Quinoa and veggie Buddha bowls are a filling, but light, vegetarian bowl with chickpeas, carrots, peppers, spinach and a tangy lemon-tahini dressing to bring it all together.

We don't always do the #MeatlessMonday vegetarian night each week, but I do try and make it a regular occurrence around here. We're definitely meat eaters, but it's nice to mix things up now and then.

And I love using quinoa for vegetarian meals because it’s packed with protein and great nutrition. Add in some chickpeas and you've got a very hearty bowl.

I've topped our quinoa and veggie Buddha bowls here today with some sautéed peppers, carrot strips and chopped spinach to really boost the veggies. Plus, these are things I almost always have in my fridge.

This is a dinner that I could put together pretty much anytime, as I keep these ingredients stocked regularly. The sky is the limit, however, and you can customize this however you like and with whatever vegetables you have on hand.

I love a recipe that's a little bit flexible so I can make it work for my family and our tastes. So I love giving you ideas to do the same.

Plus, this is a nice and quick dinner, ready in just 15 minutes!

While the quinoa is cooking, chop and saute your veggies, shake up your dressing and then throw it all together. So easy!

And you are going to love this creamy lemon-tahini dressing, which has a nice tangy note that pairs really well with the quinoa, chickpeas and vegetables. A good balance of flavors and textures running through these bowls.

OK, I’ve got some notes and substitutions coming up on how to make vegetarian quinoa Buddha bowls. Just tryin’ to be helpful.

If you want to jump on down to the recipe, simply scroll right on through the rest of the text. The recipe card is near the bottom of the page, above the comments section.

Recipe Notes: 

• Quinoa: Quinoa is the base of these bowls, but you could also use another grain, such as brown rice or farro.
• Vegetables: Feel free to use your favorite veggies for these bowls, or whatever you have on hand. Sautéed cremini mushrooms or snap peas (along with the peppers) to add to this quinoa recipe. You could also add in some steamed or roasted broccoli or cauliflower to really ramp up the veggies here.
• Chickpeas: These help bulk up the bowls and make them more hearty. They also go really well with the dressing, but you could swap in a different type of bean or use edamame instead if you prefer.
• Lemon tahini dressing: This dressing is super easy to make, but you could use a store-bought Asian style dressing if you'd rather.
• Meat or seafood: You can add some cooked chicken or shrimp if you don’t want to go vegetarian.
• Toppings: Try topping your Buddha bowl with chopped peanuts or cashews for a little extra crunch.

Also, this can be a great healthy lunch or dinner to meal prep ahead of time.

I recommend storing the quinoa separately from the chickpeas and veggies, and separately from the dressing. This will keep everything from getting soggy.

Love bowls like me?

Check out these bean and rice bowls, warm Asian quinoa power bowls and my brown rice Buddha bowl with edamame, veggies and an awesome soy ginger dressing. Those are all vegetarian too. Oh, and this vegetarian Greek grain bowl with hummus and feta; swoon!

(Or if you're a meat eater, try my salsa chicken grain bowls or honey garlic chicken rice bowls.)

Yup, I think I could live on bowls.

I hope you give this healthy, hearty quinoa one a try for your next vegetarian night.

Enjoy!

XO,

Kathryn

Continue to Content

Yield: 3-4 servings

Quinoa and Veggie Buddha Bowl

Print

Quinoa and veggie Buddha bowls are a filling, but light, vegetarian bowl with chickpeas, carrots, peppers, spinach and a tangy lemon-tahini dressing to bring it all together.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

For the Buddha bowl:

• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed well
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 large red or yellow bell pepper or 4-6 mixed smaller sweet peppers, cut into thin strips
• 1 14 oz. can chick peas, rinsed and drained (or 1 bag crock pot chick peas)
• 3 medium carrots, peeled into thin strips
• 2 heaping cups spinach, roughly chopped

For the lemon-tahini dressing:

• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons tahini (a sesame seed paste)
• 2 tablespoons water, divided
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• ⅛ teaspoon cayenne (optional)
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

For the Buddha bowl:

1. Cook the quinoa according to package directions.
2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a medium sized pan over medium-high heat. Add the peppers and saute for 3-4 minutes, until softened.
3. Turn off the heat and stir in the chick peas and carrots. This helps warm them through. Just before serving, stir in the spinach (you don’t want it to cook or wilt, just to combine with the other veggies).

For the dressing:

1. Whisk together lemon juice, tahini, one tablespoon of the water, soy sauce, garlic, cayenne (if using) and salt and pepper. (Or add them all to a small jar or container and shake it up.)
2. Add up to the additional tablespoon of water if needed for the right consistency. (This will depend on how thick or runny your tahini is.)

Assemble the bowls:

1. Divide quinoa between four bowls. Top with sautéed peppers, chick peas, carrots and spinach.
2. Drizzle dressing over everything and enjoy!

Notes

Quinoa: Quinoa is the base of these bowls, but you could also use another grain, such as brown rice or farro.

Vegetables: Feel free to use your favorite veggies for these bowls, or whatever you have on hand. Sautéed cremini mushrooms or snap peas (along with the peppers) to add to this quinoa recipe. You could also add in some steamed or roasted broccoli or cauliflower to really ramp up the veggies here.

Chickpeas: These help bulk up the bowls and make them more hearty. They also go really well with the dressing, but you could swap in a different type of bean or use edamame instead if you prefer.

Lemon tahini dressing: This dressing is super easy to make, but you could use a store-bought Asian style dressing if you'd rather.

Meat or seafood: You can add some cooked chicken or shrimp if you don’t want to go vegetarian.

Toppings: Try topping your Buddha bowl with chopped peanuts or cashews for a little extra crunch.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 373Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 615mgCarbohydrates: 61gFiber: 15gSugar: 14gProtein: 18g