Name: Vegan Buddha Bowl with Roasted Veggies
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon coconut oil; 1 head cauliflower, cleaned and cut into florets; 1 head broccoli, cleaned and cut into florets; 15 ounces chickpeas, 1 can, drained, rinsed and patted dry with a paper towel; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper; 1/2 cup red, onion, diced; 1/2 cup cashews; Cheesy Almond Sauce (recipe follows); 3/4 cup Almonds, raw, soaked from 2 hours to overnight.; 1/2 cup Water; 1/4 cup Nutritional yeast; 2 tablespoons Fresh lemon juice, about 1/2 lemon, plus more after tasting - if desired; 1/2 teaspoon Dry mustard; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper; 1/2 cup Extra virgin olive oil, more if wanted; Pure maple syrup, optional

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Vegan Buddha Bowl is a delicious complete meal with a perfect mix of roasted veggies and seasonings. The cheesy almond sauce brightens the meal and melds all of the vegetables together.

Roasted vegetables tossed in a white bowl and covered with creamy sauce.

Fresh roasted veggies are rel comfort food and when you combine them with a creamy cheesy sauce they become a meal.

💭 What are Buddha bowls

The name developed from a single serving bowl being filled with healthy ingredients that form a big fat round 'belly'.
The ingredients are a complete meal with vegetables, beans, plenty of protein, sometimes grains and or seeds and a sauce.
Sounds pretty good, heh?
You can mix just about any nutritious ingredient with a corresponding sauce and you've got a buddha bowl.
A vegan Buddha bowl at that. I think maybe they all are. 🙂
That's what we have here. A delicious bowl that is all yours!
There are actually four servings in this recipe so you can all have a bowl to yourself.

Jump to:

💭 What are Buddha bowls
🥘 Ingredients
🔪 Instructions
🧾 Sauce ingredients
💭 Meal prep
🥗 Roasted vegetable recipes
📋 Recipe

Tilted vegan Buddha bowl full of cauliflower, broccoli, chickpeas and cashews topped with a creamy sauce.

🥘 Ingredients

Coconut oil - a nice base for sauteeing.
Cauliflower - is a highly nutritional and filling vegetable.
Broccoli - beautiful and green and healthy and it makes up for a third of the veggies.
Chickpeas - is protein-packed and a very good match with broccoli and cauliflower.
Salt and pepper - the perfect seasonings
Red onion - gives a mildly sweet flavor with a little bit of crunch.
Cashews - are a favorite addition for fresh flavors and protein.
Cheesy Almond Sauce (recipe follows) - ties everything together.

Cauliflower, broccoli and chickpeas are lined up on a baking sheet and ready to be roasted.

🔪 Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Sprinkle the coconut oil on a baking sheet.
Arrange the broccoli, cauliflower, and chickpeas onto the baking sheet.
Toss to coat the vegetables with the oil.

A wooden spoon is stirring prepared vegetables bite with oil on a baking sheet.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Roast for 30 minutes, tossing the vegetables after 15 minutes. Remove from the oven. Toss with the red onion and cashews. Serve with Cheesy Almond Sauce.

Mixed vegetable bites with cashews are roasted and on a baking sheet fresh diced red onions have been added and now cashews are being sprinkled over all.

🧾 Sauce ingredients

Almonds - blend smoothly for a great plant-based sauce.
Water - thins out the creamy almonds.
Nutritional yeast - adds that cheesy taste.
Fresh lemon juice - gives a little tang of flavor.
Dry mustard - a little bit adds a lot to make this sauce unique and delicious.
Salt and pepper - are necessary seasonings.
Extra virgin olive oil - blends the sauce ingredients into a delicious dressing.
Pure maple syrup, optional - some people add just a dash.

Mixed vegetable bites with cashews are roasted and on a baking sheet.

Drain the almonds and place them in a blender.
Add the rest of the ingredients, except the oil and maple syrup.
Blend at medium-high speed until the mixture is as smooth as you can get it.
Different blenders will do different work because of the amount of power that they have. No matter what your blender, you will get a delicious almond sauce.

Two process photos of a blender loaded with ingredients and then showing the oil being poured into the blender opening.

Now, slowly pour in the olive oil through the opening in the lid.
I found ½ cup to be perfect, but you may add a little more if you would like it thinner.
Taste the sauce. See whether you would like a little bit more lemon juice. Sometimes I do, but not always. Some people like a dash of maple syrup, also.

Below is a photo of another day when I took a picture. Different bowl and just as delicious.

Ahhhrg, there's so much I want to say but I can't just blather on. So with that aside - you're really going to enjoy this Buddha bowl.

Turquoise vegan Buddha bowl with cheesy almond sauce with chopsticks leaning on the bowl rim.

💭 Meal prep

The sauce will keep in the fridge for about 4 days.
It would get too solid if you used coconut oil, so olive oil is best.
This dressing does not freeze well.

Storing in the refrigerator:
All the veggies can be prepared, but not cooked, and kept in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Prepare as directed above.

🥗 Roasted vegetable recipes

Veggie Pizza with Roasted Veggies is a dream come true.
You can't beat straight up roasted vegetables and Sheet Pan Oven Roasted Vegetables are a feast in themselves.
If you roast the vegetables before making this Artichoke Hearts and Hearts of Palm Dip you're in for a real treat.

Cropped vegan Buddha bowl full of roasted veggies with a sauce over the top and cashews sprinkled around the sides.

If you take a photo of your big fat vegan Buddha bowl I would love to see it. Follow me over on Instagram and tag me on your photo @vegan_in_the_freezer.

📋 Recipe