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Lazy Buddha Bowl

Published: Mar 29, 2023 by Nisha Melvani · 2 Comments

7-ingredient Lazy Buddha Bowl with crispy roasted chickpeas, candied sweet potatoes, and a Creamy Garlic Sauce that packs in flavor. Meal prep this recipe for a quick weeknight dinner the whole family will enjoy.

Buddha Bowl with sweet potato, roasted chickpeas, quinoa, white creamy dressing, and a chopped parsley garnish. — Option 1: Roasted chickpeas, sweet potatoes, and quinoa Buddha Bowl.

Buddha Bowl with roasted Puy lentils and carrot rounds on a bed of white rice with creamy white dressing, two lime wedges, and chopped parsley in a white bowl. — Option 2: Roasted lentils, carrots, and rice Buddha Bowl.

Eating healthfully and deliciously made easy with these vegan Lazy Buddha Bowl recipes, rich in plant-based protein, iron, and fiber. Choose chickpeas or lentils as your plant-based protein, and sweet potatoes or carrots as your veggie. Or meal prep both recipes for the week. This recipe makes enough sauce for both bowls.

This was inspired by Easy One Pot Quinoa on this site, as well as this Best Vegetable Bowl recipe.

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👩🏼‍🌾 Ingredients
🍠 Substitutions
📖 Instructions
💡 Expert Tips
🙋🏽‍♀️ Recipe FAQs
🍽 Related Recipes
👩🏽‍🍳 Made This Recipe?
📖 Recipe
💬 Comments

👩🏼‍🌾 Ingredients

Garlic, lemon, cashews, and chopped chives in a white bowl.

Cashews give the garlic sauce a creamy texture and add heart healthy fats, and a modest amount of protein.
Chives add a mild onion flavor similar to leeks. They are rich in several nutrients and antioxidants.
Roasted chickpeas, sweet potatoes, and quinoa is the protein-vegetable-grain combination I typically use for this Lazy Buddha Bowl. However, I also make it will lentils, carrots, and rice on occasion. Both options are delicious.

See recipe card for quantities.

🍠 Substitutions

Sweet potato - instead of sweet potato, you can use root veggies you already have on hand (carrot, parsnip, beet, turnips, potatoes)
Chickpeas - use a different plant-based protein (cooked lentils, tofu, butter beans, tempeh)
Quinoa - substitute with farro, brown rice, couscous, barley, millet, or a different grain of your choice
Chives - the chives in the creamy garlic sauce can be replaced with a different herb (parsley, dill, basil, cilantro)
Cashews - use firm silken tofu, or soaked almonds or sunflower seeds instead for the sauce

Add a drizzle of my homemade Easy 7-Minute Chili Crisp to pack in even more flavor. Visit my Veggie Bowls page for more Buddha Bowl ideas.

📖 Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Cook the quinoa (or a grain of your choice) according to the directions on the packet.

Cut sweet potato and chickpeas on a white rimmed baking sheet with garlic powder and olive oil.

Step 1. Transfer the sweet potatoes, and chickpeas to a large rimmed baking sheet. Toss with olive oil, garlic powder, and salt. Roast for 20 minutes, tossing halfway. Change the oven setting to grill or broil and cook for about 3 minutes more, or until the chickpeas are crispy.

Puy lentils and cut carrot rounds on a white rimmed baking sheet with garlic powder and olive oil.

Step 1. (optional): Transfer cut carrot rounds, and cooked Puy lentils to a large rimmed baking sheet. Toss with olive oil, garlic powder, and salt. Roast for 20 minutes, tossing halfway. Change the oven setting to grill or broil and cook for about 3 minutes more, or until the carrots are crispy.

Creamy garlic, lemon, cashew dressing garnished with chopped chives.

Step 2. Meanwhile, transfer the cashews, garlic, chives, lemon juice, and ½ cup water to a blender. Blend on high until smooth. Add more water as needed until the desired consistency. Season with salt, and more lemon juice to taste. Garnish with chopped fresh herbs.

Two white round meal prep containers with Buddha Bowl meal prep. One with roasted chickpeas and sweet potatoes, and the other with roasted lentils and carrots.

Step 3. Combine the components. Serve with a generous drizzle of garlic sauce, and a sprinkle of nuts and seeds as desired. Or meal prep this recipe in advance and refrigerate in airtight containers for up to 5 days.

💡 Expert Tips

Place the chickpeas and sweet potatoes in a single layer on the baking sheet. Do not overcrowd them or they will not brown and crisp evenly. Broil for about 3 minutes once the sweet potatoes are done cooking for extra crispy chickpeas. For even crispier chickpeas, dry them between the layers of a kitchen or paper towel before seasoning.
For the lentil and carrot Buddha bowl option, use Puy, French or green lentils. These hold their shape better than other lentil varieties. Cook the lentils until al dente before roasting them. Do not overcook them or they will be mushy.
Storage: Refrigerate the sauce and Buddha Bowl ingredients in two separate airtight containers for up to 5 days. Serve the bowl warm or chilled.

🙋🏽‍♀️ Recipe FAQs

What are the components for a Buddha Bowl?

For a complete and balanced meal, it should contain the following 5 components: whole grains, veggies, protein, a dressing with heart healthy fats, and toppings such as nuts, seeds, herbs or sprouts.

What is the purpose of a Buddha Bowl?

Buddha bowls are about balancing the different types of food that you eat, and not eating too much of any one thing. They are also known as bliss bowls, nourish bowls, or power bowls, and are a healthy one-dish meal.

Are chickpeas healthy or fattening?

Chickpeas are very healthy. They are rich in vitamins, minerals, protein, and fiber. These characteristics may support weight management, blood sugar regulation, and brain health while reducing the risk of chronic disease including heart disease and cancer.