Build-Your-Own Buddha Bowl

With our busy lives, we love to prepare recipes that are delicious, packed with nutrients, super easy and fast to make!

Today we want to share more about this colorful recipe “Buddha bowls” that will become one of your favorite recipes this summer.

First of all, What are Buddha bowls?
According to the TasteofHome: it can be defined as one-dish meal consisting of rice or whole grains, roasted veggies, a dressing and protein (beans, tofu, chickpeas, lentils, or in some cases meat or fish).

Why is it called « Buddha bowl »?

In 2013, in her book « meatless » Marta Stewart coined the term “Buddha Bowl” for what had been called until then Hippie Bowls, Macro Bowls or just plain Grain Bowls.  Martha was inspired by Buddhist monks waking up before dawn every morning and carried their bowls to be fill up with whatever people could give, therefore getting a varied selection of titbits in the process.

Nowadays, the Buddha Bowl has small portions of many different foods and this definitely matches up with the history of their name.

What you need

Please note: these are the ingredients we love but this dish can be as versatile as you want!

1. 1/2 cup of cooked quinoa or cooked brown rice. Rosa Marchetti is a great choice for this.
2. 2 cups of lettuce or any green leafy vegetable you like such as spinachs, watercress, arugula, among others.
3. 1 cup of fresh mushrooms finely chopped
4. 1 cup of cooked or canned chickpeas
5. If you like spicy, you can put 2 cm of hot pepper
6. A bit of chopped onion (around one quarter)
7. ¼ of a large red bell pepper (around one quarter)
8. Salt and pepper to taste
9. 1 tablespoon of olive oil
10. For the spices you can add what you like. Personally, I like paprika, a bit of curry and garam masala.

To this bowl, you can add any other vegetable you like such as carrots, eggplant, zucchini, etc.

Once you have decided your ingredients it’s time to bake your vegetables. In a baking sheet place the mushrooms, chickpeas, red bell pepper and hot pepper. Add the olive oil, salt, pepper and the spices of your choice and bake at 230 C during 20 minutes.
You can also sauté them in a frying pan if you prefer.

The dressing

- One bunch of cilantro. Cut off the larger, bottom stems especially if they are thick and woody.
- One clove of garlic
- Juice of one lime
- One of the following options: almond butter, nut butter or tahini. I personally love it with Tahini!
- Salt to taste
- Two tablespoons of water

Mix all the ingredients in a food processor or mixer.

Now you have everything to build your Buddha bowl.

First, put in your bowl a layer of lettuce or the green leafy vegetables you have chosen.
Then, add the second layer with quinoa or rosa marchetti rice
Now add the roasted vegetables
And lastly, add the dressing!

It’s time to enjoy your meal and send us the pics of your bowls to post them on GREENA