This colorful recipe has been slowly taking shape in my kitchen over the past few months. I’ve seen “Buddha bowls” all over the internet and menus lately, so I set out to make one. What are Buddha bowls, though? How did whole-grain-and-veggie-bowls-with-tasty-sauce all become abbreviated as “Buddha bowls”?
I found some guidance in this Epicurious article by Katherine Sacks. In summary, Buddha carried a bowl with him on his journeys and accepted food as donations, which he would eat at the end of the day. Katherine also mentioned that Buddha bowls are similar to macrobiotic (macro) bowls with whole grains and steamed or raw veggies. I created this versatile bowl with those factors in mind. It’s unbelievably tasty and nutritious, too! I love eating leftovers all week long.
How to Make the Best Buddha Bowl
This recipe starts with a base of brown rice with steamed edamame and vegetables. They all miraculously cook together in one pot (this would actually be a super easy meal in itself). For the vegetables, you can choose from snap peas, snow peas or broccoli. If you have another favorite vegetable that steams well, I bet it will work, too. Then, add some of your favorite chopped raw veggies to the mix (I can vouch for cabbage, romaine, spinach, and kale). Top with a generous drizzle of my favorite carrot-ginger dressing, which has also made an appearance in this chopped salad. That dressing is absolutely worth the effort to make. You’ll end up with extra for future salads, and you can make it in advance if you’d like. The Buddha bowl isn’t quite complete without ripe avocado, which we’ll dress up with toasted sesame oil, sesame seeds and flaky sea salt. I roughly stole that idea from a delicious vegetarian platter that I ordered in Morocco this spring. It’s a great snack on its own, and I’m sure you’ll see that component again soon.
Watch How to Make Buddha Bowls
This bowl isn’t the quickest option around, but it’s brimming with nutrients and fiber, and it makes for great leftovers. Feel free to play around with the vegetables and mix-and-match the various components. Please let me know how you like this recipe in the comments! I love hearing from you.
More Light & Refreshing Meals
Don’t miss these wholesome recipes on Cookie and Kate:
Coconut Rice with Brussels Sprouts Colorful Veggie Lettuce Wraps Extra Vegetable Fried Rice Fresh Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce Vegetarian Sushi Bowls
1 ¼ cups short-grain brown rice or long-grain brown rice, rinsed 1 ½ cups frozen shelled edamame, preferably organic 1 ½ cups trimmed and roughly chopped snap peas or snow peas, or thinly sliced broccoli florets 1 to 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium tamari or soy sauce, to taste 4 cups chopped red cabbage or spinach or romaine lettuce or kale (ribs removed) 2 ripe avocados, halved, pitted and thinly sliced into long strips (wait to slice just before serving, see details in step 5)
1 small cucumber, very thinly sliced Carrot ginger dressing* Thinly sliced green onion (about ½ small bunch) Lime wedges Toasted sesame oil, for drizzling Sesame seeds Flaky sea salt
*Make it quick: If you’re in a hurry, you can skip the dressing and drizzle tamari and toasted sesame oil lightly over the bowls instead. Make it vegan: Be sure to follow the vegan option while making the carrot-ginger dressing. Make it gluten free: Be sure to use certified gluten-free tamari, instead of soy sauce. Or, omit the soy sauce altogether and season the rice with salt, to taste. Make it soy free: Omit the tamari/soy sauce and season the rice with salt, to taste. Recommended equipment: I love my Vitamix blender for making the dressing and this colander for draining the rice and veggies (those are affiliate links).
