This, right here, is a bowl of feel-good-food.
100 % whole foods. Vegan. Dairy & gluten free. Packed full of flavor.
Winning.
In case you haven't tried one of these amazing concoctions yet, they're lovingly known in the foodie world as Buddha Bowls.
Buddha bowls are usually composed of the following:
- a base of whole grains
- roasted sweet potatoes and/or other tasty veggies
- some type of greens
- a delicious creamy dressing
The beauty of Buddha Bowls is their endless customization.
You can use whatever grain you love - quinoa, brown rice, barley, wheat berries, wild rice, millet.... seriously, anything!
Then you get to choose your absolute favorite hearty veggies and prepare them in your favorite way possible.
Load all these yummy components into a bowl and top with a delicious creamy dressing (often tofu or tahini based), and you have yourself a Buddha Bowl.
My vegan version of a Buddha Bowl is pretty freaking awesome.
It has sweet and savory notes from the roasted sweet potatoes and earthy mushrooms, a pop of garlic from the sautéed greens, and amazing herb-y freshness from the tofu dressing.
This meal-in-a-bowl is as satisfying as it is nourishing.
And as intimidating as they might look, Buddha Bowls are actually pretty easy to prepare.
There are a lot of steps to preparing the individual components, but once they're done, you literally just throw everything into a bowl.
Plus, since you make all the components separately, you have awesome leftovers for later in the week.
You can add the sweet potatoes to salads, top the greens with fried eggs in the morning, and use that creamy dressing on wraps and pitas.
Yay for re-purposed ingredients!
Hope you enjoy this delicious recipe 😀
Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa
- 2 cups water
- 1 lb frozen greens, kale, spinach, collard, chard, or a blend
- 11 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced, 1 clove set aside
- 8 oz sliced white button mushrooms
- 2 small sweet potatoes, peeled & diced into ½ inch cubes
- ⅓ cup olive oil, divided
- kosher salt
- ground black pepper
- 8 oz silken tofu
- ¾ cup tightly packed mixed fresh herbs, I used a blend of basil, parsley, & chives
- juice of 1 lemon, divided
- 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
Prepare the quinoa:
- Heat a light drizzle of olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the quinoa and sauté, stirring frequently, until toasted and slightly golden brown. About 5 minutes. Add the 2c water to the pan & bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook at a gentle simmer for about 15 minutes, until the quinoa is tender with little spirals visible on the grains, and the water is absorbed. Turn off the heat & let sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Remove the lid & fluff with a fork. Set the quinoa aside.
Prepare the Sweet Potatoes:
- When the oven is preheated, spread the diced sweet potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Season well with kosher salt & ground black pepper, and toss to coat evenly. Roast in the oven for 15 minutes, until golden and tender. Remove from the oven and set aside.
Prepare the Greens:
- Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-heat. Add the 10 cloves of garlic (reserving 1 clove for the dressing), and cook, stirring frequently, until tender, about 5 minutes. Adjust the heat as needed to make sure the garlic does not burn, or else it will become extremely bitter. When the garlic is tender, increase the heat to medium and add the frozen greens. Sauté, stirring frequently, until cooked through, about 10 more minutes. Transfer the greens to a separate bowl & season with salt & the juice of ½ lemon. Wipe out the skillet with a dry paper towel and return to the stove.
Prepare the Mushrooms:
- In the same pan that you cooked the greens, add another two tablespoons of oil and return to medium-high heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the mushrooms & sauté, stirring only occasionally, until nicely golden brown on both sides, about 15 minutes. Season with salt & pepper, remove from pan, & set aside.
Prepare the Sauce:
- Add the tofu, fresh herbs, juice of ½ lemon, 1 clove of garlic, and white wine vinegar to a mini food processor or blender. Blend until smooth, adding more water as needed to reach a creamy texture. Season with salt & pepper to taste.
Assemble your Buddha Bowl:
- When all the components are ready, it’s time to assemble your Buddha Bowl! Start with a base of quinoa in each serving bowl. Top with sautéed greens, mushrooms, and sweet potatoes, and top with a liberal dollop of creamy herbed dressing.
Maxime poulin
Oups, «could you define what fresh *herbs* to use? »
Erica Julson
Hey Maxime! You can use whatever you have on hand 🙂 I used a blend of basil, parsley, and chives (totalling 3/4 cup)
Maxime poulin
Hi,
Your recepy look real amazing, I’m planning on doing it soon. But, I am wondering. Could you please define what fresh do you put in the tofu sauce?
Thank you Max
Andrea
11 cloves of garlic for a lb of greens? Isn't that a lot?
Erica Julson
Yes, but I love my garlic 🙂 It softens and sweetens when slow cooked in oil, so the flavor isn't overwhelmingly garlicky - just delicious!
Veronica
Thanks for the great recipe. I made this for dinner last night and everyone in the family loved it!
Erica Julson
Yay! So happy it was a hit!
Mary
I made this for dinner tonight, and it was excellent!!
Erica Julson
Awesome! So glad you liked it 🙂
Catherine
This looks good. There are also usually beans (any type) in a Buddha Bowl, to make it a nutritionally complete vegan meal. I think the rule is "Bean, Green, Grain."
Erica Julson
Thanks for the insight! That would make sense if you were combining two incomplete protein sources, for example, rice & beans. However, quinoa is a complete protein, so it provides all 9 essential amino acids all by itself 🙂 No need to combo protein here!
Liz
I'm allergic to soy. Any suggestions for a tofu substitution?
Erica Julson
You could try making the dressing with plain greek yogurt instead of tofu. It wouldn't be vegan anymore, but it would still be delicious 🙂 If you'd like to keep it vegan, you could soak 2 cups of raw cashews for a few hours in the fridge, drain, & then blend them with a little water in a food processor until creamy & use that in place of the silken tofu. Enjoy!
Bhiravi
This bowl is so beautiful! The sweet potatoes and mushrooms seem just right for fall. I also love the creamy dressing,
Erica Julson
Thank you!! I'm totally on the same page with you about mushrooms and sweet potatoes 🙂
Sarah | Well and Full
That dressing looks so yummy! I love anything with fresh herbs 🙂
Erica Julson
Thanks, Sarah! I love how the tofu gives it a creamy & rich taste, too 🙂