Sweet Potato Chickpea Buddha Bowl (GF & Vegan)

This sweet potato chickpea buddha bowl is an easy and delicious way to pack a lot of nutrition, flavor, and antioxidants 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 week night meal that can be made vegan, gluten free, vegetarian, paleo, or whatever you want! They’re an easy way to add a ton of nutrient dense foods into your diet. 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 and why is it called 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 skin loving nutrients, healthy fats, protein, and complex carbs to keep you full and satisfied. You can add meat to buddha bowls if you like, but this one is vegan.

These chickpea buddha bowls are flavorful, filling, and packed with skin loving nutrients! They’re incredibly versatile too. Just swap out these veggies for any others you like, throw in some tempeh, roasted onions, the list goes on.

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! Whether you eat buddha bowls hot or cold is totally up to you.

How to make a buddha bowl

1. Start with a bed of greens→ If you follow me on instagram, you know just how much I love my greens! They’re one of the most nutrient dense foods on the planet. I always start my bowl with a base of greens. I like arugula, spinach, or kale to get as many nutrients into my body as I can!
2. Add a starch→ Starches, like yams, pumpkin, quinoa, brown rice, etc. are slow burning fuel that keep you satisfied for hours. These foods give us lasting energy to power our muscles, brains and more.
3. Load on the veggies →  We should all be aiming to eat the rainbow every day. Unfortunately, most of us aren’t! We need a variety of colors to get various phytonutrients, minerals, anti-inflammatory, and cancer fighting compounds into our bodies. From broccoli, to tomatoes, onions, cabbage, carrots, there’s got to be something out there you will enjoy.
4. Pick a protein→ Protein is a crucial macronutrient for enzyme production, hormone production, oxygen transport, muscle development, and so much more. Whether you’re plant based or not, having adequate protein in your diet is incredibly important. For buddha bowls, I love lentils, chickpeas, chicken, salmon, or even a hard boiled egg.
5. Add the healthy fats→ The healthy fats in buddha bowls are what will keep you satiated for longer. Fats slow gastric emptying (how long it takes food to leave your stomach), so they keep you full for longer. Additionally, they also contain essential fatty acids to soften your skin from the inside out and give you a golden glow!
6. Spice it up→ Lastly, the key to eating more veggies is to make sure they actually taste good! Don’t be afraid to load on the herbs and spices, or healthy dressings like the lemon tahini dressing.

Buddha Bowl 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.
• I like to use a bed of greens for buddha bowls, but you can also have the quinoa be the base of this recipe instead.
• If using chickpeas cooked from fresh, you’ll want to use 1.5 cups cooked chickpeas in place of 1 can.
• For extra flavor, cook the quinoa in vegetable or chicken stock.

For more simple weeknight meals, try these!

• Detox Spring Buddha Bowl and Vegan Tempeh Recipe
• Summer Veggie and Quinoa Buddha Bowl
• 20 Minute Hemp and Lemon Pesto Pasta

As always, tag me on instagram if you make this recipe so I can see your creation! Lastly, don’t forget to leave a comment and rating if you enjoy this recipe!

Sweet Potato Chickpea Buddha Bowls

• Author: Claire Cary
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x
• Category: Dinner
• Cuisine: American

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Description

Buddha bowls are an easy and delicious way to pack a lot of nutrition, flavor, and  antioxidants into one bowl. 

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Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 2 medium sweet potatoes
• 1/2 cup dry quinoa 
• 1 head broccoli, chopped into florets
• 2 large handfuls kale, stems removed 
• 1/2 avocado 
• 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed 
• 1 tbsp olive oil 
• 1 tsp cumin
• 3/4 tsp chili powder
• 3/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp each salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 batch lemon garlic tahini dressing 

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. 
2. Wash and dry your sweet potatoes and cut into large chunks. They can be as big or as small as you like. 
3. Drizzle with a touch of olive oil and a pinch of salt and add to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Roast for about 25-30 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. 
4. In a medium pot, add the dry quinoa and cook according to package instructions (I suggest a 1:2 ratio of quinoa to water, or vegetable broth for more flavor). 
5. To prepare the veggies, wash them well to get rid of any dirt, chop into florets or bite size pieces and add to a steamer basket or a sauté pan with a splash of water and steam, covered, for about 5-10 minutes or until kale is wilted and the broccoli is softer, but still slightly crispy. 
6. While the sweet potatoes are roasting, heat a large skillet over medium heat.
7. Add the drained chickpeas to a mixing bowl and toss with seasonings.
8. Once the skillet is hot, add 1 tbsp oil and chickpeas and sauté, stirring frequently for about 10 minutes. They are done when they’re warmed up and slightly browning on the outside.
9. To serve, add the steamed greens to bowls, top with the quinoa, chickpeas, sweet potatoes, avocado, and drizzle with the tahini dressing. 

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Notes

Once prepared, these buddha bowls will store in the fridge for about 5 days. 

You can use whatever veggies you like such as cabbage, spinach or roasted onion. 

You can also steam your sweet potatoes if desired, but baking them makes them much sweeter. 

For extra flavor, cook the quinoa in chicken or veggie stock. 

I like to use the kale as the base, but you can also use quinoa as the base of this bowl instead. 

Keywords: buddha bowl, sweet potato buddha bowl, chickpea buddha bowl