Fall Vegan Buddha Bowl Recipe

This vegan Buddha bowl features a variety of fresh and roasted vegetables, grains, and the best feature: a tangy lemon tahini sauce.
This recipe is simple, delicious, nutritious and great if you’re dealing with dietary restrictions: it’s vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free. Serve it with bread for a more filling meal.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes (2 medium)
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1 teaspoon salt, divided
  • 1 head cauliflower
  • Fresh ground pepper
  • 1 to 1 ½ cups black rice or quinoa, uncooked
  • 15-ounce can chickpeas (1 1/2 cups cooked)
  • 1 beet
  • ¼ head red cabbage (we used a combination of savoy and red)
  • 12 cups salad greens
  • 1/3 cup sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 450°F.
  2. Dice the sweet potatoes; place them in a bowl and mix with 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt . Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and pour the sweet potatoes onto half of the sheet. Cut the cauliflower into florets; place them in the same bowl and mix with 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Pour the cauliflower onto the other half of the baking sheet. Top the vegetables with fresh ground pepper and roast until tender, about 30 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, prepare the rice or quinoa according to the package instructions
  4. Drain and rinse the chickpeas; mix them with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt.
  5. Peel and thinly slice the beet. Thinly slice red cabbage.
  6. Place the salad greens in a bowl. Arrange small piles of each component. Drizzle with the Lemon Tahini Sauce and top with sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds.

Lemon Tahini Sauce:

  • 1/3 cup tahini
  • 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (must use fresh lemons!)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon maple syrup
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons water

Whisk together equal parts tahini and lemon juice, add the olive oil, salt and maple syrup until well combined. Mix will be thick. Stir in water to reach desired consistency. Add 1 clove garlic to spice it up!