Buddha bowls are quick, easy recipes that are customizable, perfect for meal prep and adding more plants to your diet! This one is made with peanut tempeh, roasted broccoli and bell pepper, with carrot ribbons, cabbage and a delicious peanut sauce.
FRIENDS. Oh em gee, it’s been so long since I’ve made you a buddha bowl. Way too long, in fact.
What’s a “Buddha Bowl,” you ask?
They’re filled with so many good-for-you ingredients – lots and lots of plants. Typically served with a grain of some sort and a delicious dressing or sauce.
Whipping up a buddha bowl, in my opinion, is basically one of the most satisfying ways to get in a good dose of veggies. You can do a mix of raw veggies and cooked ones (like I did here) or do all roasted – whatever your heart desires.
If you haven’t tried a buddha bowl (i.e. macro bowl, power bowl) I highly recommend giving them a try. I think you’ll find they’ll soon become a new favorite and in heavy rotation throughout the week!
An Easy Vegan Buddha Bowl with Peanut Sauce
Buddha bowls are perfect for meal prep – you can prep parts of the dish beforehand to cut back on time (think, chopping veggies and prepping grains) or really it’s not too long to just work on everything at once.
5 Parts to this Peanut Buddha Bowl
- Veggies – a mix of roasted and raw.
- Grain – I used quinoa but you can pick your favorite, such as rice, freekeh, farro, etc.
- Greens – I just used a spring/spinach mix but chopped kale, spinach, arugula, or romaine all work as well.
- Protein – tempeh, in this case. I love the texture of tempeh and it’s super easy (and quick) to cook. You can also use tofu.
- Sauce – peanut sauce, of course, for finishing off. We’ll also use part of the peanut sauce to coat the tempeh while cooking.
How to Make a Buddha Bowl with Peanut Tempeh
Prepare & Roast Veggies
I opted to roast the broccoli and bell pepper, because I prefer the texture and flavor of them roasted.
While those are roasting (about 20 minutes), prep the rest of the veggies and set aside.
Cook your Grains
This is an easy one to have prepped ahead of time. Make it a night or two before while you’re making dinner and then have it for these buddha bowls, for adding to salads, etc.
Cook the Tempeh
Tempeh cooks fairly quickly, but it has the best flavor if marinating in a sauce overnight. You can let the tempeh marinate overnight in some of the peanut dressing, OR you can simply toss the tempeh in soy sauce and let it soak for 5 minutes before cooking in a skillet. Then finish off with peanut dressing. Either way works really!
Make the Peanut Dressing
The peanut dressing is a simple mix of: peanut butter (duh), soy sauce (or tamari, coconut aminos is also fine), maple syrup, garlic, ginger, rice vinegar, lime and just a touch of water or milk to thin it out.
Just add everything to a small blender or food processor and you’ve got yourself a deliciously addicting peanut sauce.
Want to make it spicy? Add some red chili flakes or sriracha!
Assemble the Buddha Bowls
Now all that’s left to do is throw it all together: Add greens and grains to bottom of bowl. Then add in roasted veggies, chopped raw veggies, cooked tempeh, drizzle dressing and finish off with crushed peanuts and sprouts for a little added texture.
YUM.
Let me know if you make this recipe by leaving a comment and rating below! It helps others learn more about the recipe too! Xx Ashley
How to Make…
Peanut Tempeh Buddha Bowl
Buddha bowls are quick, easy recipes that are customizable, perfect for meal prep and a great way to add more plants to your diet! This one is made with peanut tempeh, roasted broccoli and bell pepper, with carrot ribbons, cabbage and a delicious peanut sauce.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 2 bowls 1x
- Scale:
Ingredients
for the tempeh
- 1 package tempeh
- soy sauce
- peanut sauce (dressing below)
veggies
- 1 small head broccoli, chopped
- 1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
- olive oil, for roasting
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 medium carrot, thinly sliced or peeled into ribbons
- 1 cup chopped purple cabbage
Peanut Dressing
- 1/3 cup peanut butter
- 3 TBS coconut aminos, soy sauce or tamari
- 2 TBS maple syrup (or honey if not strictly vegan)
- 1 tsp rice vinegar (can sub apple cider vinegar)
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp freshly grated ginger
- juice of 1 lime
- 2 TBS non-dairy milk or water (to thin as needed)
For Serving
- 2 cups cooked grains – quinoa, freekeh, rice, etc.
- 4 cups salad greens
- sprouts
- crushed peanuts
Instructions
- Marinate Tempeh: Slice tempeh lengthwise, then into triangles (or whatever shape you desire). Place in shallow dish and cover with soy sauce, about 3 tablespoons. Toss to coat and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Set tempeh out after 30 minutes when ready to start veggies.
- Roast the veggies: Preheat oven to 350ºF and line baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread out broccoli and bell peppers and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle on salt and pepper and garlic powder, move around pan to coat and bake for about 15-20 minutes, until veggies are just cooked.
- Make the dressing: add all dressing ingredients to small blender or food processor. Process until smooth, adding liquid until desired consistency is reached.
- Cook the tempeh: In a large skillet over medium heat, add oil and marinated tempeh to pan. Cook tempeh for about 3 minutes per side. Then add about 3 tablespoons of peanut sauce, tossing to coat. Cook another 2-3 minutes. OPTION: marinate tempeh in peanut sauce overnight, then cook in skillet about 3-4 minutes per side.
- Assemble buddha bowls: In large bowl add salad greens, cooked grain, veggies, cooked tempeh, sprouts and crushed peanuts. Drizzle with peanut sauce and dig in!
Save this recipe for later & pin it.
Rate this Recipe