This vegan buddha bowl with quinoa, pumpkin, and BBQ tempeh is not only super delicious but also packed with nutrients! It’s topped with a creamy cashew sauce that makes it even healthier! 
Fall is definitely here. I can’t believe it’s already getting this cold at night. I think we even have to turn on the heat in the next couple of days. Crazy! How could summer be over this quickly?! I’m more of a spring and summer person and I don’t like wearing winter jackets, boots, and hats at all. But well there’s no sense in complaining, right? It is what is is. And on the plus side, there’s tons of delicious fall recipes like this fall buddha bowl with quinoa, pumpkin, beet, and Brussels sprouts we had the other day. I also added carrots, pumpkin seeds, and crispy BBQ tempeh and it was so incredibly delicious and also pretty colorful!
What Is A Buddha Bowl?
The fall buddha bowl is packed with protein and vitamins and it’s a great flu fighter. For those of you who are wondering “what is a buddha bowl?”, the term is not motivated by my religious believes or anything. It’s just a huge bowl that is packed with food so its top resembles the laughing buddha’s belly. I’ve seen tons of buddha bowls lately and I just love the idea of putting all these delicious veggies and grains into a big bowl and top it all off with a creamy sauce.
Vegan Buddha Bowl with BBQ Tempeh
I absolutely loved this easy fall buddha bowl! It’s comforting, super healthy, packed with flavor, gluten free, and of course vegan! And it all comes together in about 45 minutes. I used a creamy sauce with cashews, nutritional yeast, and white miso paste, which I could eat on literally everything. And of course I also had to put in some homemade BBQ tempeh.
I also used this recipe for my vegan carbonara with tempeh bacon, which I posted a couple of months ago. All you need for the marinade is a tablespoon of BBQ sauce, soy sauce, some water, paprika powder, half an onion, and salt and pepper. I also added some liquid smoke
, but that’s totally optional and it’s also great without it. The best thing is that you don’t have to let it sit, you just put the marinade right into the pan and then you cook it for about 5-7 minutes until it’s all soaked up and the tempeh becomes lightly brown and crispy.
For the carrots, I used this spiral slicer
, which is also great for zoodles. I got it for Christmas two years ago and everybody thought I was kinda crazy, but I love it. It’s so easy to make julienne strips of carrots, radishes, cucumbers, and all kinds of other firm vegetables. You can either use them instead of wheat pasta or for salads and garnishes. There’s is also a smaller version
of the spiral slicer I got.
I hope you love this recipes as much as I do. Let me know if you give a try. As always, I love hearing from you guys.
Have a great start into the week!! Talk to you soon! xx
Fall Buddha Bowl with Quinoa
Ingredients
For the fall buddha bowl:
- 3/4 cup quinoa
- 2 cups Brussel sprouts
- 4 cups Hokkaido squash
- 7 oz tempeh
- 1/2 onion, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon BBQ-sauce
- 1/3 cup water
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon paprika powder
- salt
- pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke
- 2 carrots
- 2 cooked beetroots
- 1/2 cup sprouts (I used alfalfa, beetroot, and leek sprouts)
- 1/3 cup pumpkin seeds
For the creamy cashew sauce:
- 1/2 cup cashews If you want to make it easier for your blender soak them in water for about 15 minutes.
- 1/2 cup unsweetend almond or soy milk
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon mustard
- salt
- black pepper
- 1 teaspoon white miso paste
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika powder
Instructions
- Cook the quinoa according to the instructions on the package. Place a large pot of water on the stove, add a pinch of salt, and wait a few minutes for the water to boil. Place the Brussels sprouts in the boiling water and cook them for about 12-15 minutes. Cut the Hokkaido squash into cubes and cook them for 8-10 minutes.
- Cut the beetroot into thin slices. Peel the carrots and create julienne strips by using a spiral slicer.
- Make the sauce: Place all ingredients into a blender and process until smooth.
- Cut the tempeh into small cubes. In a medium pan, heat some olive oil and sauté the onion for about 2-3 minutes until it's translucent. Then add the tempeh, the BBQ sauce, the water, the soy sauce, the paprika powder, salt, pepper, and if using the liquid smoke. Cook for 5-7 minutes until the marinade is all soaked up and the tempeh becomes lightly brown and crispy.
- Place the cooked Hokkaido squash, the Brussels sprouts, the carrots, the beet, and the quinoa in a big bowl. In a small pan, heat the cashew sauce for about 2 minutes. If it becomes to thick, add another splash of milk.
- Pour the sauce over the buddha bowl and sprinkle with sprouts and pumpkin seeds.
Bianca @ ElephantasticVegan
I’m more a spring & summer person too! It’s so crazy cold, I’ve been wearing my winter coat since last week. I love this fall buddha bowl! It’s so pretty and vibrant. :)
Sina
Thanks, Bianca! I know it’s crazy how cold it already is. Last night it was minus 1 degree!! :-( But well, we can’t change it right? And there’re all these delicious fall and winter recipes to cheer us up. :-)
Kelly - Life Made Sweeter
My mouth is watering over all the gorgeous colors in this beautiful bowl! Love all the ingredients here – especially the Hokkaido squash!
Sina
Thanks, Kelly! :-) So great to hear!
Natalie | Feasting on Fruit
So much fall goodness I don’t even know where to start!!! I love all the tastes and textures and nutrients in this one meal, and those squiggly sprouts on top are just plain fun <3 Love this Sina, Buddha bowls are a classic for every season!
Sina
Thanks, Natalie! Glad you like it! :-) I love that Buddha bowls are always so healthy and packed with nutrients!
Audrey @ Unconventional Baker
What a beautiful buddha bowl, Sina! And I love the spiralizer. Those thin spirals you created are just gorgeous.
Sina
Thanks, Audrey! I just love this spiralizer, I also use it for zoodles a lot. :-)
Jasmine
Yum!! I totally wish I could have that for dinner right now
Sina
Thanks, Jasmine! I wish I could just send a bowl over to you. ;-)
Leah
Looks great, and so colorful!
Sina
Thanks, Leah! :-)
Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice
What a gorgeous bowl, Sina! I love the colorful veggies in here. And anything with quinoa is a winner in my book. Sounds delish!
Sina
Thanks, Gayle! Glad you like it. Quinoa is one of my favorites too! :-)
Ri
Bowl of goodness and nutrition. Definitely going to try is this week.
Sina
Thanks, Ri! Hope you enjoy it! :-)
Anu-My Ginger Garlic Kitchen
I have heard a lot about Buddha bowl, but never tried my own. This one here looks so vibrant and so full of good health and yummy flavors. Can’t wait to try! :)
Sina
Thanks, Anu! I’ve seen so many Buddha bowls lately, so I just had to make one myself.:-)
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
You packed in all in there! Perfect yummy bowl!!! power bowls can never disappoint!
Sina
Thanks, Rebecca! :-)
Sami @ Be Mindful, You're Creative
Saving this recipe! So bomb. I shared on my twitter! https://twitter.com/MindfulSami
Sina
Thanks for sharing it, Sami! So great to hear that you like it. :-)
Jenn
Yum! I love a delicious bowl of goodness like this! So much nutrition packed in here. And it’s beautiful too!
Sina
Thanks, Jenn! It’s such a great flu figther with all the vitamins in there. :-)
Marissa
This looks so good! I’m making it this week.
Sina
Thanks, Marissa! Hope you enjoy it! :-)
Angie
That looks utterly delicious! I’m not even sure what a Buddha Bowl is? Just a random bowl of good food?
Sina
Thanks, Angie! :-) Glad you like it! It’s just a bowl of food that is so full that its top is shaped like the belly of a laughing buddha. ;-)
Amanda
This is my idea of heaven. The colors are great and the tempeh looks perfect.
Sina
Thanks, Amanda! :-) I just love crispy tempeh!