In the spirit of Meatless Monday, a global movement that promotes going meat-free once a week, we’ve decided to look into one of our favourite vegetarian recipes – the Buddha bowl. While this dish has little to do with the father of Buddhism, the name certainly adds a trendy element to the otherwise simple grain bowl. Branding strategies aside, we’ve convinced it’s the delicious and customizable nature of the Buddha bowl that makes it an ideal option for a quick lunch of dinner.
Buddha bowls are really easy to make at home. You can even use leftovers, which reduces both the time you spend cooking in the kitchen and food waste.
What you need: a medley of vegetables, healthy grains and plant-based protein.
1. Cook your grains. We love brown rice, quinoa, millet, buckwheat and couscous. Use the ingredients that you like the most, suit your budget, and are easy to find at the store.
2. Prepare the veggies. Tossed in a salad, pickled, sautéed or roasted in the oven – the options here are endless!
3. Top it with protein. Tofu and curried chickpeas make a nice combo.
4. Go big or go home. We suggest topping your bowl with hummus, avocado and handful of almonds. Together or separately, these little extras make your bowl healthy and hearty.
5. Dressing. Simple balsamic vinegar or tahini usually does the trick, but you’re encouraged to try out different options – whatever works for you!
Here are some Buddha bowls to inspire your next DIY version:
Sweet potato chickpea Buddha bowl via minimalistbaker
Spring broccoli Buddha bowl via halfbakedharvest
Buddha bowl with carrot-ginger dressing via cookieandkate
Mexican Buddha bowl via brownsugarandvanilla
Falafel Buddha bowl via wellandfull
Happy experimenting!
