The Wonder Fill World of Buddha Bowls

Years ago my daughter decided she wanted to become vegan.  I thought the change should be easy since our family followed a mostly vegetarian diet (the young ones still ate nuggets), but as I tried to prepare dinners that first week, I quickly learned how difficult making the vegan switch was going to be.  I didn’t realize how much I used things like honey, Greek yogurt, and cheese in the dinners I was used to cooking.  I had to find a solution to my dinner dilemma.  A vegan friend suggested I try Buddha Bowls. (If there were sound, you’d hear angels singing right now).  Buddha Bowls changed everything. 

Buddha Bowls are a traditionally vegan fair, but you can make them with any greens, grains, veggies, proteins, or other toppings you want.  What’s even better, you can prep all the fixings ahead of time and store them in meal prep containers.  Then, when it’s dinner time, each person in your family can customize his/her own bowl. 

Here are a few ingredients I like to have on hand:

• Greens:

  • Kale

  • Spinach

  • Romaine Lettuce

  • Cabbage

• Grains:

  • Brown Rice

  • Quinoa

  • Millet

  • Barley

  • Farro

• Veggies:

  • Roasted sweet potatoes

  • Corn

  • Carrots

  • Beets

  • Sprouts

  • Onion

  • Broccolini

  • Advocado

  • ANY VEGGIE YOU WANT

    • Note: Buddha Bowls are typically served cold, but that doesn’t mean you can’t use cooked veggies. I like to roast my sweet potatoes, carmelize my onions, and blanch or steam other veggies and store them in the fridge for later.

• Lean Protein:

  • Garbanzo beans (Tip: Cook your Garbonzo beans in a small frying pan with a little salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Yummy!)

  • Tofu

  • Tempeh

  • Black beans

  • Lentils

  • Egg

  • Animal protein for the non-vegetarians in your family

• Other toppings:

  • Dressing of choice (Vinegar based, Oil based, Yogurt based)

  • Raw nuts

  • Seeds (pepitas, sunflower seeds, etc.

  • Humus

My Favorite Buddha Bowl Recipe:

• Ingredients:

  • Chopped Kale

  • Shredded carrots

  • Shredded beets

  • Sliced Advocado

  • Sprouts

  • Baked falafel (buy ready made or use the recipe below)

  • Dressing: 

    • Greek yogurt

    • Siracha

    • Honey

• Preparation:

  • Mix dressing to taste (remember that a little Siracha goes a long way)

  • Stir dressing and Kale together in a bowl before adding other ingredients

  • Add approximately ½ cup of each of the other ingredients

  • Top with baked falafel

I almost feel silly typing out a recipe for a Buddha Bowl because honestly, I rarely ever follow an exact recipe.  My Buddha Bowls are different every time I make them because I use ingredients readily available to me when the mood strikes.  The ingredient selection can be impacted by season or by the last time I actually made it to the grocery store.   One thing is always consistent, however.  Every Buddha Bowl I’ve tossed together has been yummy.  You almost can’t go wrong.