Vegan Buddha Bowl (Print Version)
Colorful grain bowl with roasted vegetables, fresh greens, and creamy tahini dressing for a wholesome plant-based meal.
# What You'll Need:
→ Grains
01 - 1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
02 - 2 cups water
03 - Pinch of salt
→ Roasted Vegetables
04 - 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cubed
05 - 1 cup broccoli florets
06 - 1 cup cauliflower florets
07 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
08 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
09 - Salt and pepper to taste
→ Fresh Vegetables & Toppings
10 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
11 - 1 cup red cabbage, thinly sliced
12 - 1 large avocado, sliced
13 - 1 cup baby spinach
14 - 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
→ Tahini Dressing
15 - 1/4 cup tahini
16 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
17 - 1 tablespoon maple syrup
18 - 2 tablespoons water, plus more as needed for consistency
19 - 1 clove garlic, minced
20 - Salt and pepper to taste
# How to Make It:
01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - Toss the cubed sweet potato, broccoli florets, and cauliflower florets with olive oil, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper until evenly coated. Spread in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Roast for 20–25 minutes, stirring halfway through, until the vegetables are tender and lightly caramelized at the edges.
03 - While the vegetables roast, combine the rinsed quinoa, water, and a pinch of salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Cover tightly and cook for 15 minutes, or until all the liquid has been absorbed. Remove from heat and let sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving.
04 - In a small bowl, whisk together the tahini, lemon juice, maple syrup, minced garlic, 2 tablespoons of water, salt, and pepper until completely smooth. Add additional water, one tablespoon at a time, until the dressing reaches a pourable consistency.
05 - Divide the fluffed quinoa evenly among four bowls. Arrange the roasted sweet potato, broccoli, and cauliflower alongside the cherry tomatoes, shredded red cabbage, sliced avocado, and baby spinach. Drizzle generously with the tahini dressing and sprinkle with pumpkin seeds.
06 - Serve immediately while the roasted vegetables are still warm. Enjoy.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The tahini dressing alone is worth making this, and it doubles as a dip for everything else in your fridge.
- Everything cooks on one sheet pan and one pot, so cleanup is almost embarrassingly easy.
- You can swap practically any ingredient based on what is wilting in your crisper drawer and it still works beautifully.
02 -
- Unrinsed quinoa tastes like soap, and no amount of dressing can fix that mistake once it is cooked.
- Tahini dressing thickens as it sits in the fridge, so always stir in a splash of water when reheating leftovers.
- Crowding the baking sheet is the fastest way to get soggy vegetables instead of the roasted crispy edges you want.
03 -
- Cut all the roasted vegetables roughly the same size so everything finishes cooking at the same time and you are not picking burnt bits off one while waiting for another to soften.
- Taste the dressing on an actual vegetable instead of off the spoon, because the salt and acid hit differently against roasted sweet potato than they do alone.