Butternut Squash Buddha Bowl with Tahini Dressing

Whether you call it a Buddha bowl, grain bowl, or power bowl, it is a delicious combination of grains (or pseudo grains), proteins, veggies, and flavorful sauces.  It’s a great way to meal plan by changing up the combination of veggies and sauces.  

There are a lot of components to this dish, but it comes together fairly easily and works well for meal prepping. If you're new to cutting butternut squashes, they can be a bit time-consuming to prep. To cut down on time it can be substituted with store-bought fresh pre-cut squash. 

For more vegan Buddha bowl recipes for meal prepping, try the deconstructed sushi bowl, mustard tempeh Buddha bowl, or vegan taco bowl.  For ways to make your own power bowl, check out my tofu Buddha bowl recipe which has oodles of ideas.

Ingredient notes and substitutions

The Buddha bowl uses wholesome ingredients to make this delicious dish.  Please see the recipe card below for the exact measurements and ingredients.

Butternut squash - Use store-bought fresh pre-cut squash for an easy way to cut down on prep time.  If needed, see the instructions below on how to cut a butternut squash.  Sweet potatoes can be used instead of winter squash, reduce the roasting time to 25-30 minutes, still tossing halfway through.

Brussels sprouts - Trim off the tough stem ends of the Brussels sprouts, slice the sprouts in half, and remove any yellow or damaged leaves.  If you are not a fan of Brussels sprouts, the dish works well with broccoli too.  See below for instructions on using broccoli instead.  Roasting a sliced red onion would also be a great addition to this healthy dinner.

Fresh lemon juice - If you're not oil-free, feel free to roast the squash and Brussels with a neutral-tasting oil.

Quinoa - White rice, brown rice, or wild rice can be used instead; or try it with farro, couscous, or cauliflower rice.

Chickpeas - If you want to substitute with cooked white beans or black beans, I would skip tossing them with lemon juice and warming them in the oven.  Just add the cooked bean to the bowl when ready to serve.  Oil-free crispy tofu can also be added to the grain bowls instead of chickpeas.

Kale - Remove the kale from its stalk and tear the leaves into smaller pieces.  Massaging the kale with a tablespoon of dressing will break down the tough cell structure.  If you use baby kale, you can skip the massaging.  Alternatively, if you’re not into massaging kale, you can chop it finely. 

If substituting kale with a more tender green like spinach or arugula, there’s no need to massage the dressing into the greens.  Just add the sauce to the top of the Buddha bowl. For more ways to use kale try a chickpea bowl with sweet potatoes and lemon herb tahini sauce.

Tahini - This is made from ground sesame seeds with a nutty flavor and can vary in consistency with different brands.  Your brand will most likely have a layer of oil on top that has separated. It will need to be stirred back into the tahini, then measure the needed amount for the recipe.  

The contents at the bottom of the jar tend to be drier than what’s at the top, so each time I use tahini for a recipe I give it a good stir to redistribute.  So depending on your brand and if the tahini came from the bottom of the jar, you may need to add more water.  

If you need a substitute for tahini, try my creamy cashew dijon dressing.

Dijon mustard - Dijon or Dijon-style mustard adds a tangy flavor, I wouldn't substitute it for yellow mustard.  I do have a vegan mustard sauce that uses spicy brown mustard that can be made instead if you need a substitute for Dijon mustard.

Maple syrup - This is used to add a little sweetness to the bitter tahini.  Agave syrup can also be used.

Lemon juice - The lemon juice complements the nutty tahini and sweet maple syrup, and I think it's the best option for the dressing.  If you need a substitute you can try apple cider vinegar but reduce the measurement by half, then taste and adjust if needed.

Substituting Brussels sprouts with broccoli

If you are not a fan of Brussels sprouts, the butternut squash Buddha bowls work well with broccoli too.  If substituting the vegetables, only roast the broccoli for about 15-20 minutes instead of the 35 minutes the sprouts require.  

Split the 1 ½ tablespoons of lemon juice for the sprout/squash mixture and save half for the broccoli (since you are not using it for Brussels sprouts).  Toss the broccoli with the chickpeas and the rest of the lemon juice, garlic powder, and salt.  Then roast for 15-20 minutes.

If you're not oil-free, the lemon juice can be skipped, and use a neutral-tasting oil.

How to cut a butternut squash

1.  Cut off ¼-1/2 inch of the top and the bottom ends.  

2.  Hold the squash in one hand and use a vegetable peeler to peel the outer skin.  Remove the top tough layer and most of the white portion underneath.  Make sure to run the peeler over it a couple of times to get down to the orange layer.

3.  Stand the squash upright and cut down the middle lengthways.  Or cut the squash in the middle, then stand each half upright and cut down the middle lengthways. Please be careful!

4.  Remove the seeds and pulp with a spoon.

5.  Cube the squash by laying the cut side down on the cutting board and cutting it into strips, then cut the strips into cubes.

Uses for leftover butternut squash

Most butternut squashes I buy are around 2-3 pounds, so when I’m prepping for this dish I reserve half of the squash for another meal. Most of the time I just make this quinoa bowl again to use up the squash, but it can also be thrown into soups, curries, or frozen for later. Before freezing, cube any leftover uncooked squash. 

For more butternut squash recipes, try curry butternut squash chickpea soup using curry powder and butternut squash chickpea curry using red curry paste.

Tips

• I reuse the same bowl that I tossed the sprouts and squash in for the chickpeas, and then again for the kale.  It saves dishes and reuses any leftover lemon juice and seasoning for the next step.

• If the Brussels sprouts aren’t browning enough for you, use the broiler in your oven to brown the tops, and keep a close eye on them so they don’t burn.
• If you’re new to oil-free cooking, a small spritz of cooking spray on the vegetables will help them brown and it’s very minimal oil.  This method is not oil-free but may help you transition to reducing oil in your diet.
• If you're not oil-free, skip adding the lemon juice and toss with a neutral-tasting oil.

Instructions for quinoa Buddha bowls

1. Prep the Brussels sprouts and butternut squash.  Preheat the oven to 425˚ F (220˚C).
2. In a large bowl, toss the Brussels sprouts and butternut squash with 1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, and salt.  If you're not oil-free, a neutral-tasting oil can be used instead of lemon juice.
3. Place the vegetables onto a silicone mat or parchment paper-lined baking sheet (used to prevent sticking for oil-free roasting).
4. Bake for about 35 minutes, stirring halfway through.  The squash should be soft and easily pierced with a knife when done.
5. While the vegetables are roasting, rinse the quinoa and prepare according to the package instructions.
6. Meanwhile, prepare the chickpeas, toss the chickpeas with 1 teaspoon lemon juice and ¼ teaspoon garlic powder.
7. Bake the chickpeas for 15 minutes at 425˚ F (220˚C), they can be placed in the oven with the vegetables for the last 15 minutes of roasting.

Kale and dressing

1. Remove the stem from the kale and tear the leaves into smaller pieces.
2. Prepare the dressing by whisking the tahini, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, and maple syrup together in a small bowl. Then whisk in 2-4 tablespoons of water to thin it out. Start with 2 tablespoons of water, then add more if needed. The quantity of water depends on how thick your tahini is and your desired consistency for the dressing.
3. In a bowl, add the kale and 1-2 tablespoons of dressing then massage the dressing into the kale. Massaging the kale will break down some of the fibers. You’ll see the volume of kale in the bowl reduce in size.

Preparing bowls

1. To assemble the nourishing bowl, add the cooked quinoa to serving bowls, top with the roasted veggies, add the chickpeas, add a handful of kale, then drizzle the tahini sauce over the delicious meal.

Storage

I prefer to store the kale and dressing separately from the vegetables and quinoa.  I warm up leftovers just enough so they’re not cold, and just as a personal preference, I like to keep my kale cold.  Wait to add the tahini dressing to the kale until ready to serve.  When the components are separated in air-tight containers in the fridge they'll keep for about 4-5 days.

Related recipes

• Roasted Sweet Potato Bowl
• Peanut Tempeh Bowl
• Burrito Bowl

More butternut squash recipes

• Curry Butternut Squash and Chickpea Soup
• Butternut Squash Chickpea Curry