I ought to admit from the start that this is a no-recipe kinda recipe. The art of the buddha bowl is more of a basic technique rather than an exact science, giving you the freedom to experiment + use whatever ingredients you have on hand. The key is taking an hour or two each week to prep these components: roast up some spiced veggies while making a big pot of brown rice, have some greens and beans at the ready, whip up a quick sauce, and voila! You’ve got the makings of a gosh darn good meal. While there’s no official definition of a buddha bowl, in our kitchen they typically consist of a few key components, which can all be prepped ahead of time and assembled on the fly:
Dark leafy greens
Healthy whole grains (such as brown rice)
Cooked pulses/legumes (lentils, chickpeas, black beans)
Assorted roasted and/or raw vegetables
A delicious sauce
Some crunchy seeds + fresh herbs
Today I’m sharing a basic buddha bowl “recipe” featuring roasted root veggies and a fabulous ginger-tahini sauce – keep scrolling for the low-down on how it’s done!
Roasted Root Vegetable Buddha Bowl with Ginger Tahini Sauce
ingredients
- 3 lbs root vegetables (ex: carrots, sweet potatoes, beets), chopped to 1/2” dice
- 4 cloves of garlic, peeled
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- Kosher salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 2-3 cups assorted greens (ex: spinach, kale, arugula)
- 2-3 cups cooked whole grain (ex: rice, quinoa, barley, millet)
- 2-3 cups cooked pulse (ex: lentils, black beans, chickpeas, lentils)
- Ginger Tahini Sauce (see recipe below)
- Handful pumpkin seeds/pepitas
- Fresh chopped herbs (ex: parsley, mint, basil)
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/3 cup tahini
- 1/4 cup peanut or almond butter
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons white miso (can omit if needed)
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon gluten free liquid aminos
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup water + additional to thin if necessary
instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
- Toss the chopped root vegetables in a large bowl with a few tablespoons of olive oil, a splash of apple cider vinegar, kosher salt, pepper, and 1 teaspoon garam masala (or any spice combo of your choice).
- Pour the vegetables out onto a baking sheet in a single layer (use two trays if needed). Bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes, or until tender and beginning to brown. Turn the vegetables over halfway through to prevent burning.
- While the vegetables are roasting, prepare the Tahini Sauce: Simply add all the sauce ingredients to a small food processor and blend until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. If the sauce is too thick, simply add a bit more water.
- To prepare the buddha bowls: In each person's bowl (or in one big bowl) start with a base of mixed greens. Add a scoop of your cooked whole grain and pulse/beans to each bowl, and top everything with a generous scoop of roasted vegetables. Drizzle with the Tahini Sauce and finish with a flourish of seeds (I love pumpkin seeds/pepitas) and chopped fresh herbs.