Sweet Potato Chickpea Buddha Bowl With Yogurt Dressing
I absolutely love healthy, plant-based meals, and one of my all-time favorites is a sweet potato chickpea buddha bowl.
Maybe you call it a vegetable buddha bowl. Or simply, a quinoa or chickpea bowl. Whether you name it a Mediterranean bowl or a sweet potato one, it all boils down to just about the same thing: delicious!
Of course, some are more delicious than others.
And I happen to believe that I’ve been eating this kind of bowl long enough to know a truly good one when it hits me. Or rather, when the fork hits my mouth.
But some of us would like to know, exactly what is a buddha bowl?
What Is A Buddha Bowl?
Buddha bowls are the trendy name of the trendy dish that consists of some type of grain (often quinoa) topped with a combination of fresh or cooked veggies. There are often legumes involved for protein. And usually, they’re topped with some kind of yogurt or tahini-based dressing.
Yum, I know. But also, vague.
And that’s the thing about a buddha bowl. Mine is a sweet potato chickpea buddha bowl. Yours could be…well, just about anything. As long it’s got some kind of carby base (rice, cous cous, whatever), plus something filling and tons of bright veggies, it’s considered a buddha bowl.
But back to mine.
What Do You Put In A Buddha Bowl?
This sweet potato chickpea buddha bowl starts with a bowl of quinoa, topped with spiced and roasted chickpeas, sweet potato, red bell peppers, and zucchini. I enjoy it drizzled with a garlicky cashew yogurt sauce. Bonus if you have pickled red onions!
How To Make A Sweet Potato Chickpea Buddha Bowl
The best buddha bowl is one of the warm persuasion, so it’s best to start with roasting the veggies. Sweet potatoes take a little longer, so I give them a little headstart.
First, preheat the oven to 400 degrees, then spray or spread a baking sheet with your choice of oil. I almost always opt for my handy dandy avocado oil spray. Yeah, I know there are some issues with spray, but I do buy one that claims to have no chemical propellants.
Moving on.
As the oven heats, chop the veggies, starting with sweet potato. Once the potato cubes are salted, peppered, and oiled up, bake them for 10 minutes.
While that’s happening, chop your zucchini and bell pepper. In a bowl, mix a can of drained, rinsed, and dried chickpeas with smoked paprika, turmeric, cumin, salt, and pepper.
When the timer goes off, add the zucchini, peppers, and chickpeas to the baking sheet and bake for an additional 20 minutes.
Not sure what to do while your veggies are baking? Never fear. This is the time to boil your quinoa with water, plus a little salt if you like.
And while both veggies and quinoa are cooking, you have a moment to grab a bowl and whip up a quick dressing. All you need to do is use a whisk or fork to mix all the saucy ingredients together: yogurt, olive oil, lemon, dill, minced garlic and salt. (Dill is optional, in the case you don’t like dill.)
When everything is ready, start each bowl with a layer of quinoa. Decorate with your veggies. (Or toss them on however you like, nobody is watching!)
Drizzle the dressing on top, using water to thin it out if it’s too creamy. Thin out one tablespoon at a time, you don’t want to go too wild and end up with watery dressing.
Your sweet potato chickpea buddha bowl is now ready! Unless… and it’s a big unless… unless you have picked red onions.
Sweet, tangy pickled onions are a game changer for many dishes, including this one. If you have some previously made or have a few extra minutes to prep some with this bowl, check out my super fast and easy recipe for them below.
We love a hearty entree around here! If you’re looking for more main dish ideas, try these:
- Roasted Leg of Lamb and Potatoes
- Peanut Noodle Salad with Tofu
- Denningvleis (Sweet and Sour Lamb)
- Tofu and Broccoli Stir Fry
- Mediterranean Chickpea Salad
Need A Delicious Condiment?
This pickled red onion is all the right kind of sweet and tangy. I’m not kidding when I say I eat it by the cup. It is SO freaking good, and works on just about anything.
Okay, maybe not on dessert.
But definitely on this buddha bowl.
Sweet Potato Chickpea Buddha Bowl
Ingredients
Bowl:
- 2 tbsp avocado or coconut oil I use a generous spray
- 1 sweet potato
- 1 zucchini large
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 can chickpeas 1.5 cups
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp turmeric
- 1/4 tsp cumin
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp pepper
- 1.5 cup quinoa any kind
Dressing:
- 1 cup plain yogurt of choice
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp lemon
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/2 tsp dried dill
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, then spray or spread a baking sheet with your choice of oil.
- Chop the sweet potato into bite-sized cubes, then toss with salt, pepper and the oil on the baking sheet (use extra if needed). Bake for 10 minutes.
- While the potatoes are cooking, continue prepping the rest of the bowl ingredients. Chop the zucchini and bell pepper into bite-sized pieces. In a small bowl, mix a can of drained, rinsed, and dried chickpeas with smoked paprika, turmeric, cumin, salt, and pepper.
- After ten minutes, take the potato out and add to the baking tray the zucchini, peppers, and chickpeas. Bake for an additional 20 minutes.
- While the veggies and chickpeas are baking, boil 3 cups of water with 1.3 cups of quinoa (add a pinch of salt, if you like). Follow your quinoa package instructions or, once boiling, turn heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes, followed by 10 minutes of resting with the lid still on. Fluff when resting is complete.
- Mince garlic, then add all dressing ingredients to a small bowl and mix well.
- When everything is ready, start your bowl with a layer of quinoa. Add the chickpeas and vegetables, and drizzle with yogurt dressing. If the dressing is too thick to pour, add 1 tablespoon of water at a time until it’s pouring consistency (or a consistency you like).
