This easy Mediterranean Buddha Bowl recipe is loaded with colorful veggies, fresh greens, healthy quinoa, protein-rich chickpeas, vegan feta, and creamy hummus! If you’re looking for a nutritious lunch or dinner meal, this Rainbow Veggie Bowl is just perfect!
Learn how to build your own Buddha Bowl with this easy recipe!
Buddha Bowls are a great way to get lots of vitamins and nutrients in one meal. They are made with fresh plant-based ingredients and are super quick and easy to make! Plus, they’re very versatile and a great way to use up leftovers, because you can put almost anything in your Rainbow Bowl.
Did you know that I even started my Instagram account by sharing many different creations for Buddha Bowls? Since 2013, the colorful, artfully arranged bowls of vegetables, legumes, dips, nuts, seeds and co have become a total food trend! But I still love to eat them – especially on warm days in summer! So today I’m sharing this Buddha Bowl recipe for one of my favorite combinations with quinoa and hummus!
What ingredients are used for Buddha Bowls?
- Grains: such as quinoa, millet, couscous, bulgur, brown rice or farro gives energy and keeps you satisfied. But you could also opt for hasselback potatoes, polenta fries, croquettes or pasta as a carbohydrate source.
- Lettuce: Spinach has a mild flavor and is a great source of iron. In my bowl, I like it in combination with red chard and arugula. However, feel free to use your favorite leafy greens such as romaine, iceberg or kale.
- Vegetables: I like to use grape or cherry tomatoes, cucumbers and bell peppers. But you can also use other raw or roasted vegetables like zucchini, broccoli, pumpkin, corn etc.
- Protein: chickpeas are a great source of fiber and protein. But you can also opt for beans, edamame, tofu, tempeh or crispy protein snack balls like falafel or lentil meatballs.
- Toppings: olives, red onions and vegan feta go perfectly in the Mediterranean Buddha Bowl! But also other toppings like avocado, radishes, nuts, and seeds are great additions.
- Dip or Sauce: Serve it with Hummus or another creamy dip like guacamole or cashew dip. Or make my best peanut sauce, tahini sauce or a simple dressing which is delicious too.
- Herbs: like parsley, basil and mint contain many vitamins and are great to make your bowl even healthier. Of course, you can also add different sprouts which are also very rich in micronutrients.
How to make a Buddha Bowl
As always, I recommend checking out these step-by-step instructions first. The your can find the full recipe with exact measurements in the recipe card below!
Step 1: Prepare the quinoa and vegetables
First, add the quinoa in a fine-meshed sieve and rinse under cold running water. Then drain and transfer to a pot. Add 1 cup of fresh water, bring to a boil and cook for 15 minutes or according to package directions. Meanwhile, make the hummus according to this recipe and chop the vegetables.
Step 2: Assemble the Buddha Bowl
First, add the cooked quinoa in a corner of each bowl. Then arrange the lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and chickpeas next to each other in a rondel. Now spoon the hummus in the middle and drizzle with some olive oil. Then top with olives, vegan feta and red onions. Finally, garnish your quinoa veggie buddha bowls with sesame seeds and fresh herbs. Done!
Make-ahead and Meal Prep Tips
You can prepare both the hummus and the quinoa up to one week in advance. Then store in sealed containers in the refrigerator until ready to use. It’s best to chop the vegetables before you eat them. That way your Buddha Bowl will be nice and fresh!
This Mediterranean Buddha Bowl is:
- Vegan
- 100% plant-based
- Quick and easy to make
- Healthy
- High in protein
- Nutrient-rich
- Topped with creamy hummus
- Super delicious!
- The perfect bowl of happiness and power!
More vegan bowl recipes with fresh veggies to try
- Vegan Poke Bowl with Tahini Sauce
- Vietnamese Noodle Salad
- Crispy Sesame Tofu Broccoli Bowl
- Korean Bibimbap
- Mexican Pasta Salad
- Greek Orzo Pasta Salad
- Mediterranean Chickpea Salad
- Thai Noodle Salad with Peanut Sauce
- Vegan Caprese Pasta Salad
- Peanut Veggie Noodle Bowl
If you try this vegan Mediterranean Buddha Bowl recipe, feel free to leave me a comment and a star rating! And if you take a picture of your bowl and share it on Instagram, please tag me @biancazapatka and use the hashtag #biancazapatka because I love seeing your remakes! Have fun trying! 🙂
Mediterranean Buddha Bowl
Author:Ingredients
- ½ cup (90 g) quinoa or other grains
- 2 hands full of mixed lettuce I use spinach, arugula and chard
- 1 cup (150 g) cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 yellow bell pepper seeded and diced
- 4 mini cucumbers diced, or ⅓ English cucumber
- ½ can (150 g) chickpeas or sub beans
- 10 kalamata olives pitted
- ½ red onion thinly sliced
To serve
- ⅔ cup homemade hummus or another dip/dressing
- 2-3 tsp olive oil from the vegan feta
- 3.5 oz (100 g) vegan feta
- sesame seeds
- fresh herbs e.g. basil, parsley
Instructions
*Note: Check out the step-by-step pictures at the top of the blog post!
- First, put the quinoa in a fine-meshed sieve and rinse under running water. Then drain and transfer to a pot. Add 1 cup of fresh water, bring to a boil and cook for 15 minutes or according to package directions.
- Meanwhile prepare all other ingredients for the Buddha Bowl. Make the hummus according to this recipe and cut the vegetables.
- To assemble the bowls, add the cooked quinoa in a corner of each bowl. Then arrange the lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers and chickpeas next to each other in a rondel (see step-by-step pictures above).
- Now spoon the hummus in the middle and drizzle with some olive oil. Then top with olives, red onions and vegan feta and garnish your bowls with sesame seeds and fresh herbs.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Instead of hummus, you can also make another creamy dip like guacamole or cashew dip. Or make my best peanut sauce, tahini sauce or a simple dressing.
- Meal Prep: The hummus and quinoa can be prepared up to one week in advance and stored covered in the refrigerator.
- Different recipe variations, helpful tips and more information about the recipe are mentioned in the blog post above!
IF YOU HAVE PINTEREST, YOU CAN FIND ME HERE AND PIN THE FOLLOWING PICTURE, IF YOU LIKE! 🙂
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