One might assume by calling this a “Buddha Bowl” I’m making some kind of political or religious statement, when in fact, I am not. I just like giant bowls of food.
A “Buddha Bowl,” as defined by urban dictionary, is “a bowl which is packed so full that it has a rounded ‘belly’ appearance on the top much like the belly of a buddha.”
That’s my kind of dinner. Let’s do this!
Origins of The Buddha Bowl
It’s not clear where the term Buddha Bowl originated, and there doesn’t seem to be any strict set of rules for how to make one. But it seems to be roughly defined as a bowl with an assortment of small portions of different foods (especially veggies).
Some say the concept is thought to emulate the way Buddhist monks would walk around with a bowl, accepting small portions from other people (source). While others claim that Buddha Bowls refer to a healthy, balanced, but overloaded bowl resembling the rounded belly of the Laughing Buddha (source).
I first heard of Buddha Bowls somewhere within the vegan community and personally understand them as a big bowl of plant-based goodness, which is precisely what this recipe is!
What started off as a mission to make a chickpea breakfast skillet turned into a sweet and savory dish that would satisfy vegans and meat-eaters alike.
Plus, it’s simple – requiring just 30 minutes. And it’s ridiculously healthy – loaded with four kinds of vegetables, fiber- and protein-rich chickpeas, and a maple-tahini sauce that’s so good you’ll want to put it on everything.
It all starts by roasting your vegetables in the oven. While those are baking away, simply sauté your chickpeas to crispy perfection and whisk up your 3-ingredient tahini sauce.
All that’s left to do is put it all together and take your taste buds to flavor town.
This bowl is literally all I’ve been craving since perfecting this recipe. It’s:
Savory + Sweet
Subtly spiced
Warm
Comforting
Incredibly satisfying
Seriously healthy
& Packed with flavor
If you give this recipe a try, let us know how you like it! Leave a comment, share it, and rate it – it’s super helpful for us and other readers.
And as always, don’t forget to take a picture and tag it #minimalistbaker on Instagram. We love seeing what you cook up. Cheers!
Want More Bowl Ideas?
- Roasted Vegetable and Quinoa Harvest Bowls
- Quinoa Chickpea Buddha Bowl
- Nourishing Curried Lentil & Sweet Potato Bowl
- The Ultimate Mediterranean Bowl
Sweet Potato Chickpea Buddha Bowl
Ingredients
VEGETABLES
- 2 Tbsp olive, melted coconut, or avocado oil
- 1/2 medium red onion (sliced in wedges)
- 2 small sweet potatoes (halved)
- 1 bundle broccolini (large stems removed // chopped)
- 2 big handfuls kale (larger stems removed)
- 1/4 tsp each salt + pepper
CHICKPEAS
- 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas (drained, rinsed + patted dry)
- 1 tsp cumin
- 3/4 tsp chili powder
- 3/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp each salt + pepper
- 1/2 tsp tsp oregano (optional)
- 1/4 tsp turmeric (optional)
TAHINI SAUCE (OPTIONAL)
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 1 Tbsp maple syrup
- 1/2 medium lemon (juiced)
- 2-4 Tbsp hot water (to thin)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (204 C) and arrange sweet potatoes and onions on a bare baking sheet. Drizzle both with a bit of oil, making sure the flesh of the sweet potatoes are well coated and placed skin side down on the sheet.
- Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from oven flip sweet potatoes and add broccolini. Drizzle broccolini with a bit of oil and season with a pinch each salt and pepper.
- Bake for another 8-10 minutes, then remove from oven and add kale. Drizzle kale with a touch more oil and season with a pinch each salt and pepper. Bake for another 4-5 minutes then set aside.
- While vegetables are roasting, heat a large skillet over medium heat and add chickpeas to a mixing bowl and toss with seasonings.
- Once hot, add 1 Tbsp oil (amount as original recipe is written // use half of total amount if altering batch size) and chickpeas and sauté, stirring frequently. If they’re browning too quickly, turn down heat. If there isn’t much browning going on, increase heat. I found 10 minutes total at slightly over medium heat was perfect.
- Once the chickpeas are browned and fragrant, remove from heat and set aside.
- Prepare sauce by adding tahini, maple syrup and lemon juice to a mixing bowl and whisking to combine. Add hot water until a pourable sauce is formed. Set aside.
- To serve: slice sweet potatoes into bite size pieces. Divide vegetables between 3 serving bowls and top with chickpeas + tahini sauce.
- Best when fresh, though leftovers will keep for a few days in the fridge.
Cindy says
It’s been years since I made this recipe but it was still so delicious! I opted to roast the chickpeas in the oven and swapped the broccoli for cabbage and onion so they could roast at the same time as the sweet potatoes. Also massaged the kale with lemon and maple and olive oil vs cooking. Served with rice and chili crunch and pepitas! Such a winner!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Cindy! Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications. xo
Kathryn says
Delicious! I found the recipe very easy to follow and execute.
I love roasting vegetables, after the vegetable are in the oven its hands off and free to do other things. I roasted the vegetables for approximately 30 minutes. 3 ingredient dressing easy and delicious.
Should the chickpeas end up crispy? Mine didn’t but perhaps that was because I was in too much of a rush to get them on the table.
It all smelt so good.
Thanks so much for sharing your experience, Kathryn! We’re so glad you enjoyed the recipe! The chickpeas should be crispy, but not as much as if say they were deep fried (as you might get at a restaurant or in a package from the store). For crispier chickpeas, you can increase the heat and/or cook longer. Hope that helps!
LaVonne says
Happy New Year to a beloved Cook! Your fabulous recipes are on our menus consistently. I just made the Sweet Potato Chickpea Bowl for tonight’s dinner.
I diced the raw sweet potato in 1/2 inch dices, sprinkled oil and salt and baked them in a cast iron skillet in the oven. I find roasting them in cast iron rather than an aluminum baking sheet delivers a better outcome.
I also added wedges of roasted cabbage and red bell pepper — roasted in a 2nd cast iron in the same oven with the potatoes.
Divine!
Aw, we’re so happy to hear this! Happy New Year to you! Thanks so much for sharing! xoxo
Kate Thuss says
This sounds amazing! Any thoughts on honey instead of maple syrup in the dressing? My hubs gets a headache sometimes from maple syrup, so I try to avoid if I can.
Hi Kate, we think honey would work!