No time? No meat? No problem! Buddha bowl recipes are colorful, healthy, and simple meals of vegan goodness. Don’t be scared off because it looks like they require a lot of ingredients — that’s actually the easiest part! You can pull whatever leftover veggies, beans, and grains you have lying around to make this nutritious meal. If you’re not already addicted to them, you will be after trying our Buddha bowl recipe and peanut-miso dressing below.

What is a Buddha Bowl?

So, what’s the deal with Buddha bowl recipes and what makes this meal choice different from what you usually eat for lunch or dinner? Well, a Buddha bowl doesn’t have just one definition.

It’s basically a term used to describe a one-bowl meal based on grains and plenty of colorful “toppings”, meaning raw or roasted vegetables, proteins, healthy fats and more. There’s no right or wrong way to make these bowls, therefore it’s impossible to fail at making Buddha bowl recipes. So breathe a sigh of relief and get creative!

Why Should I Start Making My Own Vegan Buddha Bowl Recipes?

Everything tastes better when it looks pretty. And boy-oh-boy, do these Buddha bowls look stunning. But that’s not the only reason you’ll want to put some Buddha bowl recipes on your menu. Let’s learn more about why you should start making your own vegan Buddha bowls at home.

1. Easy. From start to finish, making a Buddha bowl should only take you about as long as your grain takes to cook. They’re built on the premise that you just need one bowl. The reality is you’ll probably roast some veggies too, unless you’re going totally raw. But either way, these bowls are as easy as can be. You just chop the veggies, drop them in the oven, and bowl them up! Chop, drop, and bowl!
2. Healthy. You won’t need to worry if you’re getting enough vitamins or antioxidants in your diet. That’s because these bowls typically contain a vast color scheme, ensuring you’re eating plenty of your daily nutrition intake.
3. Prevents food waste. As mentioned before, Buddha bowl recipes are a great way to clean out your refrigerator at the end of the week. You don’t need to go shopping for too many special ingredients. Instead, you can collect all the veggies leftover from previous meals, and throw them together for a delish meal. Throwing them all together might seem like a risky mix, but as long as you have a bomb-diggity Buddha bowl sauce, the flavors will come together just fine.

A Buddha Bowl Dressing Recipe to Blow Up Your Tastebuds

You could just toss on some olive oil and vinegar on your creation and call it a day. But because the rest of the Buddha bowl recipe assembly is so freaking easy, why not take few extra minutes to make a miso peanut dressing that is packed with flavor (plus health benefits such as probiotics in the miso paste!)? This homemade dressing is a sure-fire way to give your bowl an extra kick of taste, and ensure those picky eaters will be asking for seconds.

Prep Time: 5 mins  |  Serves: ½ cup of sauce
Equipment: Mixing spoon, a bowl, a whisk, a small pot, and glass bowl

Ingredients

• 2 generous tablespoons of smooth peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon of miso paste (can use dark or light)
• Splash of soy sauce
• ¼ cup of warm water

Instructions

1. To start, melt your peanut butter for over a double boiler on the stove for about one minute.
2. In a bowl, whisk together your miso paste and warm water until the miso paste is dissolved.
3. Combine your peanut butter with the miso and water combination, then add in a splash of soy sauce too. Feel free to add more warm water to get the consistency you like best.
4. Drizzle it over your Buddha bowls as desired.

Tip: When using this sauce in a delicious Buddha bowl recipe, keep in mind it’s naturally salty from the miso paste and soy sauce. You might not want to add extra salt to the contents of the food if you’re watching your salt intake.

Vegan Buddha Bowl Recipe

Fast, easy, healthy and filling. Are you ready to experience Buddha bowl recipes that will surely make it on your staple meal list? Yes? Lets go!

Prep Time: 10 mins | Cook Time: 15 mins | Serves: 2 bowls
Equipment: Chopping knife, oven tray lined with parchment paper or foil, and a small stove pot

Ingredients

• ½ red bell pepper
• ½ yellow bell pepper
• 2 handfuls of button mushrooms
• ½ avocado
• ½ medium sweet potato or 1 small sweet potato
• 1 handful of fresh green beans
• 1½ cups of vegetable broth
• ¾ cup of rice
• 1 tbsp of olive oil
• Buddha Bowl Dressing (see recipe above)
• 1 tbsp of chopped fresh green onion for garnishing
• Pepper to taste

Instructions

1. First things first: the rice. Cook your rice according to the packaging directions. You can replace water and use vegetable broth to cook t your rice. This adds in some nutrition and flavor dimension.
2. Next, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line your oven tray with some parchment or foil.
3. Chop up all the vegetables, except the avocado. Vary the shape and size of your veggies for some excitement. Rather than dicing everything up equally, try slicing the peppers, quartering the mushrooms, and leaving the green beans whole. Just be sure to dice your sweet potato into 1-inch cubes that will cook along with similar timing as rest of the vegetables.
4. Toss all the veggies in some oil and pepper and put in the oven for roasting. It should take about 15 minutes, depending on your oven. To avoid overcooking, periodically test your sweet potatoes by poking them with a fork. Once they’re soft, the rest of the veggies should be finished too.
5. Lastly, serve up your bowl by first adding some rice to the bottom, and topping with the array of veggies. Slice some fresh avocado and put on top as well for some creamy texture. Don’t forget to drizzle on some of the miso peanut Buddha bowl dressing and a sprinkle of green onions.
6. Eat up the nourishing, Instagram-worthy bowl you’ve created.

Tips for Making Your Own Buddha Bowls

The key word to remember when making your own Buddha bowl recipes is adaptability. These bowls are so easy to change up and keep interesting. Basically, you can throw them together with whatever scraps you have on hand because they require just a little bit of each ingredient. However, there’s still an easy formula you can remember to making a perfect bowl each time. Try to include each of these elements for a flavor-filled meal.

• Protein: tofu, edamame, quinoa, beans.
• Healthy fats: avocado, nuts, tahini, olive oil.
• Base carb: rice, quinoa, or even pasta or lentils can work.
• Veggies: try to add as many colors as possible.
• Dressing/toppings: some fresh diced tomato salsa, a zesty lemon sauce, whatever tantalizes your taste buds.

Conclusion

You’ll have just as much fun eating these Buddha bowls as you will making them (and probably photographing them too, let’s be honest). So next time you’re short on time and want a nutritious meal, throw together some kitchen scraps with Buddha bowl recipes and impress your family, guests or just yourself. Eat up and embrace the post-bowl Buddha belly!