This easy Buddha Bowl recipe is healthy, flavorful, and easy to adapt! It’s made with whole grains, roasted vegetables, falafel, and topped with a delicious Jalapeño Ranch dressing.

Want to try more “bowl” recipes? Try my Spring Roll Bowl, Bulgogi Bowl, Fajita Bowl, or my Harvest Bowl!

A homemade Buddha Bowl recipe with grains, roasted vegetables, falafel, and topped with jalapeño ranch dressing.

Why I love this meal:

  • Healthy – This Buddha bowl recipe is fresh, flavorful, and so tasty! It’s truly clean eating at its finest. It’s vegetarian by nature and can be made vegan by leaving off the cheese.
  • Meal Prep – This entire meal can be made ahead of time, making a great choice for meal prepping servings for lunch for the week.
  • Adaptable – This is a great opportunity to use up any leftover veggies in your fridge and tailor to your liking. See my adaptation ideas below.

Why is it called a Buddha Bowl?

There are different theories as to why it’s called a Buddha Bowl, but the name fits because it’s a balanced meal full of nourishing and healthy grains, veggies, and protein.

All of the ingredients needed to make an easy Buddha Bowl recipe filled with grains, protein, and veggies.

How to Make a Buddha Bowl:

Roast Sweet Potatoes: Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Add sweet potatoes to a sheet pan and drizzle with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast for 20-25 minutes, until tender, tossing once while cooking.

Roasted sweet potatoes on a baking sheet.

Cook Quinoa according to package instructions. Combine all dressing ingredients in the food processor to make buddha bowl dressing.

A collage with two images, one with a plate of cooked quinoa, and another is a food processor with a blended homemade jalapeño ranch dressing.

Assemble: Layer bowls with cooked quinoa, arugula, sweet potato, tomato, avocado, falafel or chicken, feta then nuts. Top homemade buddha bowl with dressing. For other topping ideas, check out the variations below.

A close up image of a vegetarian buddha bowl recipe, ready to enjoy.

Make Ahead Instructions:

To Make Ahead: Make this entire meal ahead of time without the dressing and keep layered in a container in the fridge. Serve dressing on the side.

Recipe Variations:

  • Add Beans: Garbanzo beans or black beans would be great additions.
  • Other Protein Ideas: Instead of falafel, try grilled fish, shrimp, salmon, chicken, crispy tofu, or a hard-boiled egg.
  • Cheese: Swap out the feta for gorgonzola, goat cheese, or blue cheese.
  • Nuts: Walnuts, pecans, almonds, cashews, pine nuts, or pistachios are all great!
  • Add Seeds: Sesame seeds, pepitas or chia seeds.
  • Buddha Bowl Sauce: You could also use Teriyaki Sauce, Ranch Dressing, a simple vinaigrette, or tzatziki sauce.

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Recipe

A homemade Buddha Bowl recipe with grains, roasted vegetables, falafel, and topped with a jalapeño ranch dressing.
Prep 15 minutes
Cook 25 minutes
Total 40 minutes
Save Recipe

Ingredients
 
 

  • 1 ½ cups quinoa , brown rice, couscous, or cauliflower rice
  • 5 cups baby spinach leaves , or arugula
  • 2 sweet potatoes , peeled and chopped
  • olive oil
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 avocado , peeled, seeded and sliced
  • 1 Roma tomatoes , chopped
  • 12 Falafel balls* or 2 grilled chicken breasts, salmon, or other protein
  • ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, pecans, almonds, pine nuts or pistachios etc

Jalapeño Ranch Dressing:

  • 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons white vinegar
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 small fresh jalapeño pepper , ribs and seeds removed
  • 3 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
  • ½ teaspoon dried dill weed
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • salt , to taste

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Add sweet potatoes to a sheet pan and drizzle with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast for 20-25 minutes, until tender, tossing once while cooking.
  • Cook quinoa according to package instructions.
  • Layer bowls with cooked quinoa, arugula, sweet potato, tomato, avocado, falafel or chicken, feta and nuts. Top with dressing.

Notes

Falafel: this falafel recipe makes 24 balls. You could half the recipe, or freeze the leftovers for another meal. Or, cook store-bought frozen falafael.
Make Ahead Instructions: This entire meal can be made ahead of time without the dressing and kept layered in a container in the fridge. Serve dressing on the side. Perfect for lunch or dinner meal prepping!
Variations:
Add Beans: Garbanzo beans or black beans would be great additions.
Other Protein Ideas: Instead of falafel, try grilled fish, shrimp, salmon, chicken, crispy tofu, or a hard-boiled egg.
Cheese: Swap out the feta for gorgonzola, goat cheese, or blue cheese.
Nuts: Walnuts, pecans, almonds, cashews, pine nuts, or pistachios are all great!
Add Seeds: Sesame seeds, pepitas or chia seeds.
Buddha Bowl Sauce: You could also use Teriyaki Sauce, Ranch Dressing, a simple vinaigrette, or tzatziki sauce.

Nutrition

Calories: 667kcalCarbohydrates: 73gProtein: 21gFat: 34gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 20gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 19mgSodium: 329mgPotassium: 1347mgFiber: 12gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 20138IUVitamin C: 29mgCalcium: 265mgIron: 5mg

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I originally shared this recipe February 2020. Updated January 2022 and January 2023.

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About The Author

Lauren Allen

Welcome! I’m Lauren, a mom of four and lover of good food. Here you’ll find easy recipes and weeknight meal ideas made with real ingredients, with step-by-step photos and videos.

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