This vegan Buddha bowl is brimming with delicious fall and winter veggies. It starts with a combination of sweet-savory roasted Brussels sprouts, apples, and onions. Add in some crispy baked tofu and chickpeas, then amp up the veggie factor even more with crunchy homemade kale chips. To tie everything together, you’ll drizzle it all with a spicy, creamy harissa tahini dressing. So good! And the best part? It all comes together on 3 sheet pans in the oven. Looking for more fresh and delicious vegan lunch and dinner ideas? Throw it in a bowl! Try these vegan poke bowls and my zesty vegan burrito bowls, too.
Why You’ll Love This Vegan Buddha Bowl Recipe
Full of flavor. This vegan Buddha bowl combines all sorts of mouthwatering flavours and textures into a nourishing bowlful. It all comes down to the best ingredients. Tender roasted veggies, sweet caramelised apples and onions, savory tofu, and crispy kale, to name just a few. Cooked on sheet pans. You’ll roast your veggies, chickpeas, and tofu for this Buddha bowl on sheet pans. Not only is it quick and easy, but clean-up is a breeze! Meal prep-friendly. Cook and store your Buddha bowl ingredients separately, and combine them any way you’d like for easy lunches, all week long.
Notes on Ingredients
In general, there are 5 simple components in a Buddha bowl: whole grains or legumes, vegetables, protein, dressing, and toppings. Here are some quick notes on what you’ll need to make these flavorful vegan Buddha bowls. Scroll to the recipe card for a printable list of ingredients.
Brussels sprouts – If you’re not a fan of Brussels sprouts, you can replace them with another veggie with a similar roasting time. Chopped bell peppers, carrots, or baby potatoes are good options. Red onion – You can also use another type of onion, like yellow onion or shallots. Apples – Any firm apple that’s good for baking is good for roasting. I recommend Pink Lady, Braeburn, or Honeycrisp. Olive oil – Choose a good quality extra virgin olive oil, or another cooking oil, for roasting. Maple syrup – Maple syrup sweetens and caramelises the Brussels sprouts, apples, and onions. You can also use honey, or sprinkle them with a little brown sugar. Chickpeas – Remember to drain and rinse canned chickpeas beforehand. You’ll also want to dry them well so that they crisp up nicely in the oven. Tofu – I recommend extra-firm tofu for this recipe. Unwrap and press the tofu block between sheets of paper towel, beneath a weighty pan, to remove the excess liquid before you chop it into cubes. Check out How to Cook Tofu 101 for more helpful tips. Liquid aminos – Liquid aminos is a vegan substitute for soy sauce that brings loads of umami to the tofu and chickpeas. Cornstarch – Coating the tofu with cornstarch helps the outside bake up golden brown and crispy. Seasonings – Between the other ingredients, you’ll need thyme sprigs, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. Kale – You’ll toss the kale with olive oil, salt, and pepper before you bake it, for extra crunchy kale chips. Dressing – I make my spicy harissa tahini dressing from tahini, harissa powder, lime (or lemon) juice, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. If you can’t find harissa powder, you can use harissa paste. Add a very small amount to start; taste and add more if necessary. Harissa paste can vary in intensity!
How to Make Vegan Buddha Bowls
There are a few steps involved, but this plant-based bowl comes together quickly and easily. Watch this short video, and check out the step-by-step overview below. Scroll down to the recipe card for printable instructions.
Roast the Brussels sprouts, apples, and onions. On a lined baking sheet, toss the Brussels sprouts, onions, and apples with olive oil, maple syrup, salt, and pepper, along with fresh thyme sprigs. Roast at 400ºF/200°C for 30-35 minutes, stirring occasionally, and then set the pan aside. Prepare the chickpeas and tofu. Next, arrange the tofu and chickpeas on opposite sides of a lined baking sheet. Season with garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, sea salt, and black pepper. Add the cornstarch to the tofu only, and stir to coat.
Bake. When your Brussels sprouts have 20 minutes left, add the pan with the tofu and chickpeas to the oven. Bake for the remaining 20 minutes, flipping the tofu and stirring the chickpeas halfway through. Make the kale chips. On a third baking sheet, massage the kale with olive oil, salt, and black pepper. Place the pan into the oven for the final 5-10 minutes of cooking time. (If you don’t have 3 racks in your oven, you can bake the kale after the veggies and proteins are finished cooking.)
Make the dressing. Meanwhile, whisk all of the ingredients for the harissa tahini dressing together in a bowl. Assemble the bowls. Divide the kale, veggies, and proteins into bowls. Drizzle generously with the dressing, and dig in.
Tips for Success
Here are some of my tips for making a perfect Buddha bowl.
For crispy Brussels sprouts. Turn the Brussels sprout halves so that they’re facing cut-side-down on the baking sheet. This gets a nice brown sear on the edges. Prep your ingredients ahead. Keep each component of your Buddha bowls separate and then assemble them when you’re ready to eat. This keeps everything fresh! See below for more make-ahead and storage tips. Add garnishes. I like to top my vegan Buddha bowls with crunchy pecans and sweet pomegranate seeds. Feel free to get creative!
Buddha Bowl Variations
The great thing about Buddha bowls is that they’re super customizable! Try these easy variation ideas:
More veggies. Change up the veggies in your vegan Buddha bowl depending on what’s in season. Try roasted butternut squash, sweet potato, asparagus, cabbage, or any roasting vegetables you have on hand. Different protein. Swap the tofu for tempeh, or any plant-based protein you’d like. Use a different dressing. Try these bowls topped with something milder, like the sesame tahini dressing in this kale salad recipe. The honey mustard dressing in this crispy tofu salad would also be delicious. Add grains. Bulk up your Buddha bowl with quinoa or another grain.
Can I Make This Recipe Ahead?
Absolutely. To meal prep your Buddha bowls, cook and then refrigerate the ingredients in separate airtight containers. Everything will last about a week in the fridge. For maximum crispiness, I recommend making the kale chips right before you’re ready to assemble the bowls. However, if you don’t mind softer kale, you can make that in advance as well or use raw kale instead of roasting it.
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
Refrigerate. This vegan Buddha bowl recipe can be stored airtight in the refrigerator for about a week. Reheat. Enjoy your leftover Buddha bowls cold, or you can warm up the ingredients in the oven or microwave. Freeze. Unfortunately, Buddha bowl ingredients don’t freeze well, so I don’t recommend it. The dressing can be frozen, but the rest of the components will have a softer, less appetizing texture when thawed and reheated.
More Bowl Recipes
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Enjoy friends! If you make this vegan Buddha bowl recipe, please snap a photo and tag #jessicainthekitchen on Instagram! We’d also love it if you would leave a comment below, and give the recipe a rating! Thanks so much!
