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    Home » Mains

    Simple Vegan Buddha Bowl with Peanut Dressing

    Updated: Jan 1, 2021 by Verna Rindler · This post may contain affiliate links · 8 Comments

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    vegan buddha bowl filled with veggies and rice tofu mushrooms

    Fresh and roasted veggies, marinated tofu, rice and a savoury, saucy peanut dressing makes this Simple Vegan Buddha Bowl Recipe over the top delicious! Healthy and protein packed!

    vegan buddha bowl full of veggies rice tofu and peanut dressing
    Here’s what’s on the menu tonight! Good luck trying to stop eating this crazy good Vegan Buddha Bowl! Full of easy sheet pan roasted veggies like sweet potatoes and mushrooms, flavourful marinated tofu that’s baked right along side them, and white or brown rice,

    Last but not least add some fresh mixed salad greens, grated beets, crunchy sunflower seeds, the addicting peanut dressing with warm curry spices, and you have happiness in a bowl!! Excellent way to start off January!

    There are So many textures and flavours going on in this plant based veggie bowl: sweet, savoury, salty, earthy and crunchy, and they all work together in perfect harmony!

    Sounds amazing right!! It tastes as good as it sounds!! Trust me! You’ll love it! And it makes for the best meal prep to save money, time and cooking for your work week!

    vegan buddha bowl on a wooden counter with a bowl of peanut dressing

    If this is your first time making a buddha bowl you’re really in for a treat!

    My Curried peanut dressing is inspired from the glory bowl dressing from Whitewater Cookbook. It only has 1 tablespoon of oil, takes minutes to make and is downright drinkable!!

    It’s made with peanut butter, nutritional yeast, Tamari (not soy sauce), sesame oil, maple syrup, spices, and vinegar.

    My daughters and I like to meet for lunch at a Co op Market that’s about an hour away and it is truly one of my favourite place to eat! (They get mad at me because I always want to eat there haha!) We always end up sharing our plates. 💕

    They have an awesome buffet. And a beautiful vegan selection!

    I usually build my plate around their extensive salad bar that is all Vegan. This is where the inspiration for this Budhha bowl came from! It’s the best!

    What the heck is a Buddha Bowl and is it healthy?

    A buddha bowl (AKA nourishing bowl, power bowl, hippie bowl, macro bowl, poke bowl) is basically a full lunch or dinner that’s served in a bowl and consists of all the food groups like: an animal or plant based protein, raw and cooked veggies, a starch (rice, potatoes or grains), salad greens, nuts or seeds and topped with a dressing or sauce. And is typically made with healthy ingredients (but not always)

    vegan buddha bowl surrounded by bowls of vegetables and tofu and dressing

    Are Buddha Bowls Vegan?

    They are not necessarily vegan, sometimes chicken, fish or other meat is added for the protein instead of chickpeas, beans, lentils or tofu and butter can be used instead of oil or vegan butter. So if ordering of a menu pay attention to the ingredients.

    Should I eat my buddha bowl hot or cold?

    You can generally enjoy a buddha bowl warm or cold, but it can depend on the ingredients and it’s totally up to you. For this recipe I enjoy it warm or room temperature except for the fresh veggies of course.

    How do you make a Vegan Buddha Bowl?

    Preheat the oven to 400° Line large 11x21 inch baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside

    Marinate the tofu: Slice the tofu in half length. Wrap in paper towel and gently press with your hands to remove excess moisture. Cut into cubes and add to a large freezer bag. Add the marinade ingredients to your Nutra bullet or blender or whisk in a bowl (I use my Nutra bullet)

    Pour the marinade over the tofu making sure it is all coated. Squeeze out the excess air and seal. Marinate for 30 minutes or overnight.

    cubed tofu marinating in a freezer bag

    Prep the sweet potatoes and mushrooms.

    Place chopped sweet potatoes on 1/3 of the baking sheet, drizzle with the 1 tablespoon of oil and add a pinch of salt and pepper. Give it a mix with your hands. Bake for 15 minutes.

    chopped sweet potatoes on baking sheet

    Remove from the oven and pour the marinated tofu onto the baking sheet beside the sweet potatoes. Spread it evenly, leaving room for the mushrooms.

    Add mushrooms beside the tofu and spread them out, filling up the sheet pan. Return to the oven for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle a pinch of salt and black pepper evenly over the mushrooms.

    roasted sweet potatoes tofu and mushrooms on a baking sheet

    While the veggies and tofu are baking cook rice according to package instructions and make the peanut dressing by blending the ingredients in your Nutra bullet or quality blender .

    peanut dressing blended in a nutra bullet

    Grate the beets and gather the sunflower seeds and salad greens and add then to bowls.

    To assemble the buddha bowl:

    Using a small ramekin place some rice in the middle of the bowl. Go around the bowl adding a helping of sweet potatoes, tofu, mushrooms, salad greens, beets and seeds. Drizzle on the peanut dressing. Serve and enjoy!!

    assembled vegan buddha bowl surrounded by all the toppings

    peanut dressing being poured on vegan buddha bowl

    You'll love this Vegan Buddha bowl, it's:

    healthy!

    lunch in a bowl!

    Easy

    crazy good!

    full of all the food groups!

    savoury

    crunchy

    full of warm curry spices

    packed with veggies

    full of protein

    gluten free

    Enjoy you Guys. Happy Day! Feel free to comment below and rate this recipe. I'd love to hear from you!
    Follow me on PINTEREST and INSTAGRAM for more tasty Plant Based and Vegan Recipes ❤️

    Want more Healthy Vegan Veggie Recipes? Here you go!

    • Best & Easiest Vegan Broccoli Salad
    • 15 Minute Cowboy Caviar (AKA Texas Caviar)
    • Classic Vegan Coleslaw
    • 40 Vegan Salad Recipes - Super Satisfying, hearty & Healthy!
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    Print
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    vegan buddha bowl surrounded by bowls of vegetables and tofu

    Simple Vegan Buddha Bowl with Peanut Dressing


    ★★★★★

    5 from 3 reviews

    • Author: Verna
    • Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
    • Yield: 4-6 Servings 1x
    Print Recipe
    Pin Recipe

    Description

    Fresh and Roasted veggies, marinated tofu, rice and a savoury, saucy peanut dressing makes this simple Vegan Buddha Bowl Recipe over the top delicious! Healthy and protein packed!


    Ingredients

    Scale

    For the Marinated Tofu:

    • 1 package extra firm tofu
    • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast 
    • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
    • 3 tablespoons Tamari
    • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
    • 1 tablespoon maple syrup

    For the Peanut Dressing:

    • 3 tablespoons peanut butter
    • 2 tablespoons tamari
    • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
    • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
    • 1/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
    • 1 teaspoon maple syrup
    • 1/2 cup water
    • 1/3 cup nutritional yeast
    • 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
    • 1/4 teaspoon 5 spice powder

    The rest of ingredients:

    • 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed (approximately 3/4 inch cubes)
    • 1 tablespoon oil, I use grapeseed oil
    • 1 lb (454 grams) mushrooms, halved or quartered
    • 3-4 cups cooked white or brown rice
    • 4 -6 handfuls of mixed salad greens
    • 2 medium raw beets, peeled and grated
    • 1/3-1/2 cup sunflower seeds, roasted and salted

    Instructions

    1. Preheat the oven to 400° Line large 11x21 inch baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside
    2. Marinate the tofu: Slice the tofu in half lengthwise. Wrap in a couple layers of paper towel and gently press with your hands to remove excess moisture. Cut into cubes and add to a large freezer bag. Add the marinade ingredients to your Nutra bullet or blender or whisk in a bowl (I use my Nutra bullet). Pour the marinade over the tofu making sure it is all coated. Squeeze out the excess air and seal. Marinate for 30 minutes or overnight.
    3. While tofu is marinating prep the sweet potatoes and mushrooms.
    4. Place chopped sweet potatoes on 1/3 of the baking sheet, drizzle with the 1 tablespoon of oil and add a pinch of salt and pepper. Give it a mix with your hands. Bake for 15 minutes.
    5. Remove from the oven and pour the marinated tofu onto the baking sheet beside the sweet potatoes. Spread it evenly, leaving room for the mushrooms. Add mushrooms beside the tofu and spread them out, filling up the sheet pan. Return to the oven for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle a pinch of salt and black pepper evenly over the mushrooms.
    6. While the veggies and tofu are baking, cook rice according to package instructions and make the peanut dressing by blending the ingredients in your Nutra bullet or quality blender.
    7. Grate the beets and gather the sunflower seeds and salad greens and add then to individual  bowls.
    8. To assemble the buddha bowl: fill a small ramekin with rice and turn upside down in the middle of the bowl. Go around the bowl adding a helping of sweet potatoes, tofu, mushrooms, salad greens, beets and seeds. Drizzle on the peanut dressing. Serve and enjoy! For step by step photos see above post.

    This recipe will serve 4-6 people depending on the size of your bowl and how much you add.

    Notes

    • If you're a lover of garlic in your dressings you can add 1 raw small garlic clove (emphasis on small) to the peanut dressing. I have made it with and without and it is tasty both ways!
    • the peanut dressing will keep in the fridge for a week to 10 days.
    • I enjoy this buddha bowl recipe warm or room temperature except for the fresh veggies of course.

    Substitutions and add ins:

    • quinoa or other grains for rice,
    • broccoli and or cauliflower, etc,.. for sweet potatoes,
    • add pumpkin seeds along with sunflower seeds
    • shredded cabbage and or carrots
    • Prep Time: 30 minutes
    • Cook Time: 35 Minutes
    • Category: Mains, Salads, Gluten Free,
    • Method: Oven
    • Cuisine: American, Canadian, Vegan

    Keywords: simple vegan buddha bowl, buddha bowl, vegan buddha bowl, nourish bowl, veggie bowl, healthy, plant based, veggies, tofu, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, peanut dressing, sauce, easy, simple

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @cheeky_chickpea_ on Instagram and hashtag it #cheeky_chickpea_

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Anne

      August 10, 2021 at 5:11 am

      Love the tofu in this buddha bowl and the dressing was dynamite! Thank you for sharing

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Verna

        August 10, 2021 at 6:28 am

        thank you so much!

        Reply
    2. Selma

      May 05, 2020 at 3:03 am

      the best vegan buddha bowl by far!! that peanut dressing is out of this world good!! thank you so much for sharing! My husband and I make this at least once a week!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Verna

        May 05, 2020 at 1:45 pm

        That is is nice of you to say Selma. thank you! Thrilled you're enjoying it!

        Reply
    3. jen

      March 10, 2020 at 4:52 am

      What is the 5 spice powder in the peanut dressing? Is that something I can buy at the store or do I make it? Thanks for the clairification!

      Reply
      • Verna

        March 10, 2020 at 1:56 pm

        Hi Jen, you can buy 5 spice powder in the grocery store, usually in the spice section. Enjoy the buddha bowl!

        Reply
    4. Karen

      January 11, 2020 at 8:46 am

      Just had the Buddha bowl for dinner. Sensational. So delicious and easy.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Verna

        January 11, 2020 at 2:00 pm

        Yay! So thrilled you enjoyed it Karen! Thank you for your comment! Have a wonderful day!

        Reply

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    Hi, I’m Verna! Major foodie of all things vegan! Welcome to The Cheeky Chickpea; here, you’ll find hundreds of restaurant-worthy easy vegan recipes. Some oil-free and gluten-free, from veggie-powered plant-based comfort foods to decadent desserts. Lots of tricks and tips up my chef sleeve…Grab your apron let’s get cooking!

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