These protein packed vegan Buddha bowls are loaded with colorful veggies, sweet potatoes, roasted chickpeas and cashews, all topped off with a creamy tahini dressing. An easy recipe that’s loaded with nutrition!

When I’m looking to eat a little healthier, I often turn to rainbow quinoa salad, Mediterranean farro salad, or these hearty Buddha bowls.

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Buddha Bowl with quinoa, chickpeas, sweet potatoes, avocado, cabbage, tahini dressing poured over the top

You probably know by now that I’m all about the chicken recipes on this site. We eat a LOT of chicken and sometimes I just need a change, you know? I made this Buddha bowl recipe thinking I’d be eating it all on my own, but lo and behold, the kids ate it. They were a little wary of the tahini sauce, but happily consumed the sweet potatoes, chickpeas, cashews and quinoa. In fact I have a photo of my girls happily spooning quinoa into their mouths, because I wanted photographic evidence that it actually happened!

Sweet potatoes, chickpeas, avocado and quinoa arranged over purple cabbage in a bowl.

What is a buddha bowl?

A Buddha bowl is a bowl of vegetarian goodies that’s so full and rounded that it looks like a Buddha’s belly. A Buddha’s Bowl often has a quinoa base, but other grains like brown rice would also work. A Buddha bowl is topped with an assortment of vegetables.

Raw sweet potatoes and canned chickpeas on a sheet pan.

How do you make a buddha bowl?

There are endless ways to put together a Buddha bowl. I went for color, texture and protein here with my toppings of sweet potato, roasted chickpeas, avocado, shredded cabbage and baby spinach. I also added cashews for crunch! The sweet potatoes and chickpeas roast together on the same pan; be sure to cut your sweet potatoes on the smaller side, about 1/2 inch, so that they cook in the same amount of time as the chickpeas.

A Buddha bowl filled with quinoa, sweet potatoes, chickpeas and avocado, then drizzled with tahini dressing.

Tips for buddha bowls

  • Many Buddha bowls are topped with tahini sauce. If you’re not familiar with tahini, it’s like peanut butter, except made with sesame seeds. I was able to get a jar of it for under $4. Tahini is pretty flavorful on its own, so I just added a little lemon juice, maple syrup, salt and pepper for a creamy and flavorful dressing. Drizzle a little over the top of your Buddha bowl and you’ve got veggie perfection!
  • You can use any type of grain for the base, other great options are barley, bulgur wheat, farro or brown rice.
  • Feel free to use any veggies you like for your bowls; I like to use mushrooms, butternut squash, kale and tomatoes.

Roasted sweet potatoes and chickpeas.

These Buddha bowls are gluten free, dairy free and vegan, which makes them perfect for a variety of diets. Plus you just feel good when you eat one, so many nutrients in a single bowl!

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5 from 17 votes

Buddha Bowls

AuthorSara Welch
Buddha Bowl with quinoa, chickpeas, sweet potatoes, avocado, cabbage, tahini dressing poured over the top
These protein packed vegan buddha bowls are loaded with colorful veggies, sweet potatoes, roasted chickpeas and cashews, all topped off with a creamy tahini dressing.
Time
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Serves 4

Ingredients 

  • 4 cups cooked quinoa
  • 3 medium to large sweet potatoes peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 15-ounce can chickpeas rinsed and drained
  • 1 cup baby spinach leaves
  • 1 cup shredded purple cabbage
  • 1/4 cup roasted cashews
  • 1 avocado peeled, pitted and thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup tahini
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons maple syrup
  • cooking spray

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a sheet pan with foil and coat with cooking spray.
  • Place the chickpeas on one side of the pan and the sweet potatoes on the other side of the pan in a single layer.
  • Drizzle the olive oil over the sweet potatoes and chickpeas and season to taste with salt and pepper.
  • Bake for 25 minutes, or until sweet potatoes are tender and chickpeas are browned and crispy.
  • Divide the quinoa evenly between 4 bowls. 
  • Divide the sweet potatoes, chickpeas, cabbage, spinach, cashews and avocado evenly between the 4 bowls, arranging on top of the quinoa.
  • In a small bowl whisk together the tahini, lemon juice, maple syrup and salt and pepper to taste.
  • Drizzle the tahini dressing over the buddha bowls and serve immediately.

Nutrition

Calories: 618kcal | Carbohydrates: 82g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 497mg | Fiber: 16g | Sugar: 9g

This post was originally published on February 20, 2017 and was updated on April 11, 2019 with new content.

Hello! I’m Sara!

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Love this meal!!! The variety of flavors, colors and freshness. Even my husband who’s not into healthy meals enjoyed it. He said it looked like a restaurant plate. We both loved the tahini dressing. I’m definitely going to keep making it.

  2. Hi just found this recipe although I subscribe to your blog. What can I substitute for the baby spinach.?
    Thanks

  3. 5 stars
    I absolutely love buddha bowls. This one looks fantastic. Love the flavors and roasted cashews. Just yum! Must save this for next week to give a try.

  4. 5 stars
    Wow, all those colors and just what I’m needing this time of spring! I can’t wait to make this as a meal prep lunch. Thanks for sharing!!

  5. 5 stars
    Love all the ingredients in this buddha bowl! I have never roasted chickpeas even though I use them a lot! Def want to try this recipe!

  6. 5 stars
    I love the combination os colors, flavors, and textures happening in this bowl! We practically live on bowls in the summer, and I’ll be adding this one to our list.

  7. 5 stars
    I love a good buddha bowl!! The tahini dressing and the cashews looks like the perfect additions. I’ll be adding them to our next bowls!!