Sweet Potato Chickpea Buddha Bowl ( Vegan )

This sweet potato chickpea buddha bowl is an easy and delicious way to pack a lot of nutrition and flavor into one bowl. It’s gluten free, vegan, perfect for meal prep and can be customized to your own needs and preferences.

Buddha bowls are the ultimate weeknight meal that can be made vegan, gluten free, vegetarian, paleo, or whatever you want!

You can mix up the sauces, veggies, or even make a sushi bowl and you have a new flavor profile every time.

What Is A Buddha Bowl?

A “Buddha Bowl,” according to urban dictionary, is “a bowl which is packed so full that it has a rounded ‘belly’ appearance on the top much like the belly of a buddha.” I’d say that’s pretty accurate!

These sweet potato buddha bowls are packed with nutrients, creamy fats, protein, and complex carbs to keep you full and satisfied. You can add meat such as grilled chicken or salmon to buddha bowls if you like, but this one is vegan.

I first heard of Buddha Bowls somewhere within the vegan (& hippy) community and personally understand them as a big bowl of plant-based goodness, which is precisely what this recipe is!

Do You Eat Buddha Bowls Hot Or Cold?

Either! There is really no right or wrong way to have a buddha bowl, that is the beauty of them.

This particular recipe is best eaten warm, but is also delicious cold, so you can take it on the go and not have to worry about heating it up. Whether you eat buddha bowls hot or cold is totally up to you.

Ingredients

• VEGETABLES

·         2 Tbsp olive, melted coconut, or avocado oil

·         1/2 medium red onion (sliced in wedges)

·         2 small sweet potatoes (halved)

·         1 bundle broccolini (large stems removed // chopped)

·         2 big handfuls kale (larger stems removed)

·         1/4 tsp each salt + pepper

• CHICKPEAS

·         1 15-ounce chickpeas (drained, rinsed + patted dry)

·         1 tsp cumin

·         3/4 tsp chili powder

·         3/4 tsp garlic powder

·         1/4 tsp each salt + pepper

·         1/2 tsp tsp oregano (optional)

·         1/4 tsp turmeric (optional)

• TAHINI SAUCE (OPTIONAL)

·         1/4 cup tahini

·         1 Tbsp maple syrup

·         1/2 medium lemon (juiced)

·         2-4 Tbsp hot water (to thin)

 

Instructions

1. 1.            Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (204 C) and arrange sweet potatoes and onions on a bare baking sheet. Drizzle both with a bit of oil, making sure the flesh of the sweet potatoes are well coated and placed skin side down on the sheet.
3. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from oven flip sweet potatoes and add broccolini. Drizzle broccolini with a bit of oil and season with a pinch each salt and pepper.
4. Bake for another 8-10 minutes, then remove from oven and add kale. Drizzle kale with a touch more oil and season with a pinch each salt and pepper. Bake for another 4-5 minutes then set aside.
5. While vegetables are roasting, heat a large skillet over medium heat and add chickpeas to a mixing bowl and toss with seasonings.
6. Once hot, add 1 Tbsp oil (amount as original recipe is written // use half of total amount if altering batch size) and chickpeas and sauté, stirring frequently. If they’re browning too quickly, turn down heat. If there isn’t much browning going on, increase heat. I found 10 minutes total at slightly over medium heat was perfect.
7. Once the chickpeas are browned and fragrant, remove from heat and set aside.
8. Prepare sauce by adding tahini, maple syrup and lemon juice to a mixing bowl and whisking to combine. Add hot water until a pourable sauce is formed. Set aside.
9. To serve: slice sweet potatoes into bite size pieces. Divide vegetables between 3 serving bowls and top with chickpeas + tahini sauce.
10. Best when fresh, though leftovers will keep for a few days in the fridge.

Recipe Tips & Tricks

·      Once prepared, this buddha bowl will store in the fridge for about 5 days. I suggest keeping the dressing on the side to prevent the veggies from getting soggy.

·      When building a buddha bowl, you can use either a bed of greens or a grain, in this case quinoa. Using a bed of greens will make the bowl a bit lighter, almost like a salad. Using a bed of quinoa will make it a bit more filling and hearty.

·      If using chickpeas cooked from fresh, you’ll want to use 1.5 cups cooked chickpeas in place of 1 can.

·      For extra flavor, you can cook the quinoa in vegetable or chicken stock.