Based Routine
- Banh Mi bowl
- Zoodle Quinoa Power Bowl
- Greek yogurt and Fruit Breakfast Bowl
More vegan recipes
- Thai Peanut Zucchini Noodles [Zoodles]
- Vegetable Lo Mein
- Vegetable Soup Recipe
- Veggie Sandwich
- Vegan Thai Coconut Soup
- Asian Cabbage Salad
Turmeric Chickpea Buddha Bowl
INGREDIENTS
Roasted vegetables
- 1 medium Beet, diced into ¼" pieces
- 1 medium Sweet Potato, peeled and diced into ¼" pieces
- 2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- ¼ teaspoon Sea Salt
For the salad
- 4 cups Kale, massaged with olive oil until tender
- 1 cup Cooked Quinoa
- 1 cup Turmeric Chickpeas
- 2 medium Oranges (blood orange when in season), peeled and sliced
- 1 cup Pomegranate Arils (seeds), or fresh berries
- 1 Avocado, diced
- 1 cup Bean Sprouts, or microgreens
- ½ cup Walnuts, coarsely chopped
For the Lemon tahini dressing
- 2 tablespoons Sesame Tahini
- 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
- 1 tablespoon Water
- pinch Lemon Zest
- pinch Sea Salt, optional
Instructions
Roasted Vegetables
- Heat oven to 400°F. Toss BEETS and SWEET POTATO in OLIVE OIL and SALT to lightly coat. Place on baking sheet; bake 15 minutes, or until tender; set aside to cool.Note: Instant Pot Beets work great in this recipe too!
For the salad
- Chop KALE, ORANGE, AVOCADO, and WALNUTS; portion out the POMEGRANATE, QUINOA, CHICKPEAS, and SPROUTS. If you're meal prepping this buddha bowl in advance, store all ingredients separately until ready to use.Kale tip: Add a little olive oil and salt to the kale and massage gently with your hands until kale starts to become tender. This makes it more palatable and delicious!
For the dressing
- In a small bowl, whisk together TAHINI, LEMON JUICE, WATER, LEMON ZEST, and (optional) SALT until combined; if needed, adjust the consistency by adding more tahini or water.
To serve:
- Evenly divide ALL ingredients across 4 bowls and drizzle with lemon tahini dressing; serve immediately or store in airtight containers and refrigerate up to two days. If serving later, wait to add the dressing.
Equipment
- baking sheet or Instant Pot
- 10" skillet
NUTRITION
Nutrition data provided as courtesy estimates using unbranded ingredients from a nutrition database. Please consult preferred resource for precise data.
Bronwyn says
This was one of the prettiest dishes ever! And do delicious! Thank you.
The Kitchen Girl says
Thank youuu 🙂 I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed it. Glad to inspire and thanks so much for the feedback.
Marin says
Is this best served warm or cold?
The Kitchen Girl says
You can do either but I usually like to enjoy it cold. Let me know if you have other questions. Thanks!
Mimi says
Delicious! This was my first attempt at "bowl" making and also my first The Kitchen Girl recipe. I didn't have all the ingredients on hand, and made some minor adjustments and it came out very well. Sitting here stuffed from my nourishing and healthy bowl.
The Kitchen Girl says
Awww, this makes me so happy I'm honored and so glad to inspire your bowl experience! Thanks so much for the feedback