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Home » Recipes » Vegan and Vegetarian Recipes

Quick and Easy Vegan Buddha Bowl

Published: Dec 15, 2020 · Modified: Mar 10, 2023 by Ginny · This post may contain affiliate links.

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This tasty Vegan Buddha Bowl takes only ten minutes to toss together and can be adjusted to use what you have on hand!

white bowl filled with fresh vegetables and rice to make this vegan buddha bowl.
Vegan Buddha Bowls for a Healthy Meal
Contents hide
1 🥬 Ingredient Ideas
2 🍲 Instructions
3 📌 Expert Tips
4 Vegan Buddha Bowl
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Here’s what I serve for dinner when I don’t feel like cooking but still want to eat healthy. It’s kind of a blend between a buddha bowl and a burrito bowl since I’m using salsa as my “dressing.”

This keeps things VERY simple and you can swap any of the ingredients out for whatever you have on hand. We eat some version of this at least once a week since it’s so simple and hearty.

It is big and round and filled with vibrant veggies and rice. They are really easy to make, satisfying, and perfect for getting lots of vitamins and minerals. The name has been around for a while, and it’s just sort of stuck! 

As you will see, these are completely customizable and have all sorts of flavors and ingredients. 

🥬 Ingredient Ideas

A buddha bowl is big and round and is filled with vibrant veggies, rice, and other ingredients. They are really easy to make, satisfying, and perfect for getting lots of vitamins and minerals. The name has been around for a while, and it’s just sort of stuck! 

As you will see, this is completely customizable and can have all sorts of flavors and ingredients. Here are a few that I add when I have them on hand.

  • Brown Rice
  • Basmati Rice
  • Wild Rice
  • Quinoa
  • Couscous
  • Corn
  • Peanut Dressing
  • Avocado Dressing
  • Cilantro
  • Broccoli
  • Roasted Sweet Potato
  • Kale
  • Spinach
  • Cauliflower
  • Roasted Squash
  • Beets
  • Sesame Seeds
  • Chopped Peanuts
  • Black Beans
  • Chick Peas
  • Tofu
  • Tomatoes
  • Cucumber
  • Salsa
  • Tahini Dressing
  • Nori Strips
  • Wonton Strips

Sometimes I’ll also swap the rice for roasted potatoes since my husband isn’t a huge lover of rice. Seriously good either way!

🍲 Instructions

Step One: I start by microwaving some leftover brown rice. We have a rice cooker (I HIGHLY recommend getting one), so I make rice in batches and always keep some in the fridge for a few days at a time.

Step Two: Next up, microwave some veggies! I usually heat up some frozen corn or broccoli. On this particular day, I decided to spend more time roasting the broccoli, but I usually use the microwave.

Step Three: While the vegetables are microwaving, slice two Roma tomatoes, cube an avocado and chop some cilantro. Season the tomato and avocado with salt and pepper. This makes two bowls, so if you’re cooking for one, just use one tomato and half an avocado.

Step Four: When the veggies are done, rinse a can of beans, add a few spoonfuls of chunky salsa to the beans and microwave for a couple of minutes. They look so ugly in the pictures, but I swear it’s good.

Step Five: Then, add everything to the bowl, arranging everything nicely. And finally add a little salsa to the rice. This always hits the spot and I could eat this every day!

Step Six: It takes about ten minutes total if you’re starting with leftover rice, so when you make rice, double the batch so you can have the base of this meal ready to go ahead of time.

Bowl filled with healthy vegetarian ingredients for a delicious and creative dinner
Healthy Vegan Buddha Bowl

📌 Expert Tips

  • If you want to completely change the buddha bowl, swap out the black beans for chickpeas and the salsa for an avocado dressing or tahini dressing.
  • Go wild and add all your favorite ingredients. You can’t go wrong!
  • Serve buffet style when you are feeding a crowd. Everyone will love making their own bowls of goodness.

Recipe FAQs

Can I Serve This To A Crowd?

Yes, absolutely! Make a buffet-style meal by placing all the various ingredients around the table. Then, each person will pick the ingredients and amounts that they want.

You’ll be pleased with how well this goes over. Plus, everyone will be impressed you came up with such a unique and fun idea.

Try to use this for a big gathering of soccer players, high school track teams or a block party. Ask everyone to bring part of the bowl to share. 

Do You Eat Hot Or Cold?

The answer is both hot and cold. I like to eat them warm with heated veggies, but they taste great cold, too. Some will say that they HAVE to be cold, but in reality, they can be either! What I think you will love about buddha bowls, in general, is that you can make them in a variety of different ways, and it’s impossible to get bored. 

Is It Okay To Put Meat In This Recipe?

You can certainly add meat if you want to, but I find that there are so many heart-friendly ingredients that fill you up; you don’t necessarily need meat. Beans, lentils, and even tofu are great options to add some depth to the meal without adding meat. Feel free to make additions as you see fit, and that’s all that matters. 

How Do I Store Leftovers?

If you can’t eat all of the buddha bowl, don’t worry. Save the leftovers. Make sure to cover the bowl with plastic wrap or put it in an airtight container with a lid. It will last for 2-3 days in the refrigerator. You don’t have to heat it up, and it can be enjoyed as a quick and easy lunch leftover too! 

Can I Meal Prep Them?

Yes, you sure can meal prep them. I add all the ingredients to the bowl, cover, and place in the refrigerator. Then just grab and enjoy it! They will last 2-3 days, so you don’t want to make them too far in advance. 

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Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. You can also stay in touch with me through social media by following me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook!

bowl of veggies and rice.

Vegan Buddha Bowl

This is a simple bowl filled with fresh veggies and rice that is as delicious as it is frugal! I love using whatever veggies I have left over to make this hearty and tasty vegetarian dish.
5 from 2 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 327kcal
Author: Ginny

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Brown Rice cooked
  • 2 Roma Tomatoes chopped
  • ½ cup Corn
  • ½ cup Broccoli
  • 1 can Black Beans
  • ¼ cup Salsa chunky
  • ½ Avocado sliced
  • Cilantro to taste

Instructions

  • Microwave leftover brown rice or cook a new batch.
  • Heat the corn and broccoli in the microwave. If you have other veggies, heat them up too.
  • Slice the Roma tomatoes and the avocado. Chop the cilantro and set aside.
  • Rinse the can of beans and add in the salsa. Microwave it until warm.
  • Add everything to a bowl and arrange it nicely. This is such a fast and delicious meal and is perfect for using any leftover veggies from the week!

Notes

My husband loves this meal.  It is light and refreshing and is different every time I make it.  This is my go-to Friday night meal as 1) I am too tired to cook anything else, and 2) I add in any leftover veggies from the week.  
Please don’t go out and buy ingredients for this recipe.  I bet you have cans of beans, rice, and veggies that you can throw together to make this an extremely frugal and healthy dinner!
Substitute any dressing, condiment or toppings! Drop me a note and let me know how you customized it.

Nutrition

Calories: 327kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 124mg | Potassium: 669mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 494IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 3mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @savorandsavvy or tag #savorandsavvy!
Ginny
Ginny

Hi!

Ginny Collins is a passionate foodie and recipe creator of Savor and Savvy and Kitchenlaughter. Indoors she focuses on easy, quick recipes for busy families and kitchen basics. Outdoors, she focuses on backyard grilling and smoking to bring family and friends together. She is a lifelong learner who is always taking cooking classes on her travels overseas and stateside. Her work has been featured on MSN, Parade, Fox News, Yahoo, Cosmopolitan, Elle, and many local news outlets. She lives in Florida where you will find her outside on the water in her kayak, riding her bike on trails, and planning her next overseas adventure.

savorandsavvy.com/about-me/
Quick and Easy Vegan Buddha Bowl
« Easy Vegetarian Pasta Recipe
Salsa Scrambled Egg Muffin Cups »

About Ginny

Hi!

Ginny Collins is a passionate foodie and recipe creator of Savor and Savvy and Kitchenlaughter. Indoors she focuses on easy, quick recipes for busy families and kitchen basics. Outdoors, she focuses on backyard grilling and smoking to bring family and friends together. She is a lifelong learner who is always taking cooking classes on her travels overseas and stateside. Her work has been featured on MSN, Parade, Fox News, Yahoo, Cosmopolitan, Elle, and many local news outlets. She lives in Florida where you will find her outside on the water in her kayak, riding her bike on trails, and planning her next overseas adventure.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Bindi U says

    December 11, 2023 at 1:02 pm

    5 stars
    Love all the veggies

    Reply
  2. Bhuboy says

    January 15, 2020 at 6:42 am

    Really nice recipe, another way to enjoy my favorite broccoli. Thanks for sharing

    Reply
    • Ginny says

      January 21, 2020 at 7:29 am

      Excellent! Thanks for sharing your thoughts! Cheers! Ginny

      Reply
  3. Ketty@Babygearspro says

    June 17, 2019 at 5:33 am

    I would like to say thank you for the amazing details and concepts you are sharing in this. These vegan buddha bowls are gorgeous!

    Reply
    • Ginny says

      June 19, 2019 at 8:38 am

      Thanks so much! I hope they like them!!

      Reply
  4. Starbiofy says

    June 17, 2019 at 5:28 am

    Looks really delicious, can’t wait to try it and serve to my kids.

    Reply
    • Ginny says

      June 19, 2019 at 8:38 am

      Thanks so much! I hope your kiddos enjoy! 🙂

      Reply
  5. Delina George says

    February 13, 2019 at 7:11 am

    Made this for my family. It was very good my Alfredo sauce thickened on it own. I’ll make it again. Thank you for such a good recipe

    Reply
    • Ginny says

      February 13, 2019 at 6:59 pm

      Delina! That is fantastic!!! So happy for you! 🙂

      Reply
  6. HealthNatics says

    October 22, 2018 at 3:05 am

    Looks really delicious, can’t wait to try it and serve to my wife when I go on vacation this December. Thanks for this.

    Reply
  7. Melinda says

    July 23, 2018 at 11:03 am

    I have trying VEGAN by using your tips. So Yummy & delicious Jazmin. Thanks

    Reply
  8. Edith Parker @ No Meal No Health says

    October 31, 2017 at 2:32 am

    My kind of meal!! Such a pretty bowl of nutritious ingredients!!! Thank you for your sharing, Jazmin.

    Reply
  9. Diane says

    October 29, 2017 at 9:49 am

    Can’t wait to try this. I love the combination of healthy, fast and easy.

    Reply
  10. Barbara Whitney says

    April 18, 2017 at 2:12 pm

    It looks tasty! I would not mind trying it Jazmin. Thanks again for another delicious vegan recipe. I do enjoy seeing frugal recipes and finding inspiration from your blog 🙂

    Reply
5 from 2 votes (1 rating without comment)

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Family Photo Hi! I'm Ginny and for over 30 years, I've been creating simple and easy recipes without sacrificing on taste for our family on the go. I can't wait to show you how to do the same for your family. Read More...

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