Buddha Bowls - An Easy and Delicious High-Protein Vegan Recipe
Prep time 15 minutes | Total Time 30 minutes
High-Protein Plant-Based Buddha Bowl with Peanut Sauce
A busy lifestyle should never come in the way of your health goals! This delicious and nutritious plant-based high-protein Buddha Bowl recipe can be made in under 30 minutes and can also be batch prepped ahead of time to have a week’s worth of nutrient-dense lunches or dinners!
One of the trademarks of a healthy diet is eating a wide variety of plant-based foods. This Buddha bowl embodies the idea of “eat the rainbow.” A variety of colorful vegetables add vitamins and minerals while the edamame and tofu make this a high-protein vegan meal that contains all the essential amino acids your body needs.
The star of the dish is the flavorful peanut sauce, which can be made in batches and used over noodles, rice, salads, and spring rolls, or even on sandwiches. There is no added oil or sugar in this peanut sauce which makes it healthier than store-bought peanut sauce.
Not only is this Buddha bowl high in protein and incredibly satisfying, but it's also a hit with the whole family, regardless of their dietary preferences. It's a versatile and nourishing meal that proves eating plant-based can be both delicious and nutritious.
Ingredients - For the Bowls
Note: the amount of ingredients you will prepare will depend on how many servings you are making! The below recipe makes about 4 bowls/servings
1 cup purple cabbage, chopped fine
1 Head of broccoli, chopped into fine pieces
3 carrots, grated
1 red pepper, chopped into small pieces
1 block of seasoned tofu - you can use store-bought pre-seasoned tofu or check out my Asian-Inspired Tofu recipe which is a great addition to these bowls
12 ounces frozen or refrigerated shelled edamame
Brown rice, buckwheat noodles, or quinoa to act as the base of the bowl
Scallions and/or peanuts for garnish
Ingredients For the Peanut Sauce
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon ginger, chopped (you can use powder as well)
1/2 cup lite coconut milk (see notes and adjustments for substitutes)
2 tablespoons Bragg’s Liquid Aminos
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2/3 cup peanut butter - use creamy if you don’t have a high speed blender
1 1/2 teaspoons lime juice
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
Asian chili sauce to taste (1 to 2 squirts)
1 to 3 jalapenos (optional!)
1/2 cup water
Instructions
1. Steam the broccoli for about 9 minutes - you want it to be cooked but firm
2. Cook your edamame as directed on package. Strain the edamame once cooked and let sit in a pan while you chop. If desired, you can add a touch of sesame oil to the edamame for added flavor
3. Chop/grate all of your other vegetables while your broccoli and edamame are cooking
Peanut Sauce Instructions:
Put all of the peanut sauce ingredients (listed above), except for the water, into a high-speed blender or food processor.
Blend for about 30 seconds to 1 minute until smooth
Add in water slowly to thin to desired consistency
Putting your Buddha Bowls Together
1. Put your chosen base (rice, quinoa, or noodles) into the bottom of the bowl
2. Spoon the vegetables, edamame, and tofu in a circular pattern around the perimeter of your base
3. Top with chopped scallions and chopped peanuts
4. Drizzle your delicious peanut sauce over the top of the bowl, mix up, dig in, and enjoy!
Notes and Adjustments!
You can use any vegetables you like or have on hand for this dish. Just try to use differently colored vegetables as they add different nutrients. Sweet potatoes or differently colored peppers would be great additions.
You can use any type of plant-based milk in the peanut dressing - just be sure it is not sweetened or flavored. I like to use macadamia nut milk and or cashew milk in this recipe as both are creamy.
Commercial peanut sauce is sweet. I tend to not add sugar to my recipes but if you want the sauce to be sweeter add in a touch of agave or maple syrup.
This bowl has 30 grams of plant-based protein - if you want to add even more use buckwheat noodles as a base, as they are gluten-free and high in protein.
