I love looking down on my plate and finding a beautiful rainbow of colors. It brighten up my day during the cold and dark winters of Ohio and it cheers me up and give me energy on hot summer days.
I love healthy, earthy food bowls because I can litteraly use any veggies or left overs in my fridge to make complete meals.
My Buddha bowls are super simple and requires minimum prep. They can be stored and prepared in advance to save you some time and hassle.
They are also a great way to use those forgotten veggies that were well intentionally purchased.
You can follow these instructions to build your own bowls with what you have at home and also get inspired with some of my bowls as you scroll down.
Happy reading and happy eating!
Buddha Bowl made with my Vegetarian Quinoa Black Bean Burger, Roasted Eggplants, Turmeric Rice, Lettuce and Raw Red Onions and Garlic Tahini Dressing.
Start with carbs
My bowls always have some types of carbs in them. They are the staple of the buddha bowl, otherwise you just making a fancy salad. I need them to fill me up and give me sustainable energy for the rest of the day. I eat carbs at lunch everyday and I like to switch around with what I have in the house. My favorite carbs when building a bowl are quinoa, rice and of course, couscous (I'm Tunisian so that's normal). These staples are delicious, healthy and go with almost everything.
Mediterranean Bow made with Couscous Salad, Lentil Bulgur Patties, Roasted Eggplants and Carrot Salad.
Diversify your protein intake
You can add any meat or fish that pleases you. Baked, fried or stewed meat work either way. But it doesn't have to be this fancy. Sometimes I even used some frozen breaded chicken, chicken nuggets and fish fingers.... because mama's tired! But that's okay because the whole bowl is packed with goodness and slacking on the meat ain't big deal. However, it doesn't have to be meat.
Going vegan for a while years back really taught me how to diversify my plate. I used to always think of building around a specific meat or fish. Not anymore! My bowls can have veggie patties, legumes or eggs to replace the meat. You can also get protein from veggies such as broccoli and asparagus but thats not for me, honey! I need some sustenance in my plate!
Cooked Veggies
Sauteed, baked, roasted, steamed, you name it.
I love veggies, I really do. They are the highlights of my daily meals. I love heavily seasoned veggies with everything. Nothing gets me more hyped up than a nice full plate of veggies, unless it's Brussels sprouts... I need time for that. But otherwise eggplants, onions, zucchini, greens beans, broccoli, kale, carrots, spinach... I mean give me all of that! It fills up my plate, puts me in a good mood and loads me with energy. I mostly bake my veggies because I can just toss them in a baking pan with seasoning and olive oil and call it a day, but I also love them sautéed with a bit of olive oil.
Raw Veggies
Fresh veggies and cooked veggie offer their own unique flavor to the bowl. While cooked veggies bring depth and warmth, raw veggies deliver on crispiness and freshness. The crisp of a lettuce or a an onion with the warmth of a quinoa is just so divine. Raw veggies completes the bowl and I try to never skip it.
Buddha Bowl with Garlic Lemon Quinoa, Avocado, Tomato Salad and Chicken.
Toppings
Listen I am Tunisian, I was born with a bouquet of parsley in my mouth. I am very much chocked at the high price of parsley in the states because I put that in and on everything. Parsley and green onions on a bowl is like the cherry on the top, the icing on the cake, the cold foam on a cold brew... I mean you get it. It elevates the bowl to new heights of deliciousness.
Mediterranean Bowl with Tunisian Chicken Egg Rolls, Carrot Salad, Lentil Stew, Garlic Lemon Rice, Cherry Tomatoes and Raw Red Onions.
Nuts
Some roasted almonds or walnuts would be an amazing addition to your bowl. Its definitely an extra boost of protein and omega along with added crunch and flavor.
Red Pepper Quino, Roasted Honey Chicken, Avocado, Cheese, Lettuce, Raw Red Onions with Avocado Ranch Dressing.
The easy way to do it is to cook all the ingredients and store separately in a jar dish. Then you can warm the ingredients in the oven (I don't own a microwave) while you get the salad ready. Once everything is warmed you can go ahead a plate your bowl, take a pic and post it online because it's gonna look amazing.
Dressing
I have had Buddha Bowls with no dressing and some with. For me, a drizzle of olive oil and lemon oil can do the trick. I don't need much. Sometimes I find myself wanting that extra plus. Because my blender recently broke ( according to Nutribullet, I was supposed to know I had to change my blade every 3 months!!) I have turned to pre-made dressing such as avocado dressing of some sort or, if I feel fancy, a simple delicious tahini dressing is enough to elevate the entire bowl. I always suggest not to over dress your buddha bowl as it is already complete and flavorful, but nothing wrong against a little extra something.
I hope you enjoyed reading about Buddha Bowls as they are the best way to use those veggies forgotten in the corner of the fridge to provide healthy meal and curve food waste. Happy Eating!