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This Vegan Buddha Bowl is loaded with colorful raw summer vegetables, whole grains, good fats, and topped with a tangy creamy balsamic dressing. Make adjustments to use up whatever vegetables you have on hand and enjoy this delicious vegan meal for lunch or dinner all summer long!

It’s summer time and there is an abundance of fresh produce ready to be eaten! A great way to enjoy all those vibrant vegetables is in a Buddha Bowl! For more well balanced meals, try my favorite Poke Bowl, Cilantro Lime Chicken Salad, Summer Cobb Salad, and Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps.

A large Buddha Bowl with spinach, quinoa, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, chickpeas, and avocado with a jar or dark creamy dressing to the side.

VEGAN BUDDHA BOWL

If you’d like to eat a more balanced diet, start making Buddha Bowls! They are so easy to throw together, taste awesome, and make you feel so good. They are so versatile but here is a my fresh garden version that is loaded with raw crisp veggies, chickpeas, quinoa, spinach, basil, and topped with a yummy creamy balsamic dressing.

WHAT IS A BUDDHA BOWL?

A buddha bowl is a plant-based one-dish meal. It is usually made and served in a large bowl and consists of: a whole grain, greens, protein (usually vegan), vegetables, toppings, and a sauce. Some might also refer to it as a bliss bowl, power bowl, glow bowl, hippie bowl,…

A true Buddha bowl is vegetarian and typically vegan since Buddhists follow a plant-based diet but you will find that some “buddha bowls” have meat.

Various size bowls of vegetables, quinoa, seeds, chickpeas, and dressing.

WHERE DID BUDDHA BOWLS GET THEIR NAME?

It is thought that the name might come from the fact that people would place food into Buddha’s bowl as a donation as he walked the streets.

It could also possibly be called this because balance is an important Buddhist concept and this dish is a balanced meal of vegetables, protein, and healthy fats.

The large stuffed bowl, resembling Buddha’s belly could also be a reason.

A close up shot of chickpeas and vegetables in a bowl.

HOW TO MAKE A BUDDHA BOWL:

COOK THE QUINOA:

  • Place water and quinoa in a 2 quart pot and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat to low, stir in salt, and allow to simmer for about 15 minutes or until a white tail appears around the grains.
  • Remove from heat, cover with lid, and let sit for 5 minutes. Fluff and then serve or refrigerate.

MAKE THE CREAMY BALSAMIC DRESSING:

  • Puree all dressing ingredients together in a blender or with an immersion blender until smooth. Place in jar and refrigerate until ready to use.

ASSEMBLE THE BOWLS:

  • Assemble bowls with spinach, quinoa (warm or cold), chick peas, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, avocado, sunflower seeds, and basil. Drizzle with dressing and serve.

BUDDHA BOWL SAUCE:

You can really use any dressing or sauce for a buddha bowl. Some of my favorites are: tahini dressing, Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing, pesto, a drizzle of plain olive oil, or this Creamy Balsamic Dressing.

To make this bowl completely vegan, use a vegan mayonnaise or yogurt. Regular mayo and Greek yogurt work great too.

Smooth creamy balsamic dressing in a jar with a spoon dripping dressing back into the jar.

WHAT ELSE CAN YOU PUT IN A BUDDHA BOWL?

Honestly, you can put whatever you heart desires into that bowl. Here are some ideas so you can make more Buddha Bowls:

  • Grains: brown rice, quinoa, barley, farro, bulgur wheat…
  • Greens: spinach, romaine, spring greens, arugula, kale…
  • Vegetables: these can be raw, steamed, or roasted- sweet potatoes, broccoli, radish, cabbage, bell peppers, onions, beets, tomatoes, carrots, cucumber, peas, corn…
  • Plant Based Proteins: Beans, lentils, chickpeas, tofu, tempeh, edamame…
  • Toppings: nuts, seeds, dried or fresh fruit, herbs…
  • Fats/Dressings: olive oil, avocado, hummus, pesto, tahini, peanut sauce…

A salad of spinach, cucumbers, grape tomatoes, carrot ribbons, avocado, chickpeas, and quinoa all mixed together.

HOW TO MEAL PREP:

If you are not planning on serving all 4 bowls in one sitting, you can store the remaining ingredients in the fridge in large 64 ounce jars.

Place ingredients into the jars in this order: dressing, quinoa, carrots, cucumber, tomatoes, and spinach. I recommend adding avocado just before serving since they brown. The sunflower seeds can be placed in the top of the jar but can get a little soft so I would add those just before serving as well so you get maximum crunchy texture.

 

A raw vegetable Vegan Buddha Bowl made up of with spinach, carrots, avocado, chickpeas, grape tomatoes, cucumbers, quinoa, basil, sesame seeds, and a creamy balsamic dressing.

MORE QUINOA SALAD RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE:

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Vegan Buddha Bowl

By: Melanie Dueck
This Vegan Buddha Bowl is loaded with colorful raw summer vegetables, whole grains, good fats, and topped with a tangy creamy balsamic dressing. Make adjustments to use up whatever vegetables you have on hand and enjoy this delicious vegan meal for lunch or dinner all summer long!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4 People

Ingredients 

For the Quinoa:

  • 1 cup quinoa
  • 2 cups water
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

For the Bowl:

For the Creamy Balsamic Dressing:

Instructions 

For the Quinoa:

  • Place water and quinoa in a 2 quart pot and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat to low, stir in salt, and allow to simmer for about 15 minutes or until a white tail appears around the grains.
  • Remove from heat, cover with lid, and let sit for 5 minutes. Fluff and then serve or refrigerate.

For the Dressing:

  • Puree all dressing ingredients together in a blender or with an immersion blender until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.

For assembling the bowls:

  • Assemble bowls with spinach, quinoa (warm or cold), chick peas, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, avocado, sunflower seeds, and basil. Drizzle with dressing and serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 452kcalCarbohydrates: 49gProtein: 12gFat: 25gSaturated Fat: 3gSodium: 560mgPotassium: 1323mgFiber: 11gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 16477IUVitamin C: 35mgCalcium: 136mgIron: 5mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Tried this recipe?Mention @alyssa_therecipecritic or tag #therecipecritic!

 

 

About Melanie Dueck

Melanie is the cook and photographer behind the blog Garnish & Glaze. When she’s not playing princesses with her two little girls, she’s experimenting in the kitchen. She takes simple ingredients and creates everything from healthy dinners to indulgent desserts.

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2 Comments

  1. I made this dish yesterday. It was reallyyyyyyyyy delicious, indeed. C’mon, guys, give it a try. So delicious!