Have you had a Buddha bowl? A grain bowl? There are thousands of variations and I have yet to meet one I haven’t liked. I’m definitely not claiming this is the best, but I’m sharing how we enjoy these bowls.

This version is vegan, but depending on the crowd we might add sliced grilled meat. These build-your-own bowls have been a favorite by friends and family so it’s on a regular rotation at our house.

I first tried this sort of grain bowl at a lovely cafe/yoga studio called Prasad in Portland in 2012. My food memory is the only memory of mine that I can count on so remember that bowl from 8 years ago with vivid detail. I still daydream about their Dragon Bowl (quinoa, beans, steamed kale, avocado, sea vegetables, kimchi, scallions, hemp & sesame seeds, choice of sauce).

When I started to see grain bowl recipes online I thought they were way too much work until I actually tried making it. They can be streamlined very easily and they fit my recent quarantine food criteria:

Making ahead in batches but tastes great later
Nutritious
Colorful = 100 bonus points, especially when I’m mostly painting black and white
Minimal hands-on time besides chopping

The basic pieces are a lot like a vegan Chipotle bowl or a poke bowl. My favorite kind of bowl includes these components:

The Base: whole grains (optional)

The Warmth: roasted sweet potato and/or squash

The Hearty: protein

The Fresh: crunchy vegetable

The Sauce: see 3 options below

The Toppings: seeds

This was my recent version, which is my go-to. By changing the sauce and/or toppings it can become a different dish, but more on those combinations later.

For 6 bowls (because I like batch cooking)…

Ingredients

1.5 C dry quinoa / brown rice (optional)
6 cups Japanese sweet potato* & kabocha squash**
2 cans chickpeas (OR 2 cubed firm tofu OR 2 cups edamame)
chili spice blend & olive oil (for chickpeas)
1/2 red cabbage (OR other cruciferous veg)
1/2 cup cilantro
2 carrots
salt & pepper
2 T vinegar (red wine vinegar / rice wine vinegar / apple cider vinegar / lemon juice)
1 T olive oil

Prep

Make grains: If using, start cooking that first (according to package instructions).
Roast sweet potato/squash: Preheat oven to 400F. Cube the sweet potato and/or squash and spread out on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Sprinkle salt, pepper, and olive oil over the top and massage it around.
Bake 25 min or until toasted on outside and soft inside.
Make slaw: Meanwhile, thinly slice cabbage, julienne carrots, and chop cilantro. Massage it with the vinegar/lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Keep in fridge until assembly time. It’s great a day later too!
Roast chickpeas: Drain, rinse, and dry the chickpeas. Toss with spice blend and olive oil on parchment paper that fits the baking sheet (or a bowl but I like to use minimum number of prep dishes).
Bake 15 minutes at 400F after sweet potatoes.
Assemble: If using grains, add those to the bowl first. Then assemble bowl with the rest of the ingredients side by side in a circle to show off the colors.
Top with sauce and seeds to taste.

*Any sweet potato works. Japanese sweet potatoes are creamy, sweet, and nutty compared to red yams.
**Any squash works. Kabocha has a similar texture to Japanese sweet potato - creamy, sweet, similar to chestnuts. Sub with butternut or acorn squash.

Here are the 3 sauces I use for Buddha bowls and the toppings I pair them with. I put all the sauce ingredients straight into a high-speed blender and add water as needed to get a drizzling consistency. Keep in mind they all thicken in the fridge.

Sauce 1: Cilantro Cashew Crema

1 cup cilantro leaves and tender stems
1/2 cup raw cashews
1 cup water
1 garlic clove, crushed
3 T rice wine vinegar (OR lime juice / lemon juice)
salt

Toppings: pepitas, hemp seeds, sunflower seeds

Protein pairing: chickpeas, pinto beans, black beans, baked tofu

Optional additions: salsa, guacamole, tortilla chips

Sauce 2: Tahini Garlic Sauce

3 cloves garlic (or 8 if roasted ahead)
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup tahini
1/2 tsp salt
pinch cumin
1/2 cup water

Toppings: pepitas & hemp seeds

Protein pairings: chickpeas, baked tofu, tempeh

Optional additions: pickled onions, sauerkraut, olives, sun-dried tomatoes

Sauce 3: Honey Miso Sesame

3 T miso
1 T honey
1 T soy sauce
1/4 cup water
1 clove garlic
1 tsp grated ginger
1 tsp sesame oil

Topping: toasted sesame seeds

Protein pairings: Chickpeas, edamame, plain or baked tofu, tempeh

Optional additions: kimchi, sea vegetables, roasted mushrooms

That’s it!

There are endless variations and you can make it as elaborate as you’d like, but the base is pretty simple — grains, roasted things, veggies, a blended sauce, and something crunchy.

I hope you enjoy these bowls. Tell me how it goes if you try it out!