I do not know about you, but I absolutely love a buddha bowl. It is easy to put together. It usually requires minimal effort in the kitchen, and it is completely customizable and can be spiked with leftovers in your fridge. This particular one is also nourishing and hearty, packed with fiber, protein, and seasonal vegetable. I also love that it is portable. Meaning you can also pack this Winter Veggie Buddha Bowl as an awesome lunch for the next day. Win-win in my book!
What You Will Find in This Post
Here is what you can expect from this post:
- What makes a good winter veggie buddha bowl?
- Why this winter veggie buddha bowl good for you?
- Easy swaps and questions
- How to adjust this dish to your dietary requirements
- Other delicious nourishing winter recipes on the blog
What Makes a Good Winter Veggie Buddha Bowl?
There are a few things that add to making a really good winter veggie buddha bowl:
- Grains or a starch – we are using lentils as the base, but you could also use quinoa, brown rice, or even sweet potato
- Winter veggies – think cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, mushrooms, parsnip, Brussels sprouts, beet roots. All of these are excellent choices
- Greens – think kale, rocket, or lamb’s lettuce. Yum!
- Protein – you could also add tofu, tempeh, or if you do eat meat poultry or lean beef should also work super well. Other legumes are also lovely
- Sauce – there are loads of different options out there, but we will tie this altogether with a delicious peanut butter sauce. Tangy, a little bit sweet, and a whole lot of peanut!
- Other options – you could add herbs, chopped spring onions, or even something creamy such as hummus (try my Best Homemade Hummus)
Why is This Winter Veggie Buddha Bowl Good for You?
For this Winter Veggie Buddha Bowl, we are using mushrooms, Brussels sprouts, carrots, beet root and lamb’s lettuce. I always say: “Eat the rainbow” as it provides you with the most diverse antioxidant and vitamin power out there. And this is certainly true for this array of vegetables. Carrots are super important for your eye health and may even prevent eye infections. Brussels sprouts are a cruciferous vegetable, which is rich in vitamin K an important vitamin that supports blood clotting properties. Beets are high in nitric oxide, which dillates your blood vessels and thereby lowers your overall blood pressure. Technically a fungus, mushrooms are high in vitamin D which is important to building calcium in our bodies but also aids in almost every function of our cells. It is nowadays more deemed as a hormone than a vitamin. Lamb’s lettuce is very high in vitamin C, which supports our immune system, the building of collagen, and the absorption of iron.
Easy Swaps and Questions
Can I swap the lentils in for another legume or grain? Absolutely, feel free to use whatever you have on hand. Quinoa, rice or sweet potato could also all work well.
I do not tolerate peanut butter, can I use another nut butter for this recipe? Yes! This recipe is completely versatile. You could just as easily use almond or cashew butter.
I do not have all the veggies from the recipe at hand. Can I swap in other veggies? Absolutely. You can easily use whatever you have left in the fridge. The “marinade” for the veggies will work just as well with other veggies, or you could add a few more “cold” options, such as cucumber and peppers.
How to Adjust this Dish to Your Dietary Requirements
This recipe is vegetarian, dairy-free and naturally gluten-free. In order to make it vegan, omit the egg. If you want to make it nut-free use sunflower seed butter instead of peanut butter and omit the nuts (or also swap in sunflower seeds).
Other Delicious Nourishing Winter Recipes on the Blog
There are so many comforting, delicious, hearty, and nourishing recipes on the blog. Be sure to check out the following:
- Creamy Lemon Pasta with Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- Comforting Tomato Noodle Soup
- Vegan French Onion Soup
- Vegan Penne alla Vodka
- Sri Lankan Cashew Curry
And there you have it for this week! I hope you enjoy this hearty dish that is absolutely perfect for those colder winter days as much as we did over here. Do not get discouraged by what looks like a large number of steps. Most of it is roasting the veggies and mixing some sauces – I promise. As always, do let me know how you get on with the recipe in the comments below. I want to hear what kind of swaps you have done in terms of the veggies and protein! Enjoy!
Winter Veggie Buddha Bowl
2
servings15
minutes30
minutesThis Winter Veggie Buddha Bowl, is nourishing, hearty, and makes an awesome meal prep or leftover lunch box. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- For the Winter Veggies
2 large carrots
3 cups (300 gr.) Brussels sprouts
250 gr. mushrooms
1 large beet – see notes*
- For the Winter Veggies Sauce
1 clove garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp maple syrup
1/4 tsp salt
Pepper to taste
- For the Winter Veggies Buddha Bowl
1 can (ca. 280 gr.) lentils
A large handful of lambs’s lettuce
1 egg (or other protein sources)
A handful of nuts, such as cashews
- For the Winter Veggies Buddha Bowl Sauce
2 tbsp peanut butter
2 tbsp tamari
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 lime, juiced
1 tsp maple syrup
Salt and pepper to taste
How to
- For the Winter Veggies
- Preheat your oven to 200 degrees Celsius (400 Fahrenheit) on a fan setting. On a large baking tray, add the washed and cut carrots, Brussels sprouts, and mushrooms. If you are not using pre-cooked beet root, also add this along
- For the Winter Veggies Sauce
- Peel and mince the garlic clove into a small bowl. Add the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, salt, and pepper and mix well. Pour onto the winter veggies and mix everything through. Put into the oven and roast fo 25 – 30 minutes until the veggies are slightly charred
- For the Winter Veggies Buddhe Bowl
- Prepare two bowls with the lentils and lamb’s lettuce. Cook the egg (or other sources of protein)
- For the Winter Veggies Buddha Bowl Sauce
- In a small bowl, mix the peanut butter, tamari, olive oil, lime juice, maple syrup, and salt and pepper. Set aside
- When the winter veggies are done, add to the prepped bowls. Pour the sauce on top. Add the nuts of choice, and/or some scallions and ENJOY!
- Tip: For taking the bowl for lunch the next day, be sure to keep the sauce separate, as else the lamb’s lettuce will become soggy
Notes
- I used a pre-cooked one, but if you are using a fresh one, also cut into small chunks and add to your baking tray
