Satisfy your tastebuds with these hearty and wholesome Roasted Cauliflower Vegan Buddha Bowls. Vegan and Gluten-free for a healthy and hearty meal.
Recently I just can't seem to get enough cauliflower. I want it on or in or around everything I eat.
I just love the delicate, buttery texture and the way cauliflower seems to absorb any flavor you throw at it. It just never gets old!
If you're like me and want to bury your face into some cauliflower ALL. THE. TIME. then you're going to love what I've got for you today. These Roasted Cauliflower Quinoa Bowls are filled with hearty vegetables and proteins, complex with delicious flavor and provide you with many healthful benefits in every bite, making this one of the most wholesome, healing, and satisfying meals I could offer you.
WHAT IS A BUDDHA BOWL?
But let’s back up a minute. First of all, some of you may be asking, “What is a Buddha Bowl?”.
A Buddha Bowl, also known as a Nourish Bowl, is a one-bowl meal filled to the brim with vibrant colors, wholesome vegetables, and plant-based proteins.
The idea behind the Buddha Bowl is one of balance. The meal combines healthful foods that vary in flavor, texture, and health benefits to reflects the balance sought after in Buddhism. The term has been adopted and adapted so that it now strays from its origins. You can now find Buddha Bowl recipes that contain animal proteins such as lean meats or boiled eggs. Sadly, we can no longer assume that all Buddha Bowls offer a one-bowl vegan meal.
Of course, this beautiful bowl filled with roasted cauliflower, quick-pickled cabbage, and cheesy chickpeas is 100% vegan and gluten-free!
WHY I LOVE VEGAN BUDDHA BOWLS
Not only are Buddha Bowls tasty and colorful, they also contain some of the best food to put in your body.
Buddha bowls are filled with whole foods that pack in all the fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals, and superfoods you can handle. In addition, Buddha Bowls are also typically gluten-free and vegan for a quick weeknight meal that everyone can enjoy. Even my picky children love Buddha Bowl night.
On top of all that, Buddha Bowls are highly versatile, making them the perfect meal to use up all your leftover vegetables before the end of the week. Mix and match to your pleasure.
Now that’s hard to beat!
One of the reasons that I love these vegan Buddha Bowls is that they are so good for you! Did you know that cauliflower is a super healing food?
Among its many benefits, cauliflower:
- Fights cancer
- Provides heart health
- Is rich in vitamins and minerals (think Vitamin C, K, and B)
- Boosts brain health
- Helps clean out toxins
- Filled with digestive benefits
I guess it's not such a bad thing that I can't get enough of this incredible vegetable!
More Health Benefits of Buddha Bowl
On top of that delicious roasted cauliflower and it's many benefits, these bowls combine quinoa, dark leafy greens, chickpeas, and pickled cabbage for one of my favorite new dinners. Additional benefits of this meal include:
- It's high in protein (quinoa is one of the most protein-rich foods we can eat!)
- Even more of those essential vitamins and minerals
- Lots and lots of fiber
- Bone health
- Anti-inflammatory properties
- And tons of anti-oxidants
Roasted Cauliflower Quinoa Bowls are what I call a healing meal!
SERVING AND STORING
Once assembled, this vegan Buddha Bowl should be served immediately. Serve it with cheesy cashew sauce and top it with your favorite superfoods.
Leftovers should be stored separately. The cheesy cashew sauce can be stored in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The chickpeas, cauliflower, and cabbage can be stored for 3 days.
For quick, grab and go lunches, make the components of this bowl separately. When ready to eat, quickly assemble what you need and pack it for lunch.
BUDDHA BOWL RECIPE VARIATIONS:
Because it comes down to combining different components, there are endless combinations of vegetables, grains, and sauces. This means you can make a different Buddha Bowl every time! Get your inspiration from a variety of cuisines, featuring different seasonal vegetables, or make it all about the sauce.
Here are a few more of my favorite Buddha Bowl recipes:
- Green Goddess Buddha Bowl
- Vegan Satay with Red Curry Sauce Buddha Bowl
- My Go-To Buddha Bowl with Thai Peanut Sauce
- 11 more Buddha Bowl Recipes from YOUR favorite bloggers
Roasted Cauliflower Quinoa Bowls
Ingredients
Roasted Cauliflower
Quick Pickle Cabbage
- ½ red cabbage, thinly sliced
- ½ red onion, thinly sliced
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- salt and pepper, to taste
Cheesy Chickpeas
- 1 can chickpeas
- juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- salt and pepper, to taste
Cheesy Cashew Sauce
- ¼ cup raw cashews
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- juice of 1 lemon
- 3-4 cloves garlic
- salt, to taste
Extras
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa
- 4-6 large Swiss Chard leaves
- 2 tablespoons hemp hearts
Instructions
To make Roasted Cauliflower
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Break the cauliflower into bite-sized florets and toss in olive oil. Sprinkle with spices and stir until well-coated.
- Lay in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes, flipping once.
To make the Cheesy Cashew Sauce
- In a high-powered blender blend together all the ingredients until very smooth.
- Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Everything else
- Make quinoa according to package's instructions
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas and toss them with lemon juice, nutritional yeast, and salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- To make Quick Pickled Cabbage, toss together all the ingredients and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Lastly, chop the swiss chard into thin slices and lightly sauté it until wilted.
To assemble the bowls
- Place a ¼ cup of quinoa on the bottom.
- Add chickpeas, roasted cauliflower, pickled cabbage, and sautéd swiss chard.
- Top with cheesy cashew sauce and serve immediately
Hi, I’m Sarah. I’m a 14-year (and counting) vegan, professionally trained photographer, former pastry chef, founder of My Darling Vegan, and author of the 
Lynn says
Well here I am again. Made Cobb salad for lunch and then this roasted cauliflower bowl for dinner. It was yum mee, but I had a little trouble sauteeing the kale ( no Swiss chard) and some of the quantities weren't quite right as I'm 1 person, not 4 BUT on the whole really enjoyed it.
It's neat to put the effort in to make something, I'm just learning to cook, and then when it tastes good, that's even better. I have lots of Bits and Bob's left over so I'll be eating that over the next couple of days before I try something else but so far, excellent.
Ivelisse says
loved the cashew sauce! I added a little bit more cashews, to make it thicker. Thank you!
rachel says
We can't have cashews. What can i substitute?
Sarah says
You could try blanched almonds
Heather says
Made this Sunday night and my husband liked it so much, he made it again tonight. He doubled the sauce to spice up some other leftovers we already have with the creamy deliciousness. Even as one who consumes animal products, his skeptism over how filling a vegan meal would be dissipated halfway through his first and only serving. Our roommate did add some steak to his out of habit, but we both felt it was unnecessary. The flavors, textures, and colors make this a new go-to. Will definitely incorporate the different elements of this meal into other recipes as well - the quick pickled cabbage and the sauce in particular! Thanks for sharing, Sarah!
Sarah says
Thanks for sharing, Heather. Glad to put to question his skepticism about filling vegan meals. Also, I checked out your husbands wood shop, it's beautiful!
Marci Glenn says
This was wonderful, all of the textures and flavors melded together. We will be making this again. Thank you!
Sarah says
Glad you liked it. Thanks for sharing!
annie says
I'm intrigued by that quick pickle stuff. Sounds fantastic and right up my alley. Pickle the world!