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My easy buddha bowls are bright, fresh, and built around a yogurt dressing with orange juice, honey, and cinnamon that one reader described as being “blown away by.” They come together in 15 minutes, work as a meal prep staple, and are fully customizable depending on what’s in your fridge.
save this recipe!Buddha bowls are one of those recipes where the components matter less than the formula. Greens, grains, protein, vegetables, fruit, something creamy, something crunchy, and a sauce that ties it all together. Get the formula right and the bowl works regardless of what you put in it. Get the sauce wrong and even the best ingredients taste flat.
This dressing is the reason this recipe works. It sounds simple, and it is, but the combination of citrus, honey, and cinnamon does something unexpected: it makes every ingredient in the bowl taste more like itself.
Reader rating
“WOW! I was nervous about the flavours, but MAN, was I blown away by this. The sauce works perfectly! An instant weekly favourite.” —Richie
Buddha Bowl Basics
At its core, the Buddha bowl is just a big bowl of healthy food, mostly plants, served over a bed of greens or grains and topped with a dressing. Buddha bowls usually contain:
- Greens: Like spinach or kale.
- Protein: Like chickpeas, black beans, or other beans.
- Grains: Like bulgur, quinoa, lentils, or brown rice.
- Healthy carbs: Helloooo fruit! This could also be veggies like cucumber, broccoli, or cauliflower for something a little lower in carbs but still filling. Sweet potato is also one of my favorites for a warm bowl!
- Healthy fats: Avocado or nuts will do the trick.
- Extras: Flavorful additions like onions, nutritional yeast, or spices. And, of course, a great sauce! In this case, that’s a yogurt-based dressing.
What grain works best?
Any of the four grains listed in this recipe work well in a buddha bowl, but they behave differently depending on how you plan to eat it.
Quinoa is the best all-around choice. It stays fluffy and separate whether served warm or cold, holds up well in meal prep, and has a mild flavor that lets the dressing come forward. Cook with a 1:2 ratio of quinoa to water, bring to a boil, then simmer covered for 15 minutes.
Brown rice is the most filling option and the slowest to cook, but it keeps well in the fridge for up to five days. It’s the right call if you’re prepping bowls for the full week. Check the types of rice guide for more on which variety to reach for.
Couscous is the fastest option at about five minutes total, which makes it the best choice when you’re genuinely starting from scratch at dinner. It absorbs the dressing quickly though, so keep it separate until serving if you’re meal prepping.
Bulgur has the most texture and a slightly nutty flavor that adds something to the bowl beyond just a starchy base. It works especially well with the citrus dressing in this recipe. Cook with a 1:1.5 ratio of bulgur to water and simmer covered for 15 to 20 minutes.
We’re drizzling these particular Buddha bowls with a sweet and savory yogurt sauce, but you can also top your bowls with yumm sauce, romesco sauce, blueberry vinaigrette, a peanut sauce, or your favorite salad dressing.
Easy Buddha Bowl (15 Min, Meal Prep Friendly)
Ingredients
Yogurt Dressing
- ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt, 60 g, or dairy-free alternative
- ¼ cup orange juice, 60 mL
- 2 Tbsp honey, 30 g, can sub maple syrup or agave
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- Pinch of salt and pepper
Buddha Bowl Fillings
- 2 handfuls leafy greens, spinach, kale, or lettuce
- 1 cup cooked grains, quinoa, couscous, bulgur, or brown rice
- 1 15-oz can chickpeas, 425 g, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup blueberries, 100 g
- 4 mandarin oranges, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 avocados, sliced
- ¼ red onion, about ½ cup, sliced
- 2 carrots, peeled and shredded
Instructions
- Dressing: Whisk all dressing ingredients together and set aside.
- Filling: Divide greens into 4 servings bowls, then top each with equal portions of cooked grains, chickpeas, blueberries, oranges, avocado, onion, and carrot.
- Serve: Drizzle with dressing and serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information calculated by Sarah Bond, degreed nutritionist.
did you make this?Leave a comment below and tag @liveeatlearn on social media! I love seeing what you’ve made!
We always just called this “Stuff in a bowl” – gonna impress my guys now when I say we have Buddha bowls for dinner 🙂
Is it the fruit that adds such a high number of carbs? I won’t use honey but will add grated orange rind
Hey Nancy! Yep, the fruit is contributing to the carbs, as well as the grains and chickpeas. A lot of that is fiber though, so the net carbs is more like 68 🙂
Did you perhaps intend to say, “310 g soaked chickpeas if starting from dry, **cooked**, drained”??
I do not believe it is healthy to consume uncooked beans.
Otherwise, this looks like a terrific recipe.
Hi Vicki, you’re totally right, the wording is a bit funny. Definitely cook your chickpeas before eating them! Thanks for clarifying 😀
Wow such a small world. Here I am surfing Pinterest, click on your post, and find out that you’re from San Antonio! The Pearl is awesome and I LOVE all the chic places down there with delicious food. Which restaurant has the Buddha bowls?
Ah how I miss the Pearl! This was inspired by Green I think (a veg restaurant also in the Pearl) 😀
How long does the dressing stay goos for?
Hi Rachel! Should stay good for about 4 to 7 days (depending on how recently you opened the yogurt)! 😀
I just heard about Buddha bowls today! Someone directed me to your site and I’m amazed at how simple it is! Thanks for sharing!
BTW, I also have a tulip-man in my life, but we live in Canada
Aw, tulip-men all over the world! Buddha bowls are my favorite “lazy day” kind of dinner. Just so dang easy! Will be making some more to be published this fall for these colder months veggies 😀
I made these for my work lunches this week! I just finished my first day’s lunch (minus the avocado, as I forgot it at home!) but it was DELICIOUS. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Yay, so happy to hear Jamie!! 😀
I don’t like spinach and you always have alternatives. Thank you so much for a well-written post.
My husband is the pickiest eater ever and he LOVED this dish. Plan on using it for a Bunco crowd.
YAY! I always love when we can convert the picky eaters. Enjoy!!
Delicious