Vegan Buddha Bowl
This homemade Vegan Buddha Bowl is loaded with vibrant, fresh, plant-based ingredients that are going to keep you full, focused, and energized! Peanut tofu is served in a bowl filled with nutritious ingredients like quinoa, red cabbage, carrots, watermelon radishes, avocado, and so much more.
Vegan Buddha Bowls
While I’m no vegan, that doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy a vegan meal once in a while! These Vegan Buddha Bowls are ideal for meatless Mondays, or any other day of the week you need some plant-based protein and veggies. What I love about this recipe is that after eating a bowl, I’m full without feeling bloated and the flavor really hits the spot.
I feel like a lot of vegan recipes get a bad rep for being bland or unfulfilling. Trust me – the protein in this tofu based dish definitely keeps you nice and full for a while, and all of the fresh flavors from the veggies and peanut sauce satisfy your craving for something tasty! There’s nothing quite like eating healthy without sacrificing flavor, and trust me – there’s plenty of flavor here!
With summer just around the corner, it’s about that time of year when we set aside the hearty casserole and stew recipes and dig into fresh veggie-based meals. Vegan Buddha Bowls are supremely refreshing, especially if you’ve spend a day out in the sun. While they fill you up and have a great savory peanut sauce, they also have just the right amount of vibrant fresh flavor.
How to Make a Buddha Bowl
- Make the peanut sauce. To make the peanut sauce, add the peanut butter, toasted sesame oil, soy sauce, maple syrup, red pepper flakes and minced garlic to a bowl and whisk together until fully combined. Reserve two tablespoons of the sauce to use for drizzling later.
- Cook the tofu. Add the chopped tofu to the bowl and leave to marinade for 15 minutes. Heat the oil in a griddle then add the marinated tofu. Fry until crisp – about 8 minutes. Set aside while you assemble the rest of the Buddha bowl.
- Start assembling the bowls. Add the quinoa, red cabbage, salad leaves and carrots to two bowls. I suggest using these ingredients as the foundation of your Buddha bowl and arranging them in the four quarters of each bowl as shown in the images.
- Add more veggies! Next, arrange the radishes, sugar snap peas, edamame beans, avocado and lettuce on top of the foundation ingredients already in the Buddha bowls.
- Top it off, and enjoy! Finally, add the cooked tofu in a strip down the center of each bowl. Drizzle over the reserved peanut sauce and sprinkle with the nuts and seeds. Enjoy immediately!
Tips for the Best Vegan Buddha Bowls
- You will need to buy firm or extra firm tofu for this recipe. Silken tofu will not work. There is no need to press the tofu before frying it.
- The peanut tofu will spit when you add it to the hot oil, so please proceed with caution. You can momentarily remove it from the heat sauce if it’s spitting too much.
- You can customize your bowl however you’d like! Just keep in mind that traditional Buddha bowls have whole grains, fresh veggies, protein, dressing, and sprinkles such as nuts, herbs, and seeds. As long as you have those components, you’ll still have a delicious Buddha bowl.
Why is it called a Buddha bowl?
There’s actually no exact origin known for the Buddha bowl, but many believe that Martha Stewart first titled this healthy dish! It’s said that the term Buddha bowl was created as a reference to the balance of the meal, and balance is a key Buddhist concept.
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Get the Recipe: Vegan Buddha Bowl Recipe
Ingredients
For the peanut tofu
- 2 tbsp smooth peanut butter
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- Pinch red pepper flakes
- 1/2 clove garlic, minced
- 1 block extra firm tofu, dried with kitchen paper and cut into small pieces • 1 tbsp olive oil
For the Buddha Bowl
- 1 cup cooked quinoa
- 1/2 cup shredded red cabbage
- 1 carrot, peeled into strips
- 1 watermelon radish, finely sliced
- 2 radishes, finely sliced
- 1/2 avocado, finely sliced
- Small handful edamame beans
- Small handful sugar snap peas, sliced lengthways
- Small handful mixed salad leaves
- Small head of lettuce
- 1 tbsp mixed nuts and seeds
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Equipment
Instructions
- To make the peanut sauce, add the peanut butter, toasted sesame oil, soy sauce, maple syrup, red pepper flakes and minced garlic to a bowl and whisk together until fully combined. Reserve two tablespoons of the sauce to use for drizzling later.
- Add the chopped tofu to the bowl and leave to marinade for 15 minutes. 3. Heat the oil in a griddle then add the marinated tofu. Fry until crisp – about 8 minutes. Set aside while you assemble the rest of the Buddha bowl.
- Add the quinoa, red cabbage, salad leaves and carrots to two bowls. We suggest using these ingredients as the foundation of your Buddha bowl and arranging them in the four quarters of each bowl as shown in the images.
- Next, arrange the radishes, sugar snap peas, edamame beans, avocado and lettuce on top of the foundation ingredients already in the Buddha bowls.
- Finally, add the cooked tofu in a strip down the center of each bowl. Drizzle over the reserved peanut sauce and sprinkle with the nuts and seeds.