Beet Buddha Bowl

The recipe features quick-cooking quinoa, canned chickpeas, and precooked beets, making it simple and fast to prepare. Broccoli can be steamed in about 5-6 minutes, and store-bought, pre-shredded carrots add veggies to the meal while also reducing prep time. The Buddha bowl with beets is a nourishing plant-based weeknight meal that can be easily customized.

Buddha bowls are an excellent way to pack your meals with plenty of veggies and can be easily customized to suit your preferences. For more vegan nourish bowls, try a maple mustard tempeh bowl, peanut tofu Buddha bowl, or hummus power bowl.

Recipe features

• Vegan/vegetarian, plant-based, oil-free, and gluten-free!
• Packed with veggies!
• Easy to prepare!
• Customizable!

Ingredient notes and substitutions

The beetroot Buddha bowl recipe uses simple ingredients, but please see the recipe card below for the full list and exact ingredients.

Quinoa - Prepare the quinoa according to the package instructions.  The quinoa can be substituted with millet or brown rice. For more recipes with quinoa, try a zesty black bean quinoa salad or a tempeh Buddha bowl.

Broccoli - Cut the broccoli into bite-sized florets. It can be replaced with another vegetable that sounds appealing or is in season. The broccoli doesn't have to be steamed; prepare it in whatever way you enjoy eating it. Instead of broccoli, consider trying roasted or steamed cauliflower or oil-free roasted Brussels sprouts.

Chickpeas - I use canned chickpeas for convenience, making this meal come together quicker.  Drain and rinse the chickpeas well.  Depending on your calorie needs, use one or two cans.  The chickpeas can be swapped for another bean.

Beets - To make the recipe come together quickly, I use precooked vacuum-sealed beets found in the refrigerated section. Precooked can be substituted with roasted or steamed beets. Instead of beets, try roasted carrots or parsnips. For more beet recipes, try them in a beet and spinach smoothie, a beetroot banana smoothie, a berry beet smoothie, or a beet smoothie with pineapple. 

Greens - I use a spring mix of greens, but finely shredded kale will also work.  

Carrots - All of the vegetables and greens in this recipe can be substituted with anything that sounds good to you or with what's in season.

Tahini mustard dressing -  No soaking nuts for this recipe, which means it can be made quickly.  I thin out the dressing with more water to cover the ingredients better in the quinoa bowl.  Adjust the water in the recipe to your preference.  Instead of a tahini and mustard dressing, try creamy maple mustard dressing, oil-free dijon cashew dressing, or lemon herb tahini dressing.

Sauerkraut - If you're not a fan of sauerkraut, skip it.  I've added this to the recipe to add more fermented foods to my family's meals.  Coming from someone who use to not like sauerkraut, not all sauerkrauts taste the same.  

I prefer a garlic-flavored brand found in the refrigerated produce section of the store, but use a brand you prefer.  If you want to skip the sauerkraut, maybe add balsamic pickled onions for a pop of flavor.

Tips

• The broccoli doesn't have to be steamed; if you enjoy it roasted, then roast it.  Cook the broccoli however you enjoy it.
• I use store-bought, precooked, vacuum-sealed beets for convenience.  Instead of precooked, raw beets can be steamed or roasted.  See the how to cook beets section on how to steam or roast whole beets.

How to cook beets for a Buddha bowl

I use store-bought, precooked, vacuum-sealed beets for convenience.  Instead of precooked, raw beets can be steamed or roasted. 

Steam - Scrub clean the beets, trim off the leafy tops if they're still attached.  Place whole beets in a steamer basket over boiling water.  Once boiling, lower to a simmer. Cover the pot and steam the beetroot for about 30 minutes or until fork-tender.  The time will vary depending on the size of the beets.

Let them cool enough to handle, then cut off the root tip and stem.  Use a paper towel to rub off the skin, or it can be peeled off with a peeler. Dice or slice the cooked beet into bite-sized pieces.

Roast - Preheat the oven to 400°F, scrub the beets clean, and trim off the leafy tops if they're still attached. Wrap the whole beets in aluminum foil and place them on a rimmed baking tray. Roast for about 45-60 minutes, depending on the size of the beets.

Let them cool enough to handle, and then cut off the root tip and stem. Use a paper towel to rub off the skin, or it can be peeled off with a peeler. Dice or slice the cooked beet into bite-sized pieces. If the skin doesn't rub off easily, the beets may need to cook longer.

How to make a beet Buddha bowl

1. Prepare the quinoa according to the package instructions.

2. Place the broccoli florets in a steamer basket and set over a pot with 1 inch of water.

3. Bring the water to a boil, then lower to a simmer, cover, and let steam 5-6 minutes, until the broccoli is tender and bright green.  Season the steamed broccoli with salt and garlic powder to taste, or leave plain.

4. Prepare the oil-free tahini dressing while the quinoa is cooking.  Drain and rinse the chickpeas in a colander.

5. When the quinoa and broccoli are done, portion out the cooked quinoa into each bowl, add the cooked broccoli, chickpeas, cooked beets, shredded carrots, mixed greens, and sauerkraut.  Then drizzle with tahini dressing.

Storage

Keep the components in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator for about 4 days.  I like to warm leftover quinoa, chickpeas, and broccoli, so I store those ingredients together.  To prevent the beets' color from leaking onto the other ingredients, they can be stored separately. 

Store any cold components separately in airtight containers.  The tahini sauce may thicken after being stored in the refrigerator. Add a splash of water to thin out, and repeat until it reaches your desired consistency.

Frequently asked questions

Related recipes

• Vegan mango and black bean rice bowl
• Tahini chickpea bowl

I hope you enjoyed the recipe!  If you did, feel free to rate it and leave a comment.